Rear Axle Spacers????
 

I recently bought an '89 Schwinn Tempo that was converted to a fixie. I got it on the cheap because the guy had the rear wheel stolen and didn't want to replace it. I was able to get a decent Weinmann wheel w/ flip flop hub at the local bike shop (Bike Lane, Chicago) but the cog is 3mm out of alignment and needs to be moved outward. I cannot adjust/flip the crankwheel and I do not want to replace the entire crankset or bottom bracket. That being said, I feel like my options are to install spacers on either the axle or the hub.

Spacers on the axle will push the wheel away from center, but I do not have a rear brake to worry about rubbing against, nor any intention of using the other side of the hub in the near future. Installing ships on the hub should just push the fixed cog out to the location I need. Do you guys think this will work?

Thanks!!

Works for me. Since your dropouts are probably 126mm spacing, and SS hubs are usually 120mm, it would probably be a good thing, even.

you will need to re-dish the rim ... when you move the hub the rim goes with it and will no longer center in the frame ... not the best thing to do but it will get you by caveat being a wheel that may not stay true long term.

Right, and I'd like to avoid that scenario. What are your thoughts on a 3mm spacer on the hub, pushing the cog out? think that would work?

Another thought: are you running the chainring on the inside or outside of the crank spider?

a chainline off by a couple mm is really no big deal, more than one person has confirmed it before. dont worry about it unless youre super anal about stuff

my bike is a couple mm off and ive really had no problems after ~1000 miles

On the outside, but If i move it to the inside, the chainline is WAY off and the chainring is then only about 1mm from hitting the frame.

The wheel fits in the drop outs now? And you want to add spacers? Then what, just shove it in there?

At any rate, don't space the hub on the axle such that the rim in not centered when the wheel is mounted. That's a completely bootleg shortcut and a terrible way to get started. If you use a spacer, re-dish the wheel - which is also bootleg on a flip flop.

Someone slap me. What am I talking about? You don't want to replace the cranks or bottom bracket to make this proper. So it's bootleg.

Yeah, add a spacer. Then check back when you are ready to do fix the non-issue correctly.

A chainline 3mm off is fine. Even 4mm is fine. Just get a good multispeed chain.

Kind of a schizophrenic post, but it got me thinking again... $20 for a new bottom bracket that's 3mm shorter would solve all of the problems in this thread, and not break the bank. Just do it.