I have an old 90's Cannondale F400 hardtail frame, with lugs for rear-derailleur. Problem is the spacing for rear dropouts is 4 3/8" (as opposed to standard 5.5"). None of my wheelsets will fit!
In the pic is an old 90's Ritchey wheelset with freewheel..which I can play with the spacers to "make it fit". But, I would have to re-dish the wheel to make the rim centered.
An easy way out is just to make it into a single-speed. But, I prefer to have multiple gears. Any suggestions?
to see if the rear end has been bent narrower, you could measure the width of the dropouts front and back to check if they are parallel. Otherwise, I'd think about bending the frame to accomodate a modern 135mm wheel.
funny thing..when I got this frame (off Craigslist), the rear derailleur hanger was "cut off in half" (implying the rear derailleur was not used). That implies this thing was converted to single speed (rear dropout spacing narrowed). I ended up getting a new rear derailleur hanger, only to discover the above "strangeness".
I think you're right..it was narrowed!
How do I go about getting it bent back..find a welder or bike shop?
Thanks for the link, I followed the directions to cold bend the drive-side chain-stay + seat-stay:
I started with a 2x3 about 4 ft long..got some results (widened dropout width to 4.75"). Needed more leverage, so scavenged a 6ft long 2x3 from a fence I was building (!), & got the final result..5.5" (135mm) rear dropout spacing.
I commenced the start of the build with a wheelset I got last weekend ($50, Mavic x238 wheel set) 7 Rockshox fork (from '99 Specialized Rockhopper A1)
Will finish it today, will have 8 speeds in back. Rear derailleur (Deore Lx from '93 Trek 7000) & front derailleur (Deore LX). Crank is Deore LX from 90's bike.
Also from that page:
If your frame or fork is made of aluminum or carbon fiber, do not attempt to re-space it: these materials are not suitable for "cold setting."
Now that frame has been bent twice - lots of luck.
lots of parts extracted from '99 Specialized Rockhopper A1 (Specialized crank, RockShok Jett front fork, V-brakes & levers) 8 speed Shimano trigger shifters, 90's Deore LX rear derailleur, Shimano A front derailleur, front tire Kenda, rear tire Maxxis. Large chain-ring needs straightening..
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mountain Bike Reviews Forum
15.4M posts
515.2K members
Since 1990
A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!