Changing hub/axle OLN spacing 130mm to 120mm

[ChrisEyles]

I've just got hold of some new wheels with a rear freewheel 130mm OLN spacing and am intending to install in a 120mm OLN spaced frame. Thought this would be simple, but now I'm not so sure...

Am I right in thinking I may be able to simply swap the 130mm OLN axle on the new wheel for the 120mm axle from the old wheel? Anyone know if the internal "axle hole" of a hub has changed much in the past 50 years?

Otherwise if I replaced the spacer between the cone and the locknut with one 10mm smaller (bringing 130mm down to 120mm), and then carefully took 10mm off of the new axle (on the drive side) with a hacksaw (so that the QR skewer can still do its thing), would this suffice?

I'm guessing that if I managed to successfully change the axle size (or use the old axle) there'd be no need to re-dish the wheel, is that correct?

ps - I'm sure it will be suggested, but I'm not at all crazy about cold-setting the frame by that much - not least because I'd still like to be able to re-build and use the old 120mm wheel/hub at a later date.

 

[Apollonius]

I have juggled spacers on old hubs successfully, but when you get up to 130OLN you are today's world and you might well find you have a completely different set-up with freehubs etc as well as a different cone arrangement. Is the 130 a freewheel screw-on type? If it is, you might just get away with it. I would agree that you are at the limits for cold-setting.
Careful examination of the two axles side by side would be instructive, but I suspect you will still have problems with hub width, chain lines etc.

 

[ChrisEyles]

The rear wheel is indeed threaded for a freewheel - five speed, if it makes any difference.

Agreed that swapping the axles over is not a sure thing by any means, but would be the easiest solution if possible... If not then taking 10mm off of the spacer and (new) axle should work?

I can't get my head around wheel dish, can't work out if this would need re-doing, or whether it would make the wheel weaker or not?

I have a horrible feeling I may soon be sending these wheels back from whence they came

 

[Apollonius]

If they are the same structure and have the same sort of cone and bearing arrangement, then why not just buy some suitable axles for your new wheels? I still think chain line will be a problem. Even a 1mm spacer makes a difference. I have not had wheel dish issues when going from 120 to 125, but 130 is a big step. I did have chain line issues though!

 

[ChrisEyles]

A new axle is another option (I guess this would be ~130mm total length, leaving 5mm either side of the locknut for QR?). But the more I google the more it seems that the re-dishing is not recommended.

Not sure about the chain line - would just have to try/hope as it is, and then add/remove some small spacers on either side of the axle to get it approximately right.

I must say I naively assumed any old freewheel threaded back wheel would be pretty much OK... feeling rather silly now.