Cold setting frames

[flashrider]

I had a fruitless search in this forum, but was wondering what a tried and true methos of cold setting to 125mm is? Other than the Sheldon method, that is...

[drubie]

I had a fruitless search in this forum, but was wondering what a tried and true methos of cold setting to 125mm is? Other than the Sheldon method, that is...

126mm frame on 130mm axle == just stretch it over, don't bend it permanently. It's not that hard.

[familyguy]

Why 125mm? Track/fixie hubs (should) = 120mm.

If you're spacing a frame inwards to 120mm, you might have a slight issue with the dropouts not being straight in relation to one another. Not a problem on a road hub with a QR or the like, but on fixed hubs it can mean slippage. Good serrated nuts can fix that.

I spaced my steel frame out to 130mm with a chair and a length of wall stud. It wasnt quite centred though, so it runs more like 63mm one side and 67mm t'other.

Jim

[boyracer]

any good old school LBS should have tools for aligning dropouts, and making sure it is square.....mmmmm3380.

[rkelsen]

I had a fruitless search in this forum, but was wondering what a tried and true methos of cold setting to 125mm is? Other than the Sheldon method, that is...

I'm not quite sure what you're expecting hear...

There is no magic to this. Sure, there are special tools which the professionals use to check alignment, etc... but these are all easily emulated as per the info on Sheldon's site.

I've respaced a couple of frames so far. You have to be careful with harder steels like cr-mo or mn-mo, because they require a bit more force... and it is very easy to apply too much. They are 'springier' and it can be difficult to tell how much force is enough.

Once you get it to the point you're happy with it, using the string method described on Sheldon's website, look along the seat stays and make sure that they both look fairly similar in the way they bend. If you find that one of the seat stays is visibly kinked and a true wheel doesn't sit straight, you can use Dave Moulton's method for straightening stays. Just make sure that you have a spacer of some sort between the dropouts.

The best advice I can give is to take your time, and maintain a cool head. This is not a difficult thing to do.

[hartleymartin]

3/8" threaded rod (9.5mm) with nuts and washers. I recall reading that you have to use the threaded rod to spread the rear to approx 15 to 20mm more than the final width that you want the frame to be cold-set. However, I cannot find it right now.