front wheel dont fit forks

[wildside]

help my new wheels wont fit into my front forks where the wheels bolt up the opening is to small what can i do to open out the slot so wheel fits in

 

[Midlife]

Is it a QR hollow spindle on the hub? What sort of bike / forks / wheel combo?

Cheers


Shaun

 

[wildside]

its a 3/8 spindle with nuts on not quick realease and i think the cap in the forks is 5/16 old school size its the font froks off the obrien as i am converting it to single speed so bought new wheels

 

[keithglos]

The easiest way is file flats on the front spindle, only needed where the spindle goes in the fork end.
From the mid 1950's most forged front fork ends were 9mm, and QR hubs were mostly 9mm. BH made front hubs with 3/8 inch for their QR (we used to file off the tops of the threads where the spindle sticks out from the lock nuts), and Raleigh made millions of bikes with flatted 3/8 front spindles. Also British tandem hubs were normally 3/8.

 

[wildside]

just had a thought could i not drill out the forks bigger then file to make it neat

 

[Midlife]

Someone beat me to it........I'd rather file flats onto the spindles as in the old days. Plenty of meat on the spindles and no likelyhood of failure.

http://daniel.weck.free.fr/BromptonBafa ... G_3899.jpg

Not sure I would like messing with the dropouts. OK SBDU etc drilled out the ends but they were meaty to start off with LOL

Shaun

 

[wildside]

just tried it nearly broke wrist when drill snatched and now knackered forks any one got a set cheap with at least a 165mm steerer

 

[biggs682]

oh dear for 27" or 700c

 

[wildside]

they were originally 27" wheels but fitting 700x28 wheel combo with a 3/8 spindle cant believe i tried doing it a moment of madness

 

[Midlife]

If you want to keep it original how about a local builder brazes in new dropouts.......not the cheapest option though.

Shaun