Grubee HD Axle/Brake a Mess!!

Mike S

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Mar 16, 2008
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I thought I would try a cool idea and install the Grubee HD axle and brake drum kit, but quickly discovered big problems. After paying to have the hub installed in a wheel and for new spokes, now I find the assembly is too wide to fit into the back bike frame. It looks like my only option is to bend the frame wider or abandon the HD axle/brake drum kit altogether. Maybe a
simply friction brake would be better on the rear with a disk brake on the
front. Any ideas? I'm sinking fast on this one. Mike S
 
Mine was also much wider than my stock coaster hub was. I couldn't get the wheel in by hand.

I used a car jack covered in a hand towel to spread the chain stays enough to get the wheel in.

edit: When you spread them they will flex out then back in. they wont stay where you bend them to. Try to "loosen" them up until there close enough to spread them by hand.
 
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Well that's two of us with the same problem. I knew I couldn't be
alone on this. I may have my brother help me spread the frame
with a jack like you said and I hope the frame doesn't
fall out of alignment. Mike
 
There's other problems: The bold heads bind against the brake drum,
and the nuts bind against the spokes on the other side. The bolt
holes are drilled too close to the brake drum. They should be
further out. Chinese Engineering!! Mike
 
In my experience steel has to bend an awful lot before it cracks so the only time this will cause a problem with your frame is if you already have bad welds to begin with. If your welds snap while spreading the frame an extra inch or so you probably needed a new frame anyway.
 
Mine is the solid version(non freewheel) the nuts hit my spokes as well. They had 2 washers on the back side. I moved 1 washer from the back to the front, pulling the nut away from the spokes. It sits nice and flush now.

Once I got it in, the bike squeezed the brake drum against the sprocket(binding). To fix this I added a big washer between the drum and the inside axel nut.(inside the drum).

edit : I also added a thin nut to that side
 
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Yeah, I see your point about the nuts and how to deal with it. I'll try something,
like you did. Thanks. Mike
 
did you get the hub put into a rim at a local bike store? if so how much did they charge you to install it? just trying to get an idea, although i'll probably still try lacing mine myself when it gets here....

you can find frame spreaders from some retailers, and your local bike store would probably have one. B-E.com sells em too

http://www.bicycle-engines.com/bike-frame-spreader-tool-p-117.html

probably easier to get a car jack though.
 
any pic? it would be nice to see the kit and how much wider you got to spread the rear forks.
 
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