# Brazing a freehub



## bobg (23 Oct 2008)

Anyone ever tried it - I was dabbling with the idea of using a spare back 700c with a freehub as the basis for a second fixed conversion -(got the bug  ) Good old Sheldon seems to have done it, and having a bunch of hyperdrive spacers and a couple of single sprockets I thought I might have a crack at it too He seems to have left both front chain rings on and lined them up with a fixed 14 and a 16 on the back to give him hill/flat options. I can't foresee a problem but thought I'd ask here first and be forewarned

While I'm in seeking advice mode, I seem to have a chain tightening/slackening prob with my first conversion effort. Its a new dura-ace sprocket so it shouldn,t be oval so that seems to leave me with a dodgy front ring. ( the redish was done by a local LBS and seems fine. I'm pretty sure I was careful when getting a decent chain line too. Sheldon describes a method of trueing which involves hitting it with a hammer, but I dont think I understand it....I'll post the link in a minute and if anybody can explain it as if to a child, Id be very grateful...
Cheers


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## bobg (23 Oct 2008)

Cant seem to edit and add a link but the bit that confuses me is in a para headed "Chain Tension" in Sheldons Fixie Conversion page. I'll try again tomorrow, its past my bedtime


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## jimboalee (24 Oct 2008)

A suggestion to spare the freehub from the brazing torch.

Visit the local tat-man and take an old 'screw-on' freewheel rear hub from him. Lace up a new rim onto it and get a 'screw-on' fixed sprocket, a spacer and a lockring. I think the thread is the same as the BSA RHT B/B thread? [Citation needed].
You might have to use LocTite ThreadLoc and lick it with the brazing torch to cure.

Worked fine for me in 1977.


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## bobg (24 Oct 2008)

jimboalee said:


> A suggestion to spare the freehub from the brazing torch.
> 
> Visit the local tat-man and take an old 'screw-on' freewheel rear hub from him. Lace up a new rim onto it and get a 'screw-on' fixed sprocket, a spacer and a lockring. I think the thread is the same as the BSA RHT B/B thread? [Citation needed].
> You might have to use LocTite ThreadLoc and lick it with the brazing torch to cure.
> ...



Hi Jim, Ta for that. I already have a set up as you suggest, its just that I unearthed a decent wheel with freehub from the shed that made me think of the brazing /welding option. Plus I figured that I woud have lots of scope for chainline adjustment but messing with hyperglide spacers and that might save me redishing. May be wrong though, is just an idea at the
moment. Anybody know if there is a particular chain thats best on a fixie given how crucial it seems to be, plus my local LBS just said, no way should I leave the quick release on it.. s'pose that makes sense too.


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## jimboalee (25 Oct 2008)

Fixies use 1/8" chain, ala track and BMX. Ribble have Izumi for £26, or KMC for £3.


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## skwerl (27 Oct 2008)

bobg said:


> plus my local LBS just said, no way should I leave the quick release on it.. s'pose that makes sense too.



I've never figured this one out. If a Q/R is good enough for a 'regular' bike then why not for a fixed. A low-geared bike (e.g. a mountain bike in it's lowest gear) is going to put much more torque through the wheel than a fixed so why are they suited to using a Q/R?

As far as I can see the only reason fixies traditionally don't have Q/Rs is because stickie-outie bits aren't allowed on the track.


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## MattTrinder (28 Oct 2008)

I rode with a QR fixie for a year with no problems at all, before the bike got nicked 

Decent Shimano closed cam steel skewer done up tight enough to hurt hand.


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## bobg (28 Oct 2008)

Not entirely happy with the chainline but I had a testride on a recent fixie conversion with QR. I did them up much tighter than I would normally with single speed or geared and sure enough they slipped first time out. I'll go with solid axles and bloody great nuts I think!


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## randombadger69 (29 Oct 2008)

bobg said:


> Not entirely happy with the chainline but I had a testride on a recent fixie conversion with QR. I did them up much tighter than I would normally with single speed or geared and sure enough they slipped first time out. I'll go with solid axles and bloody great nuts I think!



Good plan, no matter how tight you do up Q/R's there never gonna be as tight as you'll get track nuts.

A not so cheap but viable option for fixing a shimano cassette hub is to use a surly converter.. check em out they are a proper conversion kit.


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## bobg (30 Oct 2008)

randombadger69 said:


> Good plan, no matter how tight you do up Q/R's there never gonna be as tight as you'll get track nuts.
> 
> A not so cheap but viable option for fixing a shimano cassette hub is to use a surly converter.. check em out they are a proper conversion kit.



Thanks RB, I didnt know about that, I'll check them out. Given that its taken me about 3 days of messing with BB's chainrings axles spacers and bearings just to get the optimum chain line, the option of just messing with spacers on a wheel dished for a rear mech seemed a good idea Everyone else that does these cheap conversions completes it in about an hour


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