Originally Posted by
katzenfinch
Recently I got a 1972 (I think) Peugeot UO8 that had been the victim of an unsuccessful attempt to hammer out the crank cotters. A friend with a torch managed to get them out, but now I need to replace the crankset.
I’d like to go to a cotterless square-taper spindle and use a vintage Stronglight or TA crankset. My immediate problem is that I don’t know what size spindle to get — 115mm, 118mm, or something else. Any advice?
Spindle size depends on the crank you're using. Each crank has its own spindle size recommendation, although you can vary it slightly depending on the chainline and chainstay clearance. So choose a crank first and then choose your bottom bracket. VeloBase is a good resource for crank manufacturer recommendations on spindle size, although it doesn't have everything. You can also ask here once you get your crank if you can't find the BB length info online.