Buying a vintage wheelset, what to look for?
10-30-22, 11:32 AM
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Buying a vintage wheelset, what to look for?
I plan to bring a magnet to verify they are not steel, but that's all really! what else I should check for?! How do I know the rims and hubs still have plenty of life left?! Also the set in the picture appear to have a shimano freewheel of 5 cogs, I see some visible threading towards the small gear, does that mean it's missing a cog?!
10-30-22, 12:19 PM
#2
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That's an old Uni Glide Free Hub. OLD!!
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/...3-stylessm.jpg
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/...3-stylessm.jpg
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html
10-30-22, 12:21 PM
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That's an old Uni Glide Free Hub. OLD!!
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/...3-stylessm.jpg
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/...3-stylessm.jpg
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html
10-30-22, 12:27 PM
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Look for a smooth brake track but on the other hand I do see a badly rusted spoke.
10-30-22, 07:28 PM
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look for dimpling around the spoke holes in the rims... look for SMOOTH operation of the axles in the hubs... the rusted spokes may be an obvious sign the wheels have been sitting out in the rain so the BEARINGS int the hubs were Also sitting out in the rain! Brake tracks get worn out.. if there is any deep Grooving or wide/narrow/wide/narrow looking wear on the brake tracks, DON'T Buy them!any Oxidation is also a sign of neglect.... if all that looks fine, check for True by spinning and WATCHING CAREFULLY... the wheels may have inward Dings or Flat Spots too! Driveway Curbs do that, usually...they CAN NOT easily be repaired. also, spin the axles and watch for a Bent Axle... Rear axles on old freewheel hubs are notorious for Bent Axles on the Drive (Gears) side..... SUPER Thick Grease can mask bad bearings/cones or bent axles.. any extra looseness can also hide bad bearings/cones...PS.. sometimes you can find a great pair of wheels on a "donor Bike" for free or nearly free... good luck and Do not pay too much, they are someone else's junk parts, typically.
one other thing... that gearset is outdated and it can be real hard to find new gears to fit it... i hope your wallet is packed with lots of cash....
one other thing... that gearset is outdated and it can be real hard to find new gears to fit it... i hope your wallet is packed with lots of cash....
Last edited by maddog34; 10-30-22 at 07:33 PM.
10-30-22, 08:43 PM
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10-30-22, 11:15 PM
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Besides what has been stated, I’d be hesitant to buy any rim that has .5mm concave wear depth and the brake track unless I was sure the wall thickness was 1.5mm. Even then I would probably pass unless the hubs and price were too good. You can use anything with a straight edge to check.
A rim with an obvious radial flat section. Sometimes it can be fixed and sometimes not.
Rough/gritty hub bearings. If the races are pitted, the hubs are toast. You might be able to limp them along, but ultimately you’ll need to replace the hubs.
You’ll need to decide if you want to run a freewheel or a cassette. If you are planning on running a 5 speed, I might lean toward a freewheel. But since would check eBay to see what is available in NOS or slightly used.
John
A rim with an obvious radial flat section. Sometimes it can be fixed and sometimes not.
Rough/gritty hub bearings. If the races are pitted, the hubs are toast. You might be able to limp them along, but ultimately you’ll need to replace the hubs.
You’ll need to decide if you want to run a freewheel or a cassette. If you are planning on running a 5 speed, I might lean toward a freewheel. But since would check eBay to see what is available in NOS or slightly used.
John
Last edited by 70sSanO; 10-30-22 at 11:19 PM.
10-30-22, 11:58 PM
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If I'm buying used wheels for one of my vintage keepers, I first look for a complete matching set ... then top brand name, like Campy hubs and Mavic rims. And they have to look really good (not perfect) all the way around.
If it's a set for a bike I'm going to flip, they just have to be matching (again) and look compatible for the particular bike.
If it's a set for a bike I'm going to flip, they just have to be matching (again) and look compatible for the particular bike.
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10-31-22, 05:16 PM
#9
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Are you sure the rear hub is uniglide? Looks like a freewheel design to my eyes. I recall the freewheel tool that fit the thing, and the hub being european origin. Additionally I don't recall uniglide coming in 5 speed. i'm old therefore my memory may be of disservice to me on this topic!
Assuming I am correct you will need to check for a bent axle on the freewheel side. Simply rotate the axle from the opposite side of the hub and your eye on the freewheel side axle.
Assuming I am correct you will need to check for a bent axle on the freewheel side. Simply rotate the axle from the opposite side of the hub and your eye on the freewheel side axle.
11-03-22, 12:20 AM
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Good tips above. At the risk of stating the obvious, the O.L.D. (Outer Locknut Distance) of the hub should match the dropout spacing on the frame. Almost all front wheels are 100mm. Old 5-speed rear wheels are 120mm. Most 6 and 7-speed freewheel hubs are 126mm. Rear dropout spacings of 130mm and 135mm are most common nowadays.
If you are buying for a bike with 120mm rear dropouts, beware of freewheels with 5 cogs assembled on 6-speed bodies. Four out of four 5-speed freewheels I bought on e-bay were such, and would not work on my 120mm hubs.
If you are buying for a bike with 120mm rear dropouts, beware of freewheels with 5 cogs assembled on 6-speed bodies. Four out of four 5-speed freewheels I bought on e-bay were such, and would not work on my 120mm hubs.
11-04-22, 06:24 AM
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Original deleted - see below.
Last edited by Hondo6; 11-04-22 at 07:50 AM. Reason: Inadvertent duplicate.
11-04-22, 06:26 AM
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It did. Seems to have been introduced in the late 1970s or early 1980s - one example below has a date code of EE, which would correspond to May 1980 (date code on 2nd example isn't shown in photos).
Although quite rare today, at least 2 eBay vendors have 5-speed UG hubs for sale at present:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/272636649554
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284871024969
And, as dedhed noted above, a 5-speed UG cassette sold on eBay the day before yesterday.
Although quite rare today, at least 2 eBay vendors have 5-speed UG hubs for sale at present:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/272636649554
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284871024969
And, as dedhed noted above, a 5-speed UG cassette sold on eBay the day before yesterday.
Last edited by Hondo6; 11-04-22 at 07:53 AM.
11-04-22, 06:40 AM
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Yes, that's the original Uniglide freewheel, not a freehub. The Uniglide freehubs used the smallest sprocket as a lockring, threading onto the freehub mechanism to hold the larger sprockets in place.
It could be the 600 version or Dura-Ace; the faceplate will show. Both use the same two-prong remover tool; either the Shimano TL-FC10 or Bicycle Research CT-1:
11-05-22, 12:06 PM
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Technically, this is "Over-Locknut Distance" (reference: Sheldon Brown). 
11-08-22, 02:23 PM
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Technically, this is "Over-Locknut Distance" (reference: Sheldon Brown).
11-08-22, 04:15 PM
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Usually when dealing with vintage stuff from various eras it is more like Over Locknut Dilemma.
John
John
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11-08-22, 05:30 PM
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11-08-22, 06:20 PM
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One thing about examining old wheels when considering them is not being able to examine the races and cones inside. As 70sSanO mentioned, if the races are pitted all up then adios hub. I have found that the metal used on races is much harder than the metal of the cones and have more longevity than a cone. If the cones are pitted but races not, you can still get that hub going.
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