Tomm Willians

I’m having a 88-89 Paramount built that originally had down tube shifters and has the smaller 126 hub width. I’d like to have it built back up using brifters rather than down tube. What numeric series of Dura Ace can I use that will work with the smaller hub? (If any?)

Eric F 

If I recall, the first Dura Ace STI shifters were 8 speed, 7400 series.

cxwrench

You are correct, there was never a 6 or 7 speed dual control lever.

masi61

You could always make your own improvised ones by mounting your 7400 down tube shift levers onto the “braze-on” mounts on top of a set of Gevenalle Audax aero brake levers. This would be pretty cool.

icemilkcoffee 

There was never a 7 speed Dura Ace STI. Shimano made 3 different 7 speed STI shifters: RSX ST-A410, Sora ST-3300, and Tourney ST-A070.
Another alternative, if you have a HG cassette freehub, is to run 7 out of 8 cogs, or 8 out of 9 cogs, or 9 out of 10. And then you can run the respective 8, 9 or 10 speed STI shifter.

Iride01 

Are you absolutely certain that frame is only a 126 dropout spacing? Even so, I put a 130 OLD hub in my 126 mm spaced 1978 Raleigh Comp. There was plenty of spring in the stays to not have to do anything special.

My 1991 Paramount frame made in December of 1990 is definately 130 spacing on the rear. I put 11 speed 105 5800 group on it and it's a really sweet shifting bike. I think one of the things that makes it shift so sweet is the ever so slightly longer chain stays. Or maybe it is just the bike's mechanic.... me! <grin>

Eric F 

I don't think this would solve the hub spacing issue, however.

Tomm Willians

Actually no I’m not sure, I was just guessing that being an 88 with downtube that it was 126. It’s out for paint right now so can’t confirm.

70sSanO

Dura Ace 74xx is a unique drivetrain.

7400 was the 6/7 speed freewheel.

7401 was the first cassette (uniglide 7 speed), but incorporated a different freehub body that required a smaller threaded first cog. It should be 126mm.

7402 was the 8 speed version uniglide with smaller threaded first cog. 130mm.

7403 was also 8 speed and used a uniglide/hyperglide freehub body that used a standard cassette. 130mm.

I believe all of the 74xx freehub bodies used a different freehub attachment.

But here is the real kicker, Dura Ace 74xx rear derailleurs and shifters were not compatible with any other index system. Dura Ace rear derailleurs had an actuation ratio of 1.9 compared to the then Shimano standard of 1.7. To make the derailleurs move the correct amount the 74xx shifters pulled less cable. I have done the alternate cable setup with no issues, but if you think you can just throw on a 74xx rear derailleur and use any 7/8/9 speed shifter you will be mistaken.

You can run a 7 speed freehub body and the 8 of 9 cogs on it but you will need to run something other than 74xx. If you want to run Dura Ace and want 126mm, get a FH-7700 and a FH-M732 and swap the freehub bodies. Been there, done that, works all day long. You will need different spacers and washers to space it out to 126mm. Then you can run 9 speed STI's, if you have the coin, NOS 7700's would be my choice.

That said, if it is a 1988, it might be 128mm and then you can probably fit a 130mm hub without any mods, or maybe fudge it closer to 128mm if you are so inclined.

John

Edit added: Now if for some reason a close friend decided to give you NOS 7403 8 speed STI's, you can probably run them with a RD-7700 and 8 of 9 cogs spaced as a 9 speed without issues. The DA 7403 moves a standard Shimano RD, including 7700, 4.30mm. Standard 9 speed cassette spacing is 4.35mm. I have 8 speed SL-7402 downtube shifters, but have not tried this... yet. I don't think the .002" per cog spacing will really cause any problems.

Iride01 

I'd wait till you get it back and can measure. Things were changing in that time period and even if you only had 6 speed group on there originally that might only require a 126 mm spacing, I wouldn't assume that to be the spacing of the frame. I don't know which flavor of DuraAce 7400 gave us 130 mm spaced rears or if it was even Shimano. But the frame may well have had 130mm drops and used spacers to make up for the narrower hub they may have put on it if it came with a lesser groupset.

Just take what ever 130 OLD rear wheel you have and see if it fits. Of course it'll need to be 700C, I doubt they still made 27" wheeled Paramount's then. But I've been wrong before.

squirtdad

88 paramount with 6 speed could certainly be 126......my 89 miyata 1400 was 126

Andrew R Stewart 

Too bad the rear triangle spacing wasn't addressed before the paint job... Andy

EddyR

I had a 1987 Cannondale DuraAce,7 speed. I had all the problems mentioned above but here is how i got around it. I bought a shimano st500 8 speed shifters and used the alternate location for the cable on the rd. I used this set up for several years with no problems. When i sold it i put the dt shifter back on it. That is the one bike i wish i had kept.
Ed

EddyR

I had a 1987 Cannondale DuraAce,7 speed. I had all the problems mentioned above but here is how i got around it. I bought a shimano st500 8 speed shifters and used the alternate location for the cable on the rd. I used this set up for several years with no problems. When i sold it i put the dt shifter back on it. That is the one bike i wish i had kept.
Ed

70sSanO

I have an ‘88 Cannondale and I did do the DA-7700 hub with the XT-m732 7 speed UG/HG freehub body. DS was XT (cones, seal), NDS was DA. Had to slightly re-dish the wheel; more dish on DS so it was stronger.

One of the easier swaps.

John

urbanknight

It's a steel frame, so you could easily have it "cold set" to 130mm. That's what everybody and their mothers were doing to their race bikes in the early 90's when STI came out. I personally knew two people who did this to their Paramount PDG frames and it wasn't an issue (although most of us rode 23mm tires back then). That's also why I'm certain that at least some of the Paramount frames from the late 80's/early 90's were spaced at 126mm.