IP Merkin wrote:
>I have a Victory double crankset that I want to install on an old Italian
> frame, but need help to get the bottom bracket spindle length. I've heard
> 109
> (and was fixing to buy a NOS square taper Shimano with 110), but then saw
> a
> Victory BB (English) on ebay that claimed a spindle length of 112. Can
> someone tell me for certain? If I have to end up using something modern
> like a
> UN-52, is there a taper different that I need to take into account?
> Apologies
> in advance if I'm skirting the timeline a bit too closely.
If you measure the distance across the flats, you'll see that the Campy/clones/Stronglight/etc. spindles are thinner, so a Shimano or other JIS-standard spindle won't go as far into the hole in the crankarms. This will make the JIS spindle effectively about 5.5mm longer (2.75mm each end) as far as your chainline and Q-factor are concerned. This fitment is generally not recommended, though I know of folks who did this and I witnessed that their chainrings remained perfectly in-plane and that is was reliable in these cases. Measured at about 3mm from the end, a Campy-type (ISO) spindle measures about 12.7mm across, while a JIS spindle measures about 12.9mm across. The taper angle (included angle) between opposite flats is exactly 2-degrees for both types. This translates to just under 3mm difference in terms of the depth that the spindle enters each crankarm. I'm not sure what length spindle Victory used. In these cases I typically test-fit a known spindle that's my best guess, then bolt on the right arm and check for chainring clearance. I often use shorter-than-spec spindle lengths to improve chainline on the bigger ring and cogs.
David Snyder
Auburn, CA
USA
Mars