Well, no one could tell me what would work, although I got some good hints about what would not. Here's what I did:
There isn't enough of an internal "lip" to drive out one of the sleeves with a QR inserted from the other side. So to close off one end, I inserted a #4 plastic wall anchor (#6 might have worked also) into one end plate and secured with a small screw. I then tapped the now closed off sleeve with a hammer and a 6" long machine screw (QR will work as well)inserted from the other end of the hub.
Two things may happen. Either the sleeve you are tapping will come off the axle, or if the one you are tapping is on tighter than the other, the whole axle with that sleeve will be driven to that side, sliding the axle out of the opposite sleeve. The latter happened in my case.
You will find the Hi-E "axle" is actually a hollow steel tube of 1/2" OD. It slides snugly into the bearings, but not tight enough to prevent sliding the axle out of the hub by hand. You may still not be able to get the tighter sleeve off the axle, but you don't need to. Slide the axle out of the hub, place the appropriate size spacer under the sleeve, and slide the axle back into the hub. Insert the appropriate size spacer on the other end of the axle and tap the removed sleeve back on with a hammer. Standard axle apacers don't work, so I cut some from 1/2" ID copper and plastic tubing.
The fact I was only able to remove one end sleeve might have been an issue if I wanted to decrease spacing, but nearly all these old Hi-E hubs with the end sleeves pressed on tightly are 120/122 spacing, so one would normally either use as is or increase the spacing. Not sure you could increase these to 130, as the "axle" might be too short at that point, but 126 works fine.
I now intend to use this Hi-Lo Hi-E hub on my early 80's Paramount Elite.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Charles Hobbs <hobbs.charles1@gmail.com>
\r?\n> Subject: Hi-E
\r?\n> To: jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net
\r?\n> Date: Friday, October 30, 2009, 12:15 AM
\r?\n> Let me know if you come up with a good
\r?\n> way to remove the end caps on your Hi-E hub. I have tried
\r?\n> to tap one out with a quick release rod; so far no luck. I
\r?\n> have a really clean pair, 36 rear and 28 front that I have
\r?\n> found Mavic G.E.L 280's to pair with. My goal is a
\r?\n> ultralight wheelset for climbing to put on a 1981 Bruce
\r?\n> Gordon racing frame. I just need to respace the
\r?\n> rear.
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Charles Hobbs