Evening Charles.
Dura Ace hubs were all manufactured for standard sized rear triangles and front forks. There were never any off sized hubs or frames.
The problem is not the hubs, it's the frame and fork. I'm guessing her because I haven't seen them, but I would say the the frame and fork weren't properly spaced when they arrived at the bike shop, and then an inexperienced mechanic removed spacers from the hubs in order for them to fit the frame and fork.
The early 1970's were known as the bike boom years. When gas got expensive and there was a huge demand for bikes. This led to allot of rushed frames from suppliers, and allot of untrained people working as bike mechanics. I was a shop mechanic in the late 1980's, and we were still correcting errors from this time.
If you still have the frame and fork I suggest you take them to a good mechanic, and have them adjusted to the correct sizes. Then replace the spacers in the hubs so that they fit properly. You may see improvements in the bikes handling, as well as the peace of mind from having a well assembled bike.
Good luck with this project.
Tom Harriman.
(more @*%$ rain Sunday)
San Francisco, Ca
> From: cnighbor1@comcast.net
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 18:19:56 -0700
> CC: tom@orderandchaos.com; cnighbor1@comcast.net
> Subject: [CR] Dura Ace road Hubs size question
>
> Mearsuring my NIB 70's Dura-Ace hubs from the 1970's I get a rear spacing of 116mm. I also get 96mm for front. Is that a typical dimension for 70's. I thought 100mm front and 120mm or 126mm was 70's normal.
> I checked 9 times.. I would like to use or sell them but with those spacings I would 1st need to replace both axes and add spacers to rear get to 100mm front and either 120mm or 126mm rear.
> The total length of the axles is not long enough to make standard spacing100 mm Front and 120 mm rear work. I have a set of same hubs but correct 100mm front and120mm rear and you can see the difference in the length of axles. My axles are 1/4'' shorter. My guess is made for special run of frames. Box doesn't give axle length. My only fix is new axles.
> Thanks but sure confused
> Charles Nighbor Architect