B607 said:
Can you tell at a glance if the NX7 shell is alloy or steel? Gary
Yes, even if they were painted. The alloy one on the left is larger, looks more rounded off, and is one piece (besides the steel inserts, inside the shell). The the outer lip of the large drive side dust cap fits in a groove.
The steel one on the right is smaller, has 3 piece construction (pressed on flanges), the brake side flange has slots cut into it, and the outer lip of the large drive side dust cat fits over the end of the shell.
Because of my preferred style of bike, I mostly prefer the looks of the alloy ones. Plus, I also like to run a Sturmey XF-D front drum brake, which is a good visual match for the alloy NX7's.
The steel ones are great for the proper look on a vintage bike, although the finish on the very common 7C18 looks far from chromed. The 7C16 has a shinier finish, and looks best, but seem to be much harder to come by.
Here's a 7C16 I installed on my 95 Phantom. I did it with a 2 cross spoke pattern, so the spoke angles are close to the original look.
In this pic, you can see the slight difference in the finish, between the 18 (left), and 16 (right).
The steel ones are also great for making a trike hub