HELP! Axle thread stripped.

[russ.will]

Despite bugger all torque being applied, the axle thread on my Plug 3 has stripped. The problem is that this 3, is the one that came with a Sturmey Archer SRF-3 hub. Now I have no idea what my LBS will charge to strip, replace parts and rebuild the hub and I may get that done anyway, but as I hardly ever use third and could live without first, I'm considering using it as an excuse to go single speed - not necessarily fixie, but I'm not ruling it out.

Are there any half decent wheelsets for circa £100?

Cheers,

Russell

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Sturmey hubs aren't that hard to take apart and put back together again. There is a video on YouTube where the chap is wearing fingerless gloves which is very good. I had never done one before but managed to strip and rebuild and replace a couple of pawls without any bother.

 

[SimonJKH]

V-Sprint will make you a nice set of wheels for a smidge over 100. Very pleased with the ones I got from them.​

Are there any half decent wheelsets for circa £100?

 

[russ.will]

Sturmey hubs aren't that hard to take apart and put back together again. There is a video on YouTube where the chap is wearing fingerless gloves which is very good. I had never done one before but managed to strip and rebuild and replace a couple of pawls without any bother.

I did have a look at the strip/rebuild videos and as I say, I may do that.

The thing is 3rd is too high and now I don't tow the mini-me on a tag-along, I seldom use first. Second (which I presumed was direct drive, but I can hear a ticking?) is, if anything slightly too low now my legs have built up a bit, so part of my thinking is that it would be nice to play with ratios a bit.

 

[raleighnut]

I did have a look at the strip/rebuild videos and as I say, I may do that.

The thing is 3rd is too high and now I don't tow the mini-me on a tag-along, I seldom use first. Second (which I presumed was direct drive, but I can hear a ticking?) is, if anything slightly too low now my legs have built up a bit, so part of my thinking is that it would be nice to play with ratios a bit.

2nd is indeed direct, the clicking comes from the 1st gear pawls which are idling in 2nd.

 

[russ.will]

Thank you. I've just watched a 'How it works' Youtube video and now realize that is exactly what I'm hearing. In my head, I couldn't work out why there should be any noise from something driving 1:1, but of course that doesn't mean the bits that aren't, don't!

Still open to suggestions on the single speed front though.

Russell

 

[raleighnut]

Thank you. I've just watched a 'How it works' Youtube video and now realize that is exactly what I'm hearing. In my head, I couldn't work out why there should be any noise from something driving 1:1, but of course that doesn't mean the bits that aren't, don't!

Still open to suggestions on the single speed front though.

Russell

With my (delayed) latest project of a 3 speed Raleigh 'Courier' I always planned on having a SS/fixed wheel (flip-flop) rear wheel that I could swap over when I fancied. If the 2nd gear is all you need just get a new wheel that will accept a single gear freewheel and use one with the same number of teeth (or maybe 1 less) as the sprocket on the SA hub.

 

[mjr]

Wow. I thought SA nuts always stripped before they'd harm the axle. I'd still be inclined to try rebuilding it.

 

[tyred]

I'd agree, the nuts are very easy to strip but the axles were made out of sterner stuff and new nuts are only a few quid. They were designed to do that sir!

If the axle threads genuinely are stripped, Sturmey quality must have nose-dived.

 

[russ.will]

Well, I must confess to not having investigated further as I was doing it in a bit of a rush prior to going out at the time. In the event, I pushed the Plug back in the garage and hired out a Cube something-or-other MTB where we were going - High Lodge at Thetford. Indeed, I'm now looking at the £5-600 MTBs with an itchy 'Buy' finger, so that stripped nut that may only worth a few quid, but now likely to 'cost' me a lot more.

I shall tuck my bottom lip back in and have a look again on Saturday.

Russell

 

[russ.will]

Update; I ponied up to the LBS (Station Cycles Histon - growing to love them) and presented them with the stripped nut. No charge, so I bought an extravagant dry weather chain lube as compensation - One good turn, etc and anyway, I needed some.

Now, I'm no expert, but I upturned the RT-58 on the garden table to clean the chain and lube and all was well. The same operation on the Plug should be quieter, what with the absence of a Derailleur, but the BB sounds like the bearings are made of gravel. It's done maybe 800 miles and only a couple of runs in the soaking wet, so should it really sound this crap? I mean, until the nut stripped, I was averaging 14-15mph over 24 miles on this, so am I being paranoid, or just mechanically insensitive?

Russell

 

[mjr]

I'd be looking at that BB suspiciously. What sort is it? If sealed, it could be defective. If loose, strip, clean and repack with new balls and grease.

 

[russ.will]

I think it was described as Tange Seiki Fully Sealed, whatever that means, but based on your comments, I'll investigate further.

Cheers,

Russell

 

[mjr]

Ah, sealed usually means it lasts longer (hah!) but when it starts grinding, you replace the whole shebang with a new one of the same or compatible type.

 

[russ.will]

Rode it to the local cycle boys curry night on Wednesday and I could feel every single graunch and grind. It makes me wonder how I hadn't noticed this before - It's that danged obvious.

No matter. I was at Bug Fest (VW Camper owner) all of this weekend so I've done nothing about it. This will result in at least two, alcohol-guilt-driven rides this week as compensation, but I'll endeavour to throw The Plug at the LBS by next weekend.

On a complete side note, the bikes on display at BF were fantastic. It would appear there is a sub-culture of riding bikes around 'The Fest' that are age related to your 'Dub'.

If you ever wondered where all the Choppers, Grifters and mag wheeled BMXs went, I think I can confidently state where they are and They're all being ridden by four to fifty year olds. Seriously, I saw three Raleigh Super Burners being riden by dad, mum and off-spring from one family.

Weirder still, no one was locking their bikes....

Russell

PS. Top Fuel Funny Cars may be the most impressive things I've ever felt, never mind heard.