Originally Posted by nilanjan
I just bought a 1961 Raleigh Sports. The tires are old and should be replaced. How hard is it to take the rear wheel off? I don't know much about the S-A 3-speed hub and whether taking the wheel off is a big deal. Any tips would be appreciated.
Just disconnect the shift cable, unbolt it and it should come right off. You may have to wiggle the tire past the brake pads.
When you go to put everything back together, make sure that your shifter is in "N". If you look carefully at the right end of the rear axle, you will see a little round window in the bolt. You can see the end of the rod that does the actual shifting through that window. The shifting rod has a shoulder near it's end. Tighten the shift cable until the shoulder exactly lines up with the end of the axle, tighten the little lock nut and you'll be good to go.
Good luck.