Classic & Vintage - Quick Sturmey Archer hub question

I am getting ready to sell our 1969 Raleigh Sports. It's always worked well for us, within its limitations, but my daughter has a Centurion mixte she rides to school now, so the Raleigh is surplus.

I overhauled the BB, front hub, and headset of this bike but never did the rear. Now of course I feel I ought to, 'just to be sure' it's in GWO before selling it. The only issue has been 'neutral' between 2nd and 3rd which is adjustable with cable tension, and also kind of endemic to the SA. But as I'm sure you understand, I can't leave well enough alone. :rolleyes:

So I've taken the hub apart, there are perfectly good instructions all over the internets, but I have just one simple question: on the drive side cone there was one of those squared-off lockwashers, the kind that fits onto the sides of the cone. (Apparently it's part # HMW 147 at Harris.) On the left side, there wasn't such a washer. In at least one of the instructional videos I've seen that's how it was too, but it seems like an anomaly or mistake. Maybe not. Evidently the bike worked okay without it...should I go look for one at the LBS that has an 'old parts drawer' or let it be?

Thanks for any advice!

Yours in mild OCD...

Al

If it worked before, and you have seen drawings that don't include the part, chances are it is not a necessary part for the non-drive side. I'd put it back like it was, check everything out, then make a decision about needing another part or not..

Thanks! I'm sure you are right but I decided to go to the LBS anyway, might as well change out the cog and see how that works. And while I'm there I'll see if they have the lockwasher, better to have and not need than vice versa, at least with a little cheap part. LBS that is good with Raleigh stuff, at least in my experience, is Uptown Bikes.

Never a bad idea to visit a good bike shop.. I go almost daily.. It's a virus, man! I'm out in the burbs, so I frequent Mikes Bikes in Palatine. They take good care of me. If I'm heading to the city, I go by Wastyn Cycles- I've known them since the mid 1960's. ;)

Earlier hubs don't have the square washers. It's easy to retrofit them; you might need to replace the cone, if it doesn't have the square area that the washer locks onto.

The AW hubs I have do not have the cone tabbed washer on the left (non-drive) side and it is not indicated for the left side in diagrams/instructions I've seen on Sheldon's pages. One needs to be able to turn the left cone for proper cone/bearing adjustment.

The AW hubs I have do not have the cone tabbed washer on the left (non-drive) side and it is not indicated for the left side in diagrams/instructions I've seen on Sheldon's pages. One needs to be able to turn the left cone for proper cone/bearing adjustment.

Yes. If you put tabbed washers on both sides, you won't be able to adjust it properly.

Got it, guys. You are right, it was pretty obvious functionally.

I finished the bike, or at least got to a good stopping point, and sold it, just a few minutes ago.:)

This was my first (and perhaps last) SA hub rebuild. Looking at the Sturmey Archer diagrams (linked from Sheldon's), reading Sheldon's site, and watching some videos on youtube I learned a lot and also was puzzled a few times. For instance I think Sheldon says the axle washers (the ones that lock onto the axle and slide into the dropouts) go on the inside of the dropouts, but the S-A diagram clearly shows them the reverse. And the bike came to me that way, apparently never having had a thing done to it. Also Sheldon says or implies no grease on the bearings or races, only on the recesses of the caps, but on mine the bearings still had original grease in them. On the other hand the SA diagram shows a thrust washer under the spring, and I didn't see that anywhere else...including in the hub. Must not have been important.

Actually from what I found the hub was in pretty good shape; the original owner had ridden it very little and must have been conscientious about oil, and it had been regularly oiled since we got it two years ago.

Anyway, water under the bridge. The bike is now the property of a University of Chicago grad student, who took the El all the way up to the NW side from Hyde Park to see and buy it. As usual with female bike shoppers, she knew what she wanted, checked it out thoroughly, and made a decision. She's the perfect owner for it...she already knew about Sheldon!

Wow, that's a nice story. Some of these 20-somethings really like 3-speeds. I had a teal Robin Hood for sale. Showed it to a young woman who had never seen an old 3 speed before. She SWOONED! and she bought it for $150 happily. What did you get for yours?

1969 Raleigh Sports Ladies, good shiny paint with some nicks and dings, Brooks B72 in decent but cracked condition, Koolstop pads, Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires (both fairly recent), recent cables, recent complete overhaul, $200. I had it priced at $225 but lowered it for the gal, unasked, because I had forgotten about some dings on the rims, probably from the original owner hitting a rock or curb. Of course with big cushy tires you don't feel it and the strength isn't compromised, but it does make the brakes 'bump.' We talked about the ultimate improvement being alloy rims, and she might even try something like that herself over the winter.

This was the third bike I have recently sold to a young woman. It was of course a ladies' model and another was a mixte, but it is remarkable, as you and others here have noted, how much nicer it is to sell bikes to women. They show up when they say they will, they know what they want, they do a reasonable ride and inspection, they ask questions and figure out if you're trustworthy, and though they may haggle a little, it's never that competitive thing. Very pleasant experiences...I've heard back sometimes from girls about how much they like their bikes.

If I were a young single guy I might fix up old bikes just for the chance to meet girls!

This was my first (and perhaps last) SA hub rebuild.
Re SA 3-speed hub: in the (to me) immortal words of the parking garage owner when Felix and Oscar were outraged about the rent for a space, on The Odd Couple, "Yus'll be back . . . on your hands and knees, just like my mother was!"

The great thing is, they don't need to be rebuilt very often.

The only issue has been 'neutral' between 2nd and 3rd which is adjustable with cable tension, and also kind of endemic to the SA.

Several 'net posts have indicated the much lauded modern Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub will also find a neutral between gears if not adjusted correctly.

Several 'net posts have indicated the much lauded modern Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub will also find a neutral between gears if not adjusted correctly.

You are absolutely right. The Linus Mixte my wife rides has a Nexus 8 speed and I have found neutral that between gears when I rode it recently. If I recall correctly, I think it was between more than one gear, but I'm not sure.