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Sturmey Archer X-RF5 vs. S5; swappable?

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Sturmey Archer X-RF5 vs. S5; swappable?

Old 05-05-15, 02:55 PM
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Sturmey Archer X-RF5 vs. S5; swappable?

A couple of questions about Sturmey-Archer 5-speed hubs:

I've got a couple of early-'70s S5 hubs, not currently laced to rims. They're housed in AW shells, but they're definitely the S5 internals, and I got the bellcranks and everything. I was thinking of lacing one to a 27" rim I've got on hand, for use with an '80s Takara road frame as a city bike. But then I saw a good deal on a more modern X-RF5 hub, already laced to a 700c rim. So I'll need to choose one hub or the other for the Takara.

Question 1: If you've used both the S5 and the X-RF5, which do you prefer?

Question 2: Can the X-RF5 internals be swapped into an AW/S5 shell, and vice versa?

I've got a 2004 Dahon Piccolo folding bike with a 2000 Sturmey AW 3-speed hub laced to a 16" rim; it would definitely benefit from a wider gear range, and I thought about giving it one of the S5 internals, but the left-side bell-crank seems like it might get banged up in folding and carrying the bike. Sure would be cool if I could just stick the X-RF5 internals in there, and use the S-5 internals in the X-RF5 shell with the 700c rim. The shells look similar, in pictures. The rear spacing on the Dahon is about 116mm, vs 130mm listed for the X-RF5, but is that wider spacing just a function of the washers on the axle? What do you think?

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Old 05-06-15, 02:18 PM
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Bump?
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Old 05-06-15, 06:09 PM
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Paging @Dan Burkhart.
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Old 05-07-15, 05:48 AM
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I can't give you a definitive answer except to say some combos will work and some won't. What I can tell you with a high degree of certainty is that a modern wide range XRF5 will not fit, but the previous generation ball lock type likely will.
Even between 3 speeds, some generations are not swappable into older shells. The star clutch type had a planetary cage that was not supported at the outer end, meaning there was a vacant space inside the cage. The end cap on older shells had an inside protrusion that would not accommodate the NIG type planet cage.
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Old 05-07-15, 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Dan Burkhart
I can't give you a definitive answer except to say some combos will work and some won't. What I can tell you with a high degree of certainty is that a modern wide range XRF5 will not fit, but the previous generation ball lock type likely will.
Even between 3 speeds, some generations are not swappable into older shells. The star clutch type had a planetary cage that was not supported at the outer end, meaning there was a vacant space inside the cage. The end cap on older shells had an inside protrusion that would not accommodate the NIG type planet cage.
Good to know. Will update when I figure out what's what.
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