Originally Posted by
SirMike1983
A tired pawl spring is certainly one place to look if you have a slipping hub and simpler repairs like cleaning or the various external adjustments to the hub and shifter will not solve it. And all the more so if the hub hasn't been serviced in 50+ years. But I will admit I think replacing all 4 springs at every service if the hub is working is a bit much. I can see it as a preventative measure if the hub is ridden every day as a commuter in all conditions, or ridden a lot and on very long rides, but it seems like a lot of replacing springs to me for a vintage bike that is more sparingly ridden. My two cents at least when working on these hubs.
I've had dozens of SA hubs apart over the years and I've rarely found bad or obviously weak springs in 'working' hubs. I have found rusty, broken springs in hubs that were all but seized or found outdoors. I generally only replace a spring if its obviously damaged or worn in some way. I do tend to 'reset' them a bit if they feel soft.
Failure wise, I've seen more chewed up pinion gears or worn planet gear pins then broken springs over the years.