Sturmey Archer AB --> replacement hub shell & brake arm assembly?
07-22-21, 01:52 PM
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Sturmey Archer AB --> replacement hub shell & brake arm assembly?
Hi, I unfortunately hit a bad pothole with my "Gazelle Sport Speciaal", which blew a couple spokes and has apparently damaged my rear Sturmey-archer AB 3-speed drum brake hub (36 hole, dated March 1985). The hub still works fine, but makes an annoying intermittent squeaking sound. According to a local mechanic who knows a fair amount about these hubs, I have bent some elements of both the "brake plate arm assembly" and "hub shell assembly".
I think it's the 90mm AB model (as opposed to the 70mm model), but I have not yet confirmed this. If it is the 90mm AB, according to a 1983 Sturmey-archer repair manual (see attached PDF), the parts I will require are "HSB 219" (brake plate arm assembly), and "HSA 155" (hub shell assembly). However I cannot find anyone online who carries either of these parts.
Do I have any hope of replacing those parts? The mechanic seems to think it won't be possible, at least for him, to bend the parts back properly to eliminate the squeaking. He says it's fine to ride as is and shouldn't cause any issues, except the squeaking. But the squeaking is really annoying, so I'd like to repair the hub if possible. Purchasing a vintage AB hub in decent condition will be quite difficult and expensive, but I'm not absolutely opposed to the idea. I'm also considering replacing the hub with a modern Sturmey-archer like the RXL-RD3, but it only comes in aluminum which doesn't fit aesthetically with the rest of the bike.
Can anyone offer any suggestions on sourcing these parts, attempting a repair to the bent bits, or resolving the problem in another manner? Thank you in advance.
I think it's the 90mm AB model (as opposed to the 70mm model), but I have not yet confirmed this. If it is the 90mm AB, according to a 1983 Sturmey-archer repair manual (see attached PDF), the parts I will require are "HSB 219" (brake plate arm assembly), and "HSA 155" (hub shell assembly). However I cannot find anyone online who carries either of these parts.
Do I have any hope of replacing those parts? The mechanic seems to think it won't be possible, at least for him, to bend the parts back properly to eliminate the squeaking. He says it's fine to ride as is and shouldn't cause any issues, except the squeaking. But the squeaking is really annoying, so I'd like to repair the hub if possible. Purchasing a vintage AB hub in decent condition will be quite difficult and expensive, but I'm not absolutely opposed to the idea. I'm also considering replacing the hub with a modern Sturmey-archer like the RXL-RD3, but it only comes in aluminum which doesn't fit aesthetically with the rest of the bike.
Can anyone offer any suggestions on sourcing these parts, attempting a repair to the bent bits, or resolving the problem in another manner? Thank you in advance.
07-22-21, 09:12 PM
#2
elcraft
SJS cycles may be the last source for any Sturmey Archer parts not originally available in the US.
See;
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/
You might try talking with Vince at Colwood Wheel Works in the UK. He is encyclopedic about all things Sturmey Archer.
See;
Vintage Motorcycle and Bicycle Wheel-building Workshop in Sussex
See;
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/
You might try talking with Vince at Colwood Wheel Works in the UK. He is encyclopedic about all things Sturmey Archer.
See;
Vintage Motorcycle and Bicycle Wheel-building Workshop in Sussex
07-23-21, 08:56 AM
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Thank you for your suggestions, Elcraft! Vince would be the perfect person to bring this hub too, but I live in Montreal and I see that he doesn't offer mail order/return shipping service. However I've found a place in the US that still stocks 90mm AB3 (steel!) hubs from whenever Sturmey-archer last made them, maybe they are old stock from ~2012. So I'll order that and switch out the damaged hub for the time being. Once I've got it off the bike and stuck in a vice, then I can see the internal damage for myself. Maybe I'll check in at the moment with Vince, to see where I should go next.
