Just noticed SA offered two different axle lengths for AW hubs. Every one I ever had was the 5 3/4". Just wondering what bikes would have used the longer 6 1/4" axle.

That allows the use of wingnuts and a dérailleur at the same time; handy if you want a 6-speed, also useful if your bike has wider dropouts.

Yup, if you want to fit an S-A hub in a frame with 120mm rear spacing, go with the longer axle.

I think the 6 1/4" axle was used on the DL-1.

I believe there was yet another, longer axle. Will have to look.

This topic came up a while back and I snooped a bit and posted:

According to Sheldon's (which includes some info about this) site, the axle needs to be 31 mm longer than the OLD. SA had at least 3 axle lengths for the AW hubs which were:

5 3/4 (146 mm 115mm OLD)
6 1/4 (159 mm 128 mm OLD)
6 13/32 (163 mm 132 OLD)

Replacement axles in all three lengths appear to be available either at Harris, Niagara, or ebay. Prices shipped to you on the order of $15 to $25.

Because I am considering putting a longer axle in an AW I was looking around just yesterday and found a reference that said that the extra axle length is all on the left side. That would be easy to check by comparing the longer axle to the original 5 3/4" axle and measuring the distances to the sun gear on the axle.

Also, on the Harris site I noticed that they have the axle washers which will properly center the axle in the wider dropouts on derailleur bikes.

Need a New Indicator chain too it has to match the right axle length. (to the shifting piece it screws into)

I swapped in a 6-1/4" when I built the wheel for my 6-speed Peugeot. Also added the mandatory anti-rotation washers.

Wow, I figured the longer axle might be for a DL-1, but I never knew it would be long enough to fit on a derailleur frame. Did you have to custom make the anti rotation washers? This is stirring up my decades long daydream of building a 3 speed Clubman replica. Hmmm...

Shorter indicator chain will work in longer axle...... Longer indicator chain WILL NOT WORK in shorter axle
Whats the tooth count on the big cog by the way?

The big cog, courtesy [MENTION=172428]photogravity[/MENTION] , is a Sturmey-Archer (modern for narrow chain) 24T; and the small cog is a Shimano cassette cog 14T with the extra splines ground off according Sheldon Brown's recipe.



The anti-rotation washers are a S-A part available through Harris Cyclery. The S-A axle is narrower than modern dropouts; the washers make up the difference. Sturmey-Archer Axle Washer w/9.5 mm tabs HMW494 - Harris Cyclery bicycle shop - West Newton, Massachusetts

If you are talking about the serrated washers which fit the flattened SA axle and properly adapt to dropouts on derailleur bikes, I think Harris sells what you are asking about. Go to the Harris site and look at their SA parts and look at HMW494. I've not seen these at other retailers.

edited: Of course, BluesDaddy already mentioned the HMW494.

FWIW, I made the 5 3/4" axle work on a derailleur bike (low-end Motobécane) with 120mm spacing and thin, stamped dropouts (yes, I needed the 9.5mm anti-turn washers, which are not so easy to find). It's not ideal, though -- the left axle nut and the right axle nut/indicator-chain-guide screw on tightly enough to hold it with no problems (after 7 months of daily use), but just barely.

Well, sort of... The 24t cog is actually a Sachs or SRAM. It just works and allows use of modern derailleur chains, which the older SA cogs don't.

Ah yes, thanks. My brain is starting to do that thing where it doesn't remember stuff it used to know. Gives me new appreciation for the phrase "I've forgotten more about () than you know."

I've reached that point quite some time ago. I call it CRS, (cant remember stuff.)