Raleigh bottom brackets
 

I'm building up a Nottingham Raleigh Sports bare frame, using the bits from a Taiwan-assembled Raleigh kid's bike, 24" wheels and all! Once an adequate donor is found, I'll swap better parts onto this frame, but the bike rides capably enough now. Visually, the little wheels give the bike proportions like those of a Sports built to be ridden by Hulk Hogan.

Only snag thus far:the bottom bracket axle appears to be too wide for the frame. Cups fit and thread in sufficiently, but there is a ridiculous amount of endplay, perhaps half an inch. My assumption is that I've used an axle with the inner bearing support surfaces too widely seperated. I don't have the original part to compare, and I'm loathe to rip apart my assembled bikes to find out the differences, if someone here is already in the know.

Any light that can be shed on the compatibility of Raleigh bb parts would be most welcome.

Alternatively, does anyone have a Sports bb axle off the bike that they could measure for me without too much trouble? I'd like the dimension between the forged "cones", please.

A BB axle off of a '66 Sports measures 55mm from the outer edge to outer edge of the forged "cones." This axle is marked 16GC.

Neal

Thanks Neal! I'll pull it apart and see what I've got. The letter codes certainly don't match. I'm probably far from what I need.

A

EDIT: I've just checked, and the bb axle I'm using is a good inch shorter in the dimension cited. Curiously, this axle (number code 3S) does have a pair of swage lines in what would be the proper position for a Sports axle. I'm going to hunt through my stash bins one more time, then I'll go visit my buddy and scavenge through his pile.

For what it's worth, the problem is resolved. I was incorrect about the necessary spacing of the axle cones: the axle that worked out was of almost identical dimension, but the cone was forged infinitesmally thicker, and was an unknown part. It also wasn't hardchromed, as I'm guessing the Raleigh part was. The cups I found with this axle were threaded a bit deeper, and had a hex forged into them for tightening, unlike Raleigh's tapping flats.

Neal, many thanks for giving me "ground zero".

Al

That's good news, Al. Yeah, the mating of cup, bearings, and axle sure does need to be precise. So much for standardization!

Neal