Anyone have any instructions they can post for taking a rear wheel off a mid 70's sturmey 3 speed hub?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on June 3, 2012 at 4:58pm

1)shift into 2nd

2)loosen locknut on the indicator chain(little chain that come out of the hub) and unscrew the barrel completely.

2a)if fitted with a coaster brake, remove the screw and nut at the reaction arm clip.

3)loosen axle nuts and slide out wheel.

3a)if fitted with axle mounted fender stays, unscrew indicator chain from hub and remove axle nuts, pop off stays and remove wheel

Reinstall

1)install the reverse of removal

Reset Shifter/needs to be done every time wheel is removed

1)if indicator chain was removed from hub, screw into axle until it bottoms then back off 1/2-1 turn

2)with shifter in 2nd, screw the barrel back on the indicator

3)site through the window in the axle nut and adjust the barrel until the flat on the indicator is flush with the end of the axle

4)run through the gears and come back to 2nd and check adjustment. readjust if needed and tighten lock nut against barrel

Here's a .pdf

See pg.2 for gear adjustment

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hadland/aw.pdf

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Permalink Reply by Dave Grossman on June 3, 2012 at 5:08pm

Thanks very much.  That is what I needed.  The fellow at the bike shop where I purchased a couple of tubes and a spare tire (Kenda makes some that fit apparently) told me they are a bear to mount.  I hope to not have too much trouble as they can't be much worse than Gatorskins or other heavy belted tires.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin T. on June 3, 2012 at 6:02pm

Remember to give the axle threads a shot of lubricant before you loosen them, the nuts can strip pretty easily and they are a different thread from non Sturmey rear axle types. If you have problems and are in the city I am around my place most always and can guide you through the process. Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 3, 2012 at 7:37pm

1. Loosen brake cable so that brake shoes open enough to allow tire to pass by (or deflate tire.)
2. Put the shifter in THIRD (3rd) gear -that's the cable in the loosest position.
3. Identify where the locknut is on the indicator chain and where the barrel for the cable end is.
4. Loosen the cable end barrel without moving the location of the locknut on the indicator chain (this is your set-point for when you put it back on -hopefully, unless you need to adjust the chain from where it was.
5. loosen the  nuts on both sides of the axle.  On some older SA hubs there may be TWO (2) seperate pieces on the drive-side -a round nut with a peep-hole in it and a Hex nut -or- it may be an all-in-one unit where the chain goes through it.  If it is a 2-piece unit make sure to pull the outer piece off first before trying to loosen the hex nut or it will jam.
6. The wheel should slide forward in the dropouts.  You may have to let some air out of the tire if there isn't enough clearance between the tire and the fender just behind the bottom bracket. 
7. The axle has flat sides and there is an anti-rotation washer inside that will not allow the axle to turn in the dropouts.  Pay attention to the order of these things.  Do not take the nuts all the way off just loosen them to the end of the axle and this will keep everythign in the right place -but you will still need to know between which parts the dropout goes.  
8. You may have to let the flat axle twist a leeetle bit as it comes around the corner of the dropout so that the flats and the anti-rotation washer can conform when it turns that corner.  Usually it just slides right out but it might be tougher getting it back in so PAY ATTENTION to how it comes apart here.
9. Slide the chain over the end of the axle as the wheel clears the chainstays.  Be careful not to let it flop off the chainwheel.

That's about it for taking it apart.   Because it is a step-through be VERY careful about not getting the shift cable bound up with the cranks.  If you pinch or kink it the cable will have "spring" in it and will make it MUCH harder to tune the neutral out between 2nd and 3rd gear.  Keep it away from the chainwheel which will want to EAT it.

Re-assembly:

1. Line the wheel up in between the dropouts and put the chain over the axle and onto the cog.  Make sure the chainwheel has the chain on it too.
2. Make sure there is enough room to get the dropouts in between the parts where it is supposed to go and the axle flats and anti-rotation washers.
3. Line up the flats on the axle and the anti-rotation washers with the dropout.  You will have to let it twist just SLIGHTLY as the axle comes around the corner.  This can be tricky.  Be prepared to struggle.  Iv'e done this a million times and sometimes I still get frustrated at this step -especially if the dropouts are too close together and you need to spread them a bit to get them back on the axle.
4. Slide the axle back to the furthest point where the chain stops it and hand tighten the drive side.  
5. Center the rim between the chainstays and hand tighten the non-driveside.  
6. The chain should be a tiny bit tight.  
7. PUT THE CABLE BACK ON THE INDICATOR CHAIN BEFORE YOU FORGET AND RUIN IT. Run it all the way back up to the locknut which is your setpoint of where it was before.  If the axle position hasn't changed it should be OK -but we will test this later. 
8. Turn the cranks and find the tightest part of the chain. It's probably too tight here.  Bonk on the chain with your axle wrench and move the axle a little bit forward until it is not too tight.  
9. Recenter the rim in the chainstays.
10. Retest the chain tightness again to make sure it is not too tight or too loose.  If ok then tighten down the nuts. if not, bonk on the chain at the tightest spot again to loosen it a little (remember the nuts are only hand tight?)  When you get the chain the right tightness then tighten the nuts with a wrench.  Do not over tighten the nuts or you will strip them.  The nuts will strip before the axle by design.  Changing the axle is a LOT more work than getting new nuts.  Many local shops have these special-threaded nuts -I'm pretty sure Boulevard has them.
11. Retighten the brake or reinflate the wheel.
12. Put bike in second gear.  Go for a CAREFUL ride.  Shift back and forth between 2nd and 3rd.  If the hub slips into neutral in second then tighten up the cable ONE (1) turn and try again.  Keep doing this until the hub doesn't slip into neutral any more -tightening one turn each time.

This is the way I do it. It's not the official way which is a PITA (especially the adjusting of the shift cable. That's the crazy hard way IMHO.)

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Permalink Reply by Dave Grossman on June 3, 2012 at 10:01pm

Wow James thanks for taking the time to write that up for me.  I spent the day wrenching our old Jeep so the bike will be for tomorrow.  Thanks to you both once again.

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Permalink Reply by Roberts Cycle on June 3, 2012 at 11:30pm

Turn bike upside down on seat and handlebars.  Put the shifter in 3rd gear.  Take one round cylinder connector off the indicator chain.  If it does not move, you need two pliers to break it free, pulling away from each other. Then loosen both axle nuts and remove wheel.  www.roberscycle.com

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Permalink Reply by Dave Grossman on June 5, 2012 at 8:07pm

Alright mechanical mentors...........I need your assistance. 

So I cannot get the shifter to engage now that I have reinstalled the wheel.  I had it for a while and it was constantly shifting.  Now it will not shift at all.  I reinstalled the indicator locknut and put the barrel back in as it was.  Is it possible I just don't have the tension adjusted correctly? I gave up and will get back to it tomorrow. 

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 5, 2012 at 8:24pm

Try unscrewing the indicator chain (counterclockwise) one half turn.  There is a tiny threaded end on the other side and if it is too tight then the chain cant move correctly.  Unscrew it one half turn so the chain flips the other way and then put it back on the barrel.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 6, 2012 at 7:02am

Also, check that the shift cable has not fallen off got pinched behind the little keeper of the bottom pulley wheel.

And check that the cable stop plastic insert has not self-destructed and caved-in on itself.  The stop I'm talking about is the strap on the frame that the cable housing from the shifter attaches to the frame and then goes to the bare cable down the top-tube towards the pulley wheel.  This is a known weak-spot for the SA shift cable. 

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Permalink Reply by Albany Park Al on June 8, 2012 at 2:43pm

^ I've only messed with one S-A equipped bike but the above sounds like a one-stop class.   If the plastic insert James mentions is trashed, you can likely get a replacement from Uptown Bikes.   In fact they are likely to have most parts you might need for an SA equipped bike, either new or from their stash of used parts.  They had a couple of small parts, including that plastic one, that I really needed for the bike I rebuilt. 

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 8, 2012 at 3:21pm

I have a few of the plastic inserts left in stock.  You have to buy them in a bag of 10 to get a good price.  I keep most of the weird parts for the common SA hubs as I rebuild a lot of them.   I usually will replace this part (called a fulcrum sleeve) on any SA-equipped bike I rebuild as the plastic they were made of just doesn't last over time and rot out.  I'm not sure if it is the UV light, oil, or just time.  Who knows if the new ones will fare better over the long term compared to the original ones that came with the bikes when they were new but 20-30 years of life isn't too bad.  Plastics have gotten stronger over the past few decades so I would assume these new ones are at least as good as the old ones when new.  

Unfortunately most of the English 3-speeds still rolling around are that age or more already. It's best to just replace that part for the piece of mind.   Some of the older bikes made in the 60's or earlier had a metal fulcrum sleeve and these are indestructible.  Unfortunately, while they can still be purchased from guys who machine them custom for this purpose, they are not cheap -$10 each!

 

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