Date Matched Sturmey Archer Spares
Vince WarnerSturmey Archer spares are available from many different places but not many sellers or repairers will be able to match the spare part with the date of your hub.
Functionally this isn't really a problem as parts from early hubs are in many cases interchangeable with parts from later hubs. However if you want to maintain your hub as an authentic original you will want a correctly dated replacement part fitted.
Sturmey Archer spares can be date matched. These clutches are sorted by date period ready for fitting.
Clutches are a good example. There were three different designs of the standard clutch during what I like to refer to as the classic period (1936-1990)
With just two exceptions, any of these clutches will fit and work in any classic Sturmey Archer hub. Functionally a clutch is a clutch, but a late clutch in an early hub means the hub is no longer original. If the original part is not available, fitting a later compatible part is the way to go, but if the original part is available surely it would be better to fit that and keep the hub as it was meant to be.
I have a large stock of original Sturmey Archer spares from different periods. I will usually be able to fit the correct date matched part for your hub.
Sturmey Archer Spares in Stock
Whilst preparing this article I checked my stock of Sturmey Archer Spares. I have the following clutches in stock ready to fit to your classic Sturmey Archer hub:
K505 - correct for all 3-speed and 4-speed hubs prior to 1951 (I have both NOS and reclaimed)
K505A - correct for most 3-speed and 4-speed hubs from 1951 to 1965 (I have both NOS and reclaimed)
HSA117 - correct for almost all 3-speed and 4-speed hubs after 1965 and all 5 speeds prior to 1990 (These are brand new and are still available.)
L9 - correct for the SW 3-speed hub (I have both NOS and reclaimed)
K5 - correct for all K series hubs (No reclaimed clutches left in stock. I have had some accurate pattern K clutches made which are now awaiting hardening and should be with me soon)
I also have many other classic Sturmey Archer spares. These may be brand new, NOS or reclaimed depending on which part is required.
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Hello Vince
I am interested in pricing of your SA clutches. The K5, K505, K505A and HSA117. Do you have a stock of Peter Read's book on Sturmey Archer and if so how much? Do you also have any BSA hub gear parts? I am looking for the left side axle cone and a complete left ball cup with pawls. Thank you for your time.
Cheers
Scot
i have an S3C .....do you have brake bands.....bike is 1970
Although I do have one set in stock I am unfortunately unable to sell these other than as part of a repair carried out in my workshop.
Hi, I note from your dating you have not seen a K series higher than K816966. I salvaged K916006 off an old Raleigh being scrapped (shame the bike wasn't worth saving, I got the hubs and chain bath). I think it is a 9 that hasn't been stamped evenly otherwise a 3? I've attached a dropbox link to it under website
Hello Mr. V. Warner.
Have just seen your advert in the Veteran Cycle Club Newsletter. And wonder if you could help with a historic bike I am considering buying for use at the Eroica Brittania in June. This bike has a Sturmy archer fitted of which I have no experience in 60 years of cycling. On-line investigation have not helped. The identification stampings on the chromed hub are: (79 3) and (S5.3). There are two change levers. One each side of the bike downtube connecting by wire to chains entering each side of the hub. I would like to know if the Sturmie is of a similar age to the bike which is estimated to be early 70's.
Thank you.
Colin Bell (le Clochers)
Good Day to you Vince,
I'm from the US and thus would not be able to visit your shop; I certainly will if I am over that way!
My inquiry involves one of the "AW" hubs (clearly stamped) that does not have a "date code" stamped into it. It is mounted on what I believe to be a Raleigh Ladies Sports C. Tourist, year unknown, serial # J26399 (seat post lug, left side), "fully closed" gear case, rod brakes. It does have the black left ball-cup, but I have not taken the unit apart (or even removed the wheel off the frame yet) to determine if the driver (sprocket?) is threaded or not. Could this have a 3-splined driver and the black cup? Just curious as to the possibility of someone having "mixed and matched" parts from different year hubs, as it seems that the frame serial number puts it in the 1930-1933 range (a guess, no data to substantiate this), but it could not have an "AW" hub that early (pre 1936). It has a front dynohub (chromed), but I have yet to see an example of it in any photo and I have no idea as to its originality to the frame. I have never worked on this bike and/or hub as I have just received it in the past 6 months, and I generally rebuild Italian race bikes, thus just starting to try and figure out what vintage this bike is. I do have a 1970 Raleigh Sports with the original hub that I dismantled only to the point of lubing the "wheel" bearings and nothing more; "AW" with 69 17 date code; I thoroughly enjoy that bike and would really like to do right by my "new" ride. I also have the Men's Tourist (?) version of approximately the same vintage as the Ladies, but I've not inspected it yet for any stampings, dates, serial #'s, etc. I would be happy to forward photos if you would entertain helping with identifying this bike and/or components. I know you are a busy man and I do not want to impose on you if this is not something you would normally take time out of your day to do. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Howard Phillips
Hello Howard,
My guess is that the rear hub (or wheel) has been changed possibly during the Second World War. If it is clearly marked 'AW' then it is certainly not original to an early 1930s machine.
The AW hubs were not marked with a date stamp during 1941 and 1942. To complicate things I have seen undated hubs from the 1950s but these have a silver ball cup. Ball cups can of course be repainted. I have done this myself on numerous occasions.
Sturmey Archer began production of dynohubs in the 1930s although I don't have my data to hand at this time. It may be an early 12v or 8v model.
Hello Vince,
Thanks for the quick reply!
By all accounts from your descriptions and photos, the hub is an undated 1941-42 model. The black paint appears to have the patina of original paint, and a threaded driver. Without being able to confirm the frame age, except through interpolation, I believe that you are correct in assuming that this hub is newer than the frame. The DYNOHUB is not marked for voltage. It has a black center w/o any markings at all. The "middle" ring appears to been painted silver, factory finish, with a black band towards the center and all markings in silver: , subscripted with "MADE IN ENGLAND", other text is separated by silver diamonds:"PATENTED IN GT BRITAIN EIRE, AND 17 OTHER COUNTRIES NETHERLANDSH OCTROOl NR46447", and "IMPORTANT, NEVER REMOVE ARMATURE FROM MAGNET UNLESS KEEPER IS USED ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS". The hub shell is chromed with "32" stamped on the left side (spoke count), and metal flip cap oiler. It has a broken terminal stud. Can the stud be replaced?
Thanks again,
Howard
It does say DYNOHUB above the made in England; somehow got deleted upon sending.
Hello Vince,
I have two AW hubs from 1969 that appear to be from the 13th and 14th month. I raised this in the VCC magazine a couple of years ago and members had seen hubs from that year stamped as high as 17. One respondent from Canada stated that in 1969 Sturmey Archer switched from a monthly batch numbering system to a weekly one, explaining the higher numbers. As nothing higher than 17 was reported it seems that they then abandoned this approach in the summer. I've seen a bike forum thread for mystery undated 1970s AW hubs. I'm wondering, if all the above is true, then maybe for the rest of that year they left the hub shells undated rather than reuse numbers that they'd already deployed in February and March. I've never come across one of these undated hubs and was wondering if you had. They would be fairly numerous if for the second half of 1969 none were stamped. I have seen earlier hubs where the date stamp is very faint so maybe the numbers were there but hard to see. There weren't any photos of the hubs in question.
I'm intrigued by the undated 1950s hubs that you mention. I'll look out for one for my collection.
Regards, Robin
Hello There.I have a 1931 Raleigh 3 speed tourist that has its original k series hub. Because it tends to slip in top gear I stripped it down and found that the pressed in pawl pins are bent, thus causing the pawl themselves to stick occasionally. I have tried to find replacemements, but cannot find any. Do you have any in stock, or any other tips which will help me back on the road.
Thanks, Michael