Plunger Rear Wheel Crinkle Hub

[Swarfcut]

 Came across a sad looking Plunger Rear Wheel with no bearings at last weeks Copdock Bike Show.. Surprised to see it had nuts and bolts where there are usually rivets holding the centre tube and the crinkle ends together. Word has it that the rivets are flat head on early bikes, later A50/A65 version have dome head rivets for extra strength.

 But I have seen nut and bolt versions on early S/A A & B bikes with the QD rear wheel/crinkle hub.

 So my question is "Are nut and bolt fixings a factory fitting, or are nut and bolt types an owner or dealer fix for failed rivets?

 One for Julian?  The rest of you folks, don't get paranoid, but go and have a look.

 Swarfy.

[trevinoz]

I've seen a few with the nuts and bolts and a few with loose rivets. Obviously a quick fix.
The RGS has the raised head rivets and I presume that the Gold Stars were the same.

[Swarfcut]

 Well must admit this looks to have stumped most of you....unless you've been out to your bikes and thought that looks like bad news.

 With a bare hub there is plenty of scope  for a good strong welded repair, nuts and bolts being a sign of trouble if Trev's correct.

  For mix'n match, Plunger and S/A crinkle hub wheels use the same wheel bearings. The  bearing spacers are indeed different, as the spindle diameters are not the same. Plunger hub has two bearing locking rings, S/A has just one, on the chainwheel side.

  S/A centre tube is shorter, so the shell cover on the end is flat, on Plunger Hubs it is distinctly  domed. Easy to tell the wheels apart, look for the shell cover, or if this is missing,  you'll see the bearing and no locking ring  thread (S/A) or the locking ring on the plunger. If some toe rag has already had the ring, this will expose the LH thread on the plunger hub. Centre tube on Plunger Hub also sticks out a little further than the end of the crinkle pressing. S/A hub, they're almost level.

 Swarfy.

[Greybeard]

Swarfy, I'd like to know how you know so much about these bikes, seriously!

[Swarfcut]

 Simples GB....Self taught by desperation, trial and error, getting conned and doing it for far too long.....we all make mistakes, false starts and spend when we shouldn't. Guilty of all that over time.

 I would not claim to be an expert, there are folks on here with greater engineering skills, but maybe, just maybe, I've eased the path of some who have had their backs to the wall and searched vainly elsewhere for the answers.

 Swarfy.