Sturmey-Archer AW 3 Speed Stripdown

The 3-speed AW hub deserves a position in the museum of National Treasures. An elevated position on a velvet cushion with lights shining on it. It truly is an iconic machine. The Sturmey-Archer factory made literally millions and millions of these hubs to essentially the same design and shipped them all over the world. For nearly a century, bicycles have been pedalled incalculable miles using a development of Reilly's system of small epicyclic planets revolving around an even smaller sun gear. Despite being called "watchwork" by some heads-down-no-talking clubmen in the thirties, the outstanding feature of Sturmey's AW is it's astonishing robustness and longevity. These hubs rarely receive adjustment or attention with an oil-can. They suffer the impetuous gear changes of paperboys, Raleigh Grifter riders and well, people who do not really understand what gears are for. Despite the neglect, abuse and harshly applied force, virtually all AW's carry on regardless.

Although the AW is durable and loyally tolerant of neglect, it is a good idea to take it apart and check out the state of the oil. Often, you will find very little oil at all. Clean it up, re-lubricate it in fresh oil, grease the bearings and you will prolong your hub's life by years. The AW is simple in design, one of the simplest hub gears available. Springs are not going to jump out over your shoulder. The four planets are identical, so if you can cope with one then you can manage the other three.

Another good thing is that if you find any missing parts, or for example, worn bearings or clutch, you can easily get hold of another AW mechanism to cannibalize. Generally speaking, the manufacturing tolerances are wide enough that parts from many different eras of hubs fit together. Sturmey-Archer advise against mixing parts, but what have you got to lose? I have large tubs of hub gear parts that I dip into from time to time with impunity. There have very rarely been any problems, but some minor issues will be described on another page.

You can take any hub to bits on the kitchen table, but it is easier if you have a vice handy to fasten the axle pointing vertically upwards. Also, if you can get hold of a Sturmey-Archer cone spanner, the process of bearing adjustment is simple. And this should really be perfect.

The Sturmey Archer three speed wide ratio is the ideal starter hubstripping project.

This is a typical 1960s AW from a Moulton Standard.

14 tooth sprocket in good condition. Later Moulton had a 13 tooth made.

No rust on the chrome shell and signs of oil; both good omens.

The classic logo, not unlike Land Rover's early design. October 1964; a good year.

This is the later plastic oil cap. Do not dry your shell in the oven without removal.

If you get a hub in this oily condition, it will probably clean up to a mirror finish.

28 holes and a 13 tooth sprocket. It's from a 1960s Moulton.

Some surface rust that will polish off to leave speckles. Lots of evidence of oil.

The thread is twin start and you can mark the ball ring before unscrewing to put it back in the same orientation.

The twin start thread will work in both positions. Location isn't important if the wheel has not yet been built.

14 tooth sprocket in nice order. It's another Moulton AW, covered in sawdust.

Back to our project AW. There were 3 of these being sold for £5 the lot on ebay today.

Unscrew the toggle chain, take off nuts and 2 washers on each side.

Put the left hand side of the axle in the vice, axle vertical and gripping the flats.

Ping off the circlip that holds the sprocket, dust guard ring and spacers.

Here it is, a wire ring. Don't nip your skin in the gap.

Spacers and sprocket. Note which sides of the sprocket you took the spacers from.

Remove the dust guard. This is clearly not the original; it's much too shiny.

Flip the hub over and grip the drive side of the axle in the vice.

Unscrew and remove the cone locknut on the left side.

Lift off the thin anti-turn washer. Note the shape of the hole.

Use a Sturmey Archer cone spanner (if you have one) to take off the cone.

The cone will be inspected with a magnifying glass after cleaning.

Protect the jaws of the vice with MDF and grip the flange of the hub.

This is an old screwdriver. Knock the incut with a hammer and unscrew the ball ring

The thread is twin start remember. This mechanism is very dry. Oil has never been replenished.

There is no evidence of oil in the shell at all. Tsk tsk.

Here is the difference between a short and long cage AW. Short is from a rear Dynohub.

Remove the pawl pins from the left side, taking care to recover the tiny springs.

Here is the pawl assembly. I put the springs in a clean fish paste jar.

Removing the second low gear pawl on the left hand end. They are in excellent condition.

Parts are very clean but hardly even a mist of oil. Probably as delivered from the factory.

Put left side of axle back in the vice. Unscrew the right hand cone locknut.

Take off the tab locking washer that locates on the cone.

Unscrew the cone with cone spanner, then by hand.

Pull off the 4 pronged driver. This carries the right wheelbearing.

Pull out the clutch spring. Note carefully the location of the collar on the outward end.

Lift off the ball ring. This contains the driver ball bearing and the high side pawl incuts.

Here is what you are left with. Very clean, but so, so dry. 8o(

Lift off the annulus (ring gear) to reveal the 4 planets.

Remove the thin washer. This prevents wear on the clutch spring. Occasionally it can be missing.

Lift off the axle key collar. Note the small incuts for the key.

Withdraw the axle key sideways by pushing out with a spoke or small screwdriver.

Here is the axle key. At last! Some oil. Maybe the hub was oiled down the axle?

Pull off the 4 pronged clutch and the clutch collar, shaped like a top hat.

The clutch does all the work of connecting the gears, but as you can see there is virtually no wear.

Here is the clutch collar and the hole for the axle key.

Withdraw the planet pins. These can be gripped with pliers to pull them out of the cage.

Here is a planet, one of 4, in excellent condition.

Now take off the planet carrier, or cage. You can do this before removing planets if you prefer.

Here Comes The Sun. It's alright.

I have been laying the parts out in order as I went along.

Use a small screwdriver to ease out the high gear pawls. Watch out for the springs.

No chips or wear to the pawls and the springs are fine.

Ease up the driver ball retaining ring with a screwdriver. Work your way around with several small leverages.

Ring off. The balls look nice and shiny which is a good sign. They can suffer in some hubs.

Ease of the wheel bearing ball race retaining ring. Easier with the sprocket on but can be done without.

This ring is U shaped and is also an interlocking dust trap.

Here are the high gear pawls. The clutch arms press on the chamfered ends to disengage high gear.

Lever out the left hand wheel bearing retaining ring.

The rings are not always interchangeable between hubs, particularly of very different years.

Hub Gears

Sturmey-Archer AW 3 Speed Stripdown