Cottered bottom bracket axles conundrum.

bagpuss

rBotM Winner
Thought I had given using these years ago .To quote either Archibald Sharp or Nimod both well known back in their day, "surely the cycle industry can do better than a cotter pin" as we now know,it eventually did.
However as many here will know, they were standard on most mass market bikes.until the early 1970's or maybe they lasted into the 1980's.?
Please correct me if I am wrong about the time period on their continued use. Well it's still happening here in the 21st century. :facepalm:
Waffle over.
Now for my question.
Are TDC,Bayliss Wiley Brampton and Chater lea axles susposed to be same diameter,on the external surface were the crank arm sits ? Because if so I beg to differ.Or is it just down to poor engineering tolerances during their manufacuring that they are not the same.
Paddy over ...Off to look round the garden for a couple of axles.
 
Re:

The answer to your question is "yes".
Cotter pins and cup / cone bearings could be made to work when tolerances were very poor. Bracket axles, often plating would affect them, we used to see bearing cones with machining grooves on the case hardened bearing surface, a few would be ground. All these components were made down to very low prices, quite often on ancient machines.

I think in the 50s I paid about £2 a gross for cotter pins.

Cranks also varied, we often needed a crank reamer, sometimes due to the pressed "Joggled" way of fitting standard chainwheels. Also some cranks would stretch when the cotter pin was fitted.

I first used Stronglight cotterles 49A (steel) in 1951, but could not keep them tight. The 49D was gaining in popularity by 1955.

So I suppose the cycle cotter pin is a long time dying.

Keith
 
Re: Re:

So I suppose the cycle cotter pin is a long time dying.

Keith[/quote]

Keith you are not wrong there .
Sometimes they do not come out without a fight.

I was given a big jawed cotter press {like a really big pair of pliers} gave it away as I never thought I would never need one .

Paul.
 
Ive had the same issues with cottered spindles, not all are made the same it seems. I've has to resort to filing from time to time...

That said I still use a large number of cottered bikes in my collection. I just see it as cyclings rich heritage now! If set up carefully they are no trouble, but then Im very much a traditionalist.
 
Re:

Anyone seen a spindle fly.... not vey aero dynamic.Trouble is our dog keeps bringing them back to me :roll:

Mike. and thought I had a bad collection of spindles . Apparently not,judging by your comment over filing the outer edges down.
I am going to have to get a big old vice again.
 
'Mountain bikes' came with them in the early days - horrible pastiches of the ATB anyway.

I try to have nothing to do with them

except

The Hill Special had a nice set of Stronglight Sport fitted. One lovely chrome cotter came cleanly out, the other - a dull metal coloured thing refuses to budge in anyway. Its still attached.
 
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