Steering head nut

Hi George

1"W spanner

Cheers, Ian McD

Previously George Phillips wrote:

Hi all - is the spanner for adjusting the fork head race nut a special tool? If not, what size spanner should I be sourcing? The bike is a '55 ES2. Cheers - George.

George I noteyou to bea personwho is interested in thedetail. Your question is answered but Isendyou thislink to enlighten you onspanner selection.... It mayhelp in the future...

http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/psc/spanner_jaw.html

Proper tool catalogues do give the dimensions - It'll be D1 on the King Dick page for instance.

This cussed forum doesn't allow posting from Firefox so I can't post a link but if you look at combination wrenches, it shows the 1" whit. as 13mm thick which is almost certainly too much.

You need one of the cheapy plate spanners that came with OE toolkits but they are rarely marked with sizes.

Do you have any old English bicycle spanners anywhere ?

Hi George, when restoring my '49 ES2, I came across this problem too. I phoned Norvil to buy the tool, they said it wasn't stocked and I would have to make one. Which I did out of 1/4" steel plate. It isn't pretty but it does the job.

I made my own from a bit of sheet steel

I'd measure it and go to local car boot sale not autojumble. II have a flat steel stamped ring spanner and cut an entry point in on one side to get it round the steering damper. I'm fairly sure iit is 7/8 Whitworth but it's not marked and it's out there in a dark shed. My ' Brooks' flat steel spanner will do the job but is too wide.

I've just bought a well made spanner, for this very purpose for my 1955 ES2. RGM stock this and is part No 060942M, it fits nicely between the headstock and the top yoke. Cost is £10.68 + P&P.

Philip Ham

I bought a bolster chisel off eBay and attacked it with the grinder. It's thin, very tough, has a decent handle and cost peanuts. Didn't realise RGM did them though, might be easier to buy one ready made.

Something like this, though check its wide enough

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121268940471

Andy

Previously richard_payne wrote:

Do you have any old English bicycle spanners anywhere ?

That's what I did. Modified a bicycle spanner that always came with a new Raleigh bike. John

Previously adam_davis wrote:

I phoned Norvil to buy the tool, they said it wasn't stocked and I would have to make one. Which I did out of 1/4" steel plate. It isn't pretty but it does the job.

That might have been a lucky save, i bought one a year or two back and the metal it is made from is so soft that it is unusable except as a paperweight.