ariel hub differences

[bonny]

I seem to recall in a thread on here from some time ago, that there is a slight difference between the aluminium ariel hubs used on ariel motorcycles and the versions bsa used on the A and B series bikes around 1955 - 1957. Can anyone tell me what the difference was ?

[muskrat]

G'day bonny.
The fork sliders and axle are different.
Cheers

[Beezageezauk]

Hi Bonny,

I believe that one has external brake adjusters. On the other, the brake plate has to be removed for the brake to be adjusted from the inside.

I'm only about 90% sure of the above but I'm sure that somebody on here will correct me if I'm wrong.

Beezageezauk.

[muskrat]

That's right beezageezauk. Where the fulcrum pin is on the others is a square adjuster to adjust the otherwise fixed end of the shoe.
Cheers

[bikerbob]

I have had 2 bikes with Ariel hubs and as far as I can remember the hubs were the same as were fitted to the Ariels of the time they fitted the bottom sliders on the front same as Ariels. I now have a 1956 BSA A7 which has the Ariel hubs and it has the  square adjusters same as my previous bike a 1957 Gold Flash. The hubs that were fitted to the Gold Flash actually came off an Ariel bike, I bought the bike as a basket case in the early ninties and it had the earlier front forks and the guy I bought it off gave me the ariel hubs I fitted the front hub to the earlier forks by changing the bearings for 7/8" internal dia the Ariel bearings were 1" dia and had a spindle and distance piece made to suit. On the rear I had to get a sleeve made to fit the original spindle and distance pieces made to suit. I was never aware that there were any differences in the hubs.

[bonny]

I remember now, it wasn't on here i read about the ariel hubs, it was in an article in classic bike guide magazine by Steve Wilson. He had a hub destroyed by a seized bearing and he picked up an ariel hub at an auto jumble. When he laced it up to the rim he found there was a difference in offset, and its this i was worried about. It seems they are the same apart from the axles and bearings.
 
Next question, does anybody have a rear hub in good condition they'd sell ? I don't need a brake plate, and i have a front i would swap if anyone wants to.   

[muskrat]

You see them on ebay quite often.
Another difference from the Ariel hub to the BSA/Arial hub is the brake lever itself. The BSA/Ariel one is held on with the usual external nut, the Ariel one is smooth on the outside and held by a nut on the inside.
And can be converted to twin leading shoe.
Cheers

[chaterlea25]

Hi Muskie,
Thats a very fancy looking TLS conversion in the second photo 
Any details obout it available?

I passed on an Ariel hub some time ago it came with my HT5 in 1979  and is now fitted  back in one 
The B33 I am rebuilding to "goldie rep" came with an Ariel type full width alloy hub wheel
I will have to go and see which type it is ??? as I thought they were all the same
Bonny,
I dont know whether the offset is different between BSA and Ariel, Cant think why it would be??
Just build the wheel central in the forks !!

John

[muskrat]

G'day John.
I can't lay claim to that one. It came from here  http://www.sunbeam-twins.com/full-width-front-brake-on-the-s8.html  I saw it quite some time ago and have/had plans to convert my spare to go on the cafe.
Cheers

[bikerbob]

I have just been out and checked my A7 and the hubs are as on the photo of the Sunbeam and looking up some old photos of my A10 they were the same also checked some photos of Ariels taken at  various shows for those years and they all had the smooth brake levers I have seen none on either BSA or Ariel with the lever held on with an outside nut.

[muskrat]

Here's a parts page from Draganfly showing both types.
http://www.draganfly.co.uk/index.php/bsa/bsa/category/918-6-7-inch-front-full-width-alloy-by-ariel-1956-57-ab
I have 5 hubs all with the outside nut (I'm inside now).
Cheers

[WozzA]

My nuts are on the OUTSIDE, & I'm inside now too.. 

[bikerbob]

You live and learn. Nice bike Wozza I wonder if it was an export thing as I have never seen any in the UK with the nuts on the outside I will be looking from now on just out of curiosity. Or anybody out there in the UK got Ariel hubs with the nuts on the outside. The Draganfly list does show them both,  and after checking my parts list for 1954-57 actually shows them with the nuts on the outside but not like mine with the nut on the inside but my bike I know is original as it left the factory. Another peculiar thing about those hubs is when I had my A10 at a local show some years ago an old friend came up and asked me why I had polished the hubs as he had an A7 which he had bought from new in 1956 which he still had and he insisted that when his was delivered the hubs were actually painted silver he said that I could come and have a look anytime as he had kept it and his 1959 Gold Flash which he also bought new totally original. I have not seen him around for a year or too he would ride the A10 in the summer but had never had the A7 on the road for quite a number of years but when I asked to buy it he said he would never part with either bike as he had had them for too long.

[muskrat]

 Copied from Draganfly page.
Cheers

[bonny]

From the link also;

Although this wheel is an Ariel design there are a surprising number of parts that are different. There are 2 types of brake cam and arm, the Ariel one where the shaft and arm are one piece with a loose cam and another type with a 1 piece shaft and cam with a loose arm. The parts books show that the Ariel type is used on the B group and the other type on the A group, but all photographs show the Ariel type fitted to all models!

So one type was used on the B-series machines and the other on the A's.