[RBW] Replacing a Brooks B17 tension bolt

[P Merryman]

Has anyone here replaced the tension bolt on a B17?  It seems I've stripped the threads on my favorite saddle, the nut just spins with no effect.

I see that Wallingford has replacement bolts available, and I can see how the repair "could" be done.  But I really doubt I have the strength of the gods needed to stretch the nose out enough to get the old bolt out and the new one in.  I've read that Brooks has a hydraulic thing set up for this.

Can it be done by mere mortals?

Is there a place in the US that can do it for me?

Thanks for any advice or sympathy,

-Pete

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[Bill Gibson]

I was actually kind of proud when I ran my first B-17 for about 10 years of hard, ignorant, youthful riding, until the tension bolt ran out far enough it finally cracked from fatigue at near it's limit of adjustment. As I recall, a Brooks ad once advised that was the time to get a new Brooks. Replacement hardware wasn't available in the USA at the time, though I pondered what I might be able to do with what was in the local hardware store. Drill out all the rivets, then start at the nose and work back, re-riveting the leather back on. Tap-tap-tap. Maybe a local cobbler. I'd ask Wallingford!

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Bill Gibson
Tempe, Arizona, USA

[Justin August]

I would call Bilenky. They got named the official Brooks service folks
in the US

[CycloFiend]

on 5/12/10 6:11 PM, P Merryman at merr...@gmail.com wrote:

Has anyone here replaced the tension bolt on a B17?  It seems I've stripped the threads on my favorite saddle, the nut just spins with no effect.

I see that Wallingford has replacement bolts available, and I can see how the repair "could" be done.  But I really doubt I have the strength of the gods needed to stretch the nose out enough to get the old bolt out and the new one in.  I've read that Brooks has a hydraulic thing set up for this.

Can it be done by mere mortals?

Is there a place in the US that can do it for me?

Replacing just the bolt isn't all that hard on a used saddle.  Chances are, if the leather on the saddle is stretched such that you've needed to increase tension, it should be reasonably tricky, but doable.

I've done an old, super worn B5N and then another, non-Brooks which was super thick and dried. The latter took some screwdriver leverage and got a bit scuffed up.

I did it "freehand" on those, but if I had the project again, I would try mounting the saddle  on a post, then clamping the post with some V-d wood into a good bench vise.

hope that helps,

- Jim

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Jim Edgar
Cyclo...@earthlink.net

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[Thomas Lynn Skean]

I did it on a B68. I used a hacksaw to cut the bolt most of the way
thru to weaken/angle it. Tedious but no great strength required. (and
I used a bolt I got from Wallingford; I highly recommend them as a
source).