SRAM S7 hub gear clickbox replacement?

[admin]

My wife's dutch bike (an old Gazelle) has an SRAM S7 hub gear. Unfortunately the springs in the "clickbox" have rusted and broken, so she can't change gear any more.

The "clickbox" being the part mounted on the axle end that translates cable pull into shift rod movements with a pair of cams and rocker levers.

It seems that there might be a few replacement (made by Sunrace/Sturmey Archer) twist-grip-and-clickbox parts available, but mostly from small bike shops in Germany with corresponding shipping problems and costs (thanks, Brexit!).

Anyone have an ideas on how I might get hold of a replacement clickbox?

[EdT]

Try amazon.de - there seem to be offers which will ship to the UK.

[EdT]

Or simply via the UK site:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sturmey-Archer ... B086LK6BJC

[Carlton green]

My wife's dutch bike (an old Gazelle) has an SRAM S7 hub gear. Unfortunately the springs in the "clickbox" have rusted and broken, so she can't change gear any more.

The "clickbox" being the part mounted on the axle end that translates cable pull into shift rod movements with a pair of cams and rocker levers.

It seems that there might be a few replacement (made by Sunrace/Sturmey Archer) twist-grip-and-clickbox parts available, but mostly from small bike shops in Germany with corresponding shipping problems and costs (thanks, Brexit!).

Anyone have an ideas on how I might get hold of a replacement clickbox?

When faced with the possibility that a damaged click-box would see my Sram P5 become unserviceable (for want of replacement parts) I opted to fit a different hub gear. I fitted an SA AW, and have been very pleased with it, but a Shimano 8 speed might work better for you and your wife.

Maybe you have contacts there, or are sufficiently well known here, that somebody living in Germany might use local knowledge to find a new old stock part, or even second hand part, for you. iirc one active member works in a bike refurbishment scheme so perhaps he might come a cross a suitable second hand part; and CJ (ex CTC technical officer) used to ride one of those hubs so maybe he has supply suggestions.

I’m amazed at the Amazon listing, who’d have thought it. Let’s hope it’s the right one for your hub and a genuine source.

[Brucey]

......Anyone have an ideas on how I might get hold of a replacement clickbox?

IMHO they were a bad idea from the start. When you get inside the hub it becomes quite clear that they have gone to some lengths to ensure that everything springs rightwards, allowing the dreadful 'clickbox' to work. By simply removing parts, it is possible to make the ring gear spring leftwards instead, much as it does in a 'torpedo' 3s hub. It then becomes possible to control the 7s hub via a pull-chain on the right, and a pushrod on the left, each controlled using a shifter with three positions. Whilst the resulting hub is unlikely to be as user-friendly as before, most folk are happy, not least because most of the parts that are likely to wear out or break subsequently can be replaced. Although not user-friendly per se, mostly the shifting is just different; so for example the hub can be used as a close- medium- or wide-spaced 3s, using just the RH control.

Although it is something of a frankenhub, it is possible to implement the RH control using nothing but modified (and readily available) SA parts. The LH control is a bit trickier, usually needing both a specially-made pushrod as well as a parallel-type 'helper spring', but it is still perfectly doable.