Broken Brookes

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Millhouse
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Joined: 27 Sep 2007, 8:24pm
Location: Clitheroe, Lancashire.

Broken Brookes

Post by Millhouse »

The tensioner bolt on my Brookes saddle has snapped. It's broken on the nose side. Can a replacement bolt be fitted?
The saddle is about 2 or 3 years old, so load of wear left in it yet!! :(
Searched the Brookes website and found this, Tension Pin & Nut Assembly 70 mm - BMP 174.
This is for my saddle which is a steel B17.
The instructions on the page recommend that it is fitted by a trained professional only.
Anyone done a diy job? If so was it easy to fit.
Attachments
001a.jpg
cycloret
Posts: 426
Joined: 17 Jun 2010, 9:48pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by cycloret »

Has it snapped leaving a broken piece of threaded bolt still in the nut? If so removing this might be a challenge to remove. You might be able to drill a hole and use an extractor. I have used these but here getting access might be awkward.

From the picture, it looks as though it's just become unscrewed. In which case you'll need to use a wrench to align the nut assembly to the screw otherwise it will cross thread as you screw in the bolt. Even this might not be an easy job.
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Millhouse
Posts: 146
Joined: 27 Sep 2007, 8:24pm
Location: Clitheroe, Lancashire.

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by Millhouse »

If you look closely you will see that there is a slight gap where the bolt joins the assembly, it is definately broken. I haven't removed it because it is still rideable, although the seat is very creaky!
pherron
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Joined: 15 Oct 2007, 7:46pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by pherron »

I'm not sure, but I would think that it would be possible to fit a new one, once the old bolt is removed. If the saddle nose is lifted slightly clear, you could screw the replacement bolt all the way in, drop the saddle nose down, and then back out the bolt until the tension is taken up. It might be fiddly.

My partner snapped the frame on her brooks and we found a man who replaced it by post for just £10, so I would certainly try and get it fixed. If it is only 3 years old I would contact Brooks and ask if they can repair it.
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by thirdcrank »

Once upon a time, Brookes offered a repair service. There is a thread somewhere on here which I have been unable to find, with contact details for a former Brookes saddle repairer (ie used to be employed by Brookes repairing saddles) who, at the time of the post was doing it privately. I seem to remember that the charge made it not economic, unless the saddle was particularly cherished. It may be that I cannot find the thread because it is on the old forum, so it may be that the info would be out-of-date anyway.

(I know this isn't the question but I've never found it necessary to tension a leather saddle, including some I've owned for well over forty years. )
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simon1
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Joined: 26 Jul 2010, 9:07pm
Location: East Scotland

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by simon1 »

pherron, do you have contact details for that? Did he weld the frame or provide a replacement? I have a saddle with OK leather but broken rails and am wondering how to fix it.
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by thirdcrank »

I've found this, originally from 2006:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3281&p=22204
pherron
Posts: 249
Joined: 15 Oct 2007, 7:46pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by pherron »

simon1 wrote:pherron, do you have contact details for that? Did he weld the frame or provide a replacement? I have a saddle with OK leather but broken rails and am wondering how to fix it.


I am not 100% sure but I think it was Thirdcrank's man linked above. It wasn't a weld, but a whole new frame to a Professional S. It was a couple of years ago and rather stupidly I didn't keep the address. I contacted an on-line bike shop who said they couldn't repair it but knew a man who could. He didn't do email but it it all went smoothly. Wish I had kept the details...
tatanab
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Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by tatanab »

The tension bolt is replacable at home, although it needs a bit of muscle, or so I've read in many places. I've never needed to do it myself.

simon1, try contacting Brooks directly using email addresses on "Getting In Touch" here http://www.brooksengland.com/en/ I have found them to be very helpful and interested.
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531colin
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Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by 531colin »

With the tension bolt as far "out" as that its an easy job to replace it, because there will be a bit of slack to allow fitting the new bolt and nut.

Brooks will sell you a new saddle frame, rivets etc, from their website. I found it quite therapeutic beating big copper rivets to shape. I drilled a "dent" in the end of a bit of steel rod and held the rod in the vice and hammered the end of the rivet into the dent in an attempt to get a button shape underneath the saddle....it isn't very tidy! But the top is smooth and looks good.
tom_d
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Joined: 13 Sep 2010, 2:13pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by tom_d »

I replaced a broken nose bolt on a 67' Professional with one from these lovely people:

http://www.bicycleworkshop.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s137p0

Does require a bit of muscle but once in place worked like a dream. They sell a huge variety of brooks bit's and pieces at decent prices. P+P a bit steep though (I got one in person)
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Millhouse
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Joined: 27 Sep 2007, 8:24pm
Location: Clitheroe, Lancashire.

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by Millhouse »

Thank's for the replies. I know that many of you are quite handy when it comes to fixing things, as for me I'm not so handy!! It is a job that a novice can do? :oops:
CNJ
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Joined: 24 Mar 2011, 7:47pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by CNJ »

I've just gone through this myself in the past couple of weeks as the tension pin on my B17 snapped in the same way. I ordered the replacement pin from the Brooks online shop (the postage from Italy cost more than the bolt itself!). However, once it arrived, I couldn't get it fitted as I couldn't stretch the nose of the saddle enough to slot the tension pin into the metal fitting of the nose.

In desperation, I emailed Brooks England (via the Contact us page on their website) and asked how much it would cost to get them to fit the bolt. They replied very promptly and offered to fit the bolt that I'd bought for a nominal sum of £5 which included return postage. Sent the saddle to them last Friday and received it back on Wednesday. Fantastic service.

Brooks use a machine to fit the bolt and if the saddle is relatively new (and so hasn't stretched much) it can be very very difficult to try and fit the replacement by hand. My advice would be to contact Brooks directly and see if they'll supply and fit the replacement bolt rather than ordering the bolt directly and then struggling to fit it as I did. Given the high postage costs of buying the bolt from the Brooks online shop, it'll probably work out cheaper to just arrange the repair directly with the Brooks factory in Smethwick.
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Millhouse
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Joined: 27 Sep 2007, 8:24pm
Location: Clitheroe, Lancashire.

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by Millhouse »

Got in touch with Brooks (I have realised how to spell it correctly!), by e-mail, they responded promptly. Had the saddle been less than 2yrs old they would have fixed it FOC, they also gave me the contact details of a supplier.

Had a chat with my cycling buddies and one of them was sure he had a spare from a previous saddle. He gave me the bolt and I fitted it without much problem.
I think that because my saddle does not cover the head of the bolt ( see photo above) it made the procedure fairly straight forward.
Thanks for the advice.
Millhouse
zerobuttons
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Joined: 1 Dec 2010, 6:30pm

Re: Broken Brookes

Post by zerobuttons »

Millhouse wrote:.....
Had a chat with my cycling buddies and one of them was sure he had a spare from a previous saddle. He gave me the bolt and I fitted it without much problem
......

OK, the OP solved the problem before I saw this thread, but I immediately thought of this old blog posting, which may help someone in a similar situation:
http://pedaldamnit.blogspot.com/2010/01 ... anium.html
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