I just today bought an old 24" uni off craigslist. i wonder if anyone knows the brand, as it doesnt say on it. i also have a problem: i cannot get the cranks tight in place. one of them is fine, but the other always wiggles no matter how much i tighten it. the configuration is different than what i am used to, as you can see in the photos.
here is the ad with a couple pics: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/1820842155.html
i am currently trying to put up the pics from iphoto
file:///Volumes/Untitled/DCIM/100CASIO/CIMG0794.JPG
what’s up with the cranks? they don’t look straight. are the cranks cottered or cotterless? if the spindle/axle is twisted, you’ll need a new wheel, and that’s almost the cost of a new uni.
I have no idea what kind of uni you have there, but I can help a bit with the crank issue.
You have cottered cranks on that cycle. The easiest repair will be to bring one of the cotter pins to a bike shop and ask them for two pins of the same diameter, and ramp angle. The reason you want two is that over time the pins wear and if you replace only one it will set the crank at a different angle than the other one. Bike shops have a cotter pin vise that they use to file a pin to match the angle of an old one, and that way they can replace one without the other. It takes a bit of shop time to get it right, and in the end it may be cheaper just to replace both. The pin should be set with a blow from a hammer, and padded with a block of wood. Once set you can install the washer and nut. I would recommend blue loctite on the nut to prevent it from backing off.
It’s been a while since I worked with cotter pins, but at one time I did a lot of work on them. All of the old British Racers (three speeds) had them, and I can’t even begin to figure how many of them I worked on.
file:///Volumes/Untitled/DCIM/100CASIO/CIMG0794.JPG (unicycle frame and wheel)
file:///Users/kristawhitman/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2010/Jul%201,%202010/CIMG0792.JPG (axle)
file:///Users/kristawhitman/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2010/Jul%201,%202010/CIMG0796.JPG (crank)
file:///Users/kristawhitman/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2010/Jul%201,%202010/CIMG0797.JPG (wedge-like part)
file:///Users/kristawhitman/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/2010/Jul%201,%202010/CIMG0798.JPG (crank)
sorry but this is the only way i could put up pictures. i was having trouble attaching them and cut/paste didnt work
Dude, you’re dating yourself -wow!
thanks, it seems i know very little about all this stuff. so youre saying i just need to go to my LBS and buy new pins?
my mechanic stepdad says that the pins are shot. will replace those. also needs new seat and a shine. and new pedals of course. i cant fix it today because i just emptied my wallet, but i will speak up with any updates
Dating yourself is o.k. until you have to figure out who pays the tip.
ok i bought a new cotter pin but it didnt fix the problem. the crank still wiggles about half of an inch. so what could be the problem?
Did you replace both cotter pins? Is it a slip fit inside the hole on the crankarm? Is only one of the cranks wiggling? When you set the pins did the flat part of the pin sit flush against the flat part of the spindle? Is the shoulder of the pin recessed a little in the hole on the crank arm?
i cant really tell because i cant see inside while its in. the problem is only with one of the cranks; the other is stable and snug
i cant really tell because i cant see inside while its in. the problem is only with one of the cranks; the other is stable and snug
ok my uni is finally ridable and nearly finished! two new 5.5" cranks just arrived and i put em in. so much speed compared to my 20" with 6" cranks.
Another note on cottered cranks: For best results the pins should go in opposite directions. That is, when you’re looking at the top of the pin on the right side, you should be seeing the nut on the left side. Sometimes if you don’t do it that way they don’t line up.
Unfortunately I never saw any pictures so can’t help on the brand, other than “old”. The Craigslist ad has been taken down, and all your links appear to be to your own hard drive. To post images to this site you have to upload them. Click the “Manage Attachments” button below in a post-writing page, then click Browse and navigate to the image you want to upload, and click the button to upload it. Something like that.
thanks, and on the uploading, i tried that! i managed all the attachments but there was no way to attach them! weird. i think i got the pins right, but now youve got me confused. you could technically come by and look, not to be creepy, if you really want to see.