I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...

George

For want of a nut, the wheel was lost;
For want of the wheel, the caravan was lost;
For want of the caravan, the holiday was lost;
For want of the holiday, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.

On 26/07/18 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...


Are you sure its not UNF?


I'd be temnpetd to take the wheel off, and repalve ALL the studs with
whatever you can find to fit,


George

For want of a nut, the wheel was lost;
For want of the wheel, the caravan was lost;
For want of the caravan, the holiday was lost;
For want of the holiday, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.



--
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign,
that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."

Jonathan Swift.

it's 99% definitely BSF,
Leominster Engineering had a kind of feeler gauge,
I bought some 1/2" BSF nuts one bay and they fit.
But because they have flat ends i think they would deform the wheels and be impossible to remove.

[george]


On Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 12:39:01 PM UTC+1, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...

George

For want of a nut, the wheel was lost;
For want of the wheel, the caravan was lost;
For want of the caravan, the holiday was lost;
For want of the holiday, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.

On 26/07/18 13:13, George Miles wrote:
it's 99% definitely BSF,
Leominster Engineering had a kind of feeler gauge,
I bought some 1/2" BSF nuts one bay and they fit.
But because they have flat ends i think they would deform the wheels and be impossible to remove.


Agreed

These people may have them - and studs ..


https://www.standardmotor.club/wheel-nuts


--
The lifetime of any political organisation is about three years before
its been subverted by the people it tried to warn you about.

Anon.

On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acat...nf-wrap22.html

SteveW

On 26/07/2018 18:36, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 26/07/18 13:13, George Miles wrote:
it's 99% definitely BSF,
Leominster Engineering had a kind of feeler gauge,
I bought some 1/2" BSF nuts one bay and they fit.
But because they have flat ends i think they would deform the wheels
and be impossible to remove.


Agreed

These people may have them - and studs ..


https://www.standardmotor.club/wheel-nuts

That's the first I found as well, but
https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acat...nf-wrap22.html
looks a better bet.

SteveW

On 26/07/2018 19:06, Steve Walker wrote:
On 26/07/2018 18:36, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 26/07/18 13:13, George Miles wrote:
it's 99% definitely BSF,
Leominster Engineering had a kind of feeler gauge,
I bought some 1/2" BSF nuts one bay and they fit.
But because they have flat ends i think they would deform the wheels
and be impossible to remove.


Agreed

These people may have them - and studs ..


https://www.standardmotor.club/wheel-nuts

That's the first I found as well, but
https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acat...nf-wrap22.html
looks a better bet.

SteveW

Oh bugger, just spotted that the link that got me there had the wrong
title and they are UNF

SteveW

On 26/07/2018 19:05, Steve Walker wrote:
On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acat...nf-wrap22.html

SteveW

Ignore that, wrong link.

STeveW

On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...

George



Are you absolutely sure that it's BSF and not UNF? Have you counted the
threads on an inch of stud? If so, what was the result?

By the 1960's the UK motor industry and - I think - caravan industry had
moved to unified threads.

Do you know who made the chassis for your Sprite? Was probably either
B&B or Peak. B&B is now part of Al-Ko, and Peak still exists in some
form or other. A call to the chassis manufacturer may clarify the spec
(if anyone can remember!) and may even point you to suitable spares.

Are you a member of the Caravan Club or Caravan & Camping Club? they
both have technical departments which may be able to help.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

thanks NP, i've ordered one...
but what to do about the bent stud?
could a blacksmith straighten it?

[george]

On Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 6:36:04 PM UTC+1, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 26/07/18 13:13, George Miles wrote:
it's 99% definitely BSF,
Leominster Engineering had a kind of feeler gauge,
I bought some 1/2" BSF nuts one bay and they fit.
But because they have flat ends i think they would deform the wheels and be impossible to remove.


Agreed

These people may have them - and studs ..


https://www.standardmotor.club/wheel-nuts


--
The lifetime of any political organisation is about three years before
its been subverted by the people it tried to warn you about.

Anon.

On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...


For the nut:

Find a local model engineer and ask him to make one.
A traditional small garage may be able to do it.

A bit of hex bar, drilled on a lathe, the taper turned down, and a
thread the hole.

If you pay a garage, it won't be cheap but not silly money but a model
may do it free or at least for 'a beer'.


Stud:

Likewise a stud could be made, perhaps by modifying a bolt. Again, a
model engineer could do it.

Removing old studs is 'hit and miss'. Sometimes the come out relatively
easily. Others.........


I assume you've tried a caravan breakers ?



--

Suspect someone is claiming a benefit under false pretences? Incapacity
Benefit or Personal Independence Payment when they don't need it? They
are depriving those in real need!

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

On 27/07/2018 01:08, George Miles wrote:
thanks NP, i've ordered one...
but what to do about the bent stud?
could a blacksmith straighten it?



You could use your Ebay nuts to protect the thread and try 'tapping' it.
Support the hub, to protect the bearings.

Presumably it isn't that bent or you could fit the wheel.


--

Suspect someone is claiming a benefit under false pretences? Incapacity
Benefit or Personal Independence Payment when they don't need it? They
are depriving those in real need!

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud

On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...

George

For want of a nut, the wheel was lost;
For want of the wheel, the caravan was lost;
For want of the caravan, the holiday was lost;
For want of the holiday, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.


Two nuts, drill out the threads of one and turn, or at a pinch file, a
suitable cone on the outside and then use an ordinary nut outboard of it.

Come to think of it, owning a caravan like that you *must* know an old
fart with a Myford or Colchester who would make you a proper one for
beer tokens. Someone who has old British bikes or a Lister engine.

On Sat, 28 Jul 2018 21:48:25 +0100, newshound
wrote:

snip

Two nuts, drill out the threads of one and turn, or at a pinch file, a
suitable cone on the outside and then use an ordinary nut outboard of it.

Come to think of it, owning a caravan like that you *must* know an old
fart with a Myford or Colchester who would make you a proper one for
beer tokens. Someone who has old British bikes or a Lister engine.

;-)

Or just a Myford lathe. ;-)

Funnily enough, I recently turned a new 'cone' on the faces of some
trailer wheel nuts because they looked like they were for a different
pattern of rim to the replacements I found.

Given these wheels are typically 'lug / stud centric' I assumed the
nut should match the profile of the conical holes in the rim and these
didn't. After a bit of Googling I think I found 60 Deg was a typical /
likely angle so that was what I set them to (and they certainly seemed
to match / locate better than the nuts as they were).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lug_nut

Cheers, T i m

On 28/07/2018 22:27, T i m wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jul 2018 21:48:25 +0100, newshound
wrote:

snip

Two nuts, drill out the threads of one and turn, or at a pinch file, a
suitable cone on the outside and then use an ordinary nut outboard of it.

Come to think of it, owning a caravan like that you *must* know an old
fart with a Myford or Colchester who would make you a proper one for
beer tokens. Someone who has old British bikes or a Lister engine.

;-)

Or just a Myford lathe. ;-)

What I *meant* was that you might not necessarily know if an
acquaintance has a Myford in their shed. But, if they do bike or steam
ralleys then even if they don't have one, they will probably know
someone who has.

:-)


Funnily enough, I recently turned a new 'cone' on the faces of some
trailer wheel nuts because they looked like they were for a different
pattern of rim to the replacements I found.

Given these wheels are typically 'lug / stud centric' I assumed the
nut should match the profile of the conical holes in the rim and these
didn't. After a bit of Googling I think I found 60 Deg was a typical /
likely angle so that was what I set them to (and they certainly seemed
to match / locate better than the nuts as they were).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lug_nut

Cheers, T i m

On Sat, 28 Jul 2018 22:46:41 +0100, newshound
wrote:

On 28/07/2018 22:27, T i m wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jul 2018 21:48:25 +0100, newshound
wrote:

snip

Two nuts, drill out the threads of one and turn, or at a pinch file, a
suitable cone on the outside and then use an ordinary nut outboard of it.

Come to think of it, owning a caravan like that you *must* know an old
fart with a Myford or Colchester who would make you a proper one for
beer tokens. Someone who has old British bikes or a Lister engine.

;-)

Or just a Myford lathe. ;-)

What I *meant* was that you might not necessarily know if an
acquaintance has a Myford in their shed. But, if they do bike or steam
ralleys then even if they don't have one, they will probably know
someone who has.

:-)

Yeah, I got it ... I was just saying ... you could either know someone
who might have a lathe, or one of their friends *or*, have one
yourself (as I do). ;-)

As you say, whilst you can 'shape' say a cone on a flat faced nut with
a file and I would in an emergency, any of that sort of stuff is much
much easier (and more accurate / repeatable) on a lathe.

I'd put my ML10 'up there' along with the Lincoln MIG welder, the 6"
metal cutting bandsaw and possibly the 10 tonne hydraulic press as
things that would (now) be difficult to live without, even though they
are quite expensive considering their utilisation (which is probably a
fraction of a percent / year).

Cheers, T i m

On 28/07/2018 21:48, newshound wrote:
On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become
impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...

George

For want of a nut, the wheel was lost;
For want of the wheel, the caravan was lost;
For want of the caravan, the holiday was lost;
For want of the holiday, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.


Two nuts, drill out the threads of one and turn, or at a pinch file, a
suitable cone on the outside and then use an ordinary nut outboard of it.


If you start with a 1/2" UNF wheel nut, it will already have one conical
end. So just drill out the threads and then put a plain 1/2" BSF nut
behind it.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 29/07/2018 15:29, Roger Mills wrote:
On 28/07/2018 21:48, newshound wrote:
On 26/07/2018 12:38, George Miles wrote:
I've lost a wheelnut for my 60's Sprite caravan,
1/2" BSF
and can't find one on ebay - where to look?

I've bought normal nuts but I think they'd damage the wheel and become
impossible to remove.

One stud is bent, 1/2" x 1 3/4",
would be nice to find a new one,
(or a metric one that fits int he hole)
but I think i can use the old bent one.

Don't think its worth the risk to drive with only 3 wheelnuts is it?

Ideas please...

George

For want of a nut, the wheel was lost;
For want of the wheel, the caravan was lost;
For want of the caravan, the holiday was lost;
For want of the holiday, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail.


Two nuts, drill out the threads of one and turn, or at a pinch file, a
suitable cone on the outside and then use an ordinary nut outboard of it.


If you start with a 1/2" UNF wheel nut, it will already have one conical
end. So just drill out the threads and then put a plain 1/2" BSF nut
behind it.

Good thinking!