Broken Brooks tension screw - DIY repair, or take to a dealer?

[alexb]

The tension screw on my saddle broke tonight, typical 5 minute job ends up being a nightmare!

I can take my saddle and seatpin off the Audax bike for now, but it's bloody annoying!
So can I replace this myself, Brooks list them as a spare part, or should I take it into a dealer?

[Manotea]

Tension bolts are available as spares but unless the saddle is well broken in you will not be able to fit it as it needs to in a jig to stretch the leather whilst the bolt is being fitted. I've sent my Ti Team Pro back to Brooks twice now to replace the tension bolt & U shackle.  It' a nuisence but they do it immediately on receipt so you'll have the saddle back in a couple of days. Have a chat with Steve Green on 0121 5665 2992

[Regulator]

Send it back to Brooks.  They're normally very good at doing repairs.

[Simon Galgut]

It's very easy. I've done it at least half a dozen times on new and ols (stretched) saddles. A bit of leverage with big screwdrivers does the job.

Mind you, it would help if Swift nose bolts weren't made of cheez. 

[Manotea]

It's very easy. I've done it at least half a dozen times on new and ols (stretched) saddles. A bit of leverage with big screwdrivers does the job.

Mind you, it would help if Swift nose bolts weren't made of cheez. 

There's only so much leverage one wants to apply to a  GBP150 saddle.

Too true about the nose bolts/U shackles for Ti saddles.

[vorsprung]

I replaced the broken tension screw / bolt on my 5 year old Ti B17.  The part was bloody expensive
No special tools required
And I am not a mechanically gifted bicycle repairist

[alexb]

I phoned Brooks, the number above is wrong. It's 0121 565 2992.
Thanks for the suggestion. They took my address and the part is in the post at no charge (for a 10 year old saddle!).
I asked him how to do it. "You sort of wrestle it on with a screwdriver or something to lever it into place" was the general gist of the answer. If I can't do it, they'll do it for me for £20 - seems a bit steep, so I'll give it a shot.

Thanks for the advice guys.

[clarion]

I can't believe no one's suggested you ditch the Brooks & get a decent saddle instead!

[Greenbank]

The trolling thread is over there ----->

[Zipperhead]

I asked him how to do it. "You sort of wrestle it on with a screwdriver or something to lever it into place" was the general gist of the answer. If I can't do it, they'll do it for me for £20 - seems a bit steep, so I'll give it a shot.

I can lend you a (no so) small child, when I got stuck on one of mine I passed it to him and he completed it for me.

[alexb]

Offer of a loan of a child over a special interest internet forum...sounds a bit dodgy!!!

[drossall]

I've done it too, and I must have a few spares lying around.

As others have said, large screwdriver and keep fingers out of the way.

[Wowbagger]

There are two types of nose bolt. The copper one is easier to put in because the thread is longer and you don't have to force the saddle quite so much.

I simply couldn't put a the chrome-plated on in place.

[alexb]

10 minutes of swearing and it's gone into place nicely.
Once again, excellent service from Brooks.

[alexb]

Spoke too soon. It clicked part-way out on the way home tonight

So I checked my Swift and found out that not only was the bolt cracked, but the cradle it goes into is almost cracked through. So I'll be phoning Brooks again in the morning.

Bit miffed...

[alexb]

Just sent this saddle (a team Pro) back to Brooks to have the nose plate replaced. Looking back through the threads, I also replaced the tension screw in 2012.
The saddle was bought around 2000, so two tension screws and a new nose after 15 years is not so bad.
I remember that the second tension screw did not go in well, so suspect that the nose was not in the best shape back in 2012.

[Polar Bear]

I now have three, yes three B17's with broken tension bolts.   I think that the issue is that the seatpin has a lot of layback and the saddle is therefore pushed as far forward on the cradle as possible.   

I have dug out an inline seatpin to eliminate this problem and I'd like to get the saddles up and running again.   £30 for fitting the bolt at Brooks seems a bit steep to me but the bolt design makes it difficult to fit it as far as I can tell unless you completely dismantle the frame from the leather.

If I can replace the bolt I'd like to do so and I'm also wondering if a replacement fitting can be used that is easily fitted so in theory it could even be installed at the roadside.

i was also wondering if perhaps the tension bolt from a B17 titanium might actually fit.   It would be much easier to install as the full length of the bolt is threaded from the head. 

[Brucey]

.....If I can replace the bolt I'd like to do so and I'm also wondering if a replacement fitting can be used that is easily fitted so in theory it could even be installed at the roadside.....

my suggestion is to make your own tension bolt using an M8 stainless steel caphead bolt (set screw) and nut.

You will need to make a shoulder on the head of the bolt; someone with a lathe will be able to do this quite easily.

The nosepiece can be drilled if necessary to match the shoulder on the bolt head.

Once you have this setup you can use an allen key and a spanner to adjust/replace the bolt, which is much easier than the 'old-style' arrangement.  If you use a set screw it will be full-threaded; this means that the length of the tension bolt assy can usually be short enough that it can be assembled to the saddle without using a big lever.

In addition I think a typical stainless steel bolt is better made than a Brooks bolt; I think it is less likely to break even when subjected to this (horrible) loading.

 BTW I think an inline post may make matters worse; the rear part of the saddle frame (which sees most of the rider's weight) will flex more than ever.

cheers

[Polar Bear]

Thanks for your thoughts there Brucey - you have put into words my initial thinking which is great as my friend who is more of an engineer will understand this when we discuss it later.

...
 BTW I think an inline post may make matters worse; the rear part of the saddle frame (which sees most of the rider's weight) will flex more than ever.

The saddle which failed today has been doing sterling service on my tourer for 14 years where the rails were attached to the cradle fairly forward on the rails.   It's been deployed on the audax bike for about two months and has failed.

I'm sort of convinced that the centre mounting evens out the leverage on the nose and rear somewhat relieving the raising of the nose which appears to happen on the current setup.   

[Ed Booth]

I've managed to brake 3 brooks tensioning bolts over the years.

The easy fix it so replace it with an 8 mm bolt. Ideally a stainless one, but the last time I did it I used an ordenary steel one and it seems to be fine after 200 miles or so.

Simply run  a nut right up to the head of the bolt.

Then push the U shaped washer that clips over the saddle bars and pop the head of the bolt into the molding at the front  of the saddle leather

Then simply tighten up the bolt to tension the saddle. Annoyingly the Brooks spanner does not work on an =8 mm bolt but long nose pliers will do the job.  If the bolt turns, then use a second pair of piers to hold it or pop  a screwdriver into the gap between the head of the nut and the molding.

It seems a bit of a Micky Mouse fix but so far its work fine on two different brooks saddles  - one takes  pounding on my off road bike and has at least 600 miles on it since I did it. Time - five minuets. Cost 5 pence

Time five minuets, Cost 5 pence