Any Sturmey Archer experts?

[style over speed]

I have a SA 5 speed hub, an XRD5 with a drum brake, its about 3 years old and I've only done about 2000 miles on it.

Its started to feel a bit rough when peddling in all the gears, its fine freewheeling. All the gears change ok and its doesn't slip...

is  there anything I can do to make it run better, or do these hubs just get rough as they get older?

I don't fancy taking it apart so can anyone recommend a workshop that can service them if that is whats needed.


cheers

[matthew]

Rogerzilla will be along soon, he is the SA obsesive fount of all knowledge.

[mrcharly-YHT]

They usually get smoother.

Probable needs oil.  Does it have an oil nipple?

[style over speed]

no oil nipple... the info sheet says "No routine lubrication is required. During a major service the greases should be replenished"

maybe the right side cone is out of adjustment?

[mrcharly-YHT]

Internally, they rely on oil rather than grease. They don't need much (too much gums them up), but do need topping up now and then.
Cone could be tight - with SA AW it was 3 flats forward, 1 back.

[style over speed]

i've removed the wheel, adjusted the cone, broke the plastic cover thing    put it all back together with out the chain slack.
  big improvement, much less notchy pedalling and quieter... and as a bonus the back brakes stopped squeaking.

[rogerzilla]

Anything made in the last couple of decades is greased, not oiled.

Check the cable adjustment and the LH cone adjustment.  I'm not familiar with this particular model, but if it's anything like other SA hubs, you should never adjust the RH cone as this sets the internal clearances so the parts can move against one another.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Anything made in the last couple of decades is greased, not oiled.

What, the sun and planet gears and the drive pawls?

[GavinC]

Anything made in the last couple of decades is greased, not oiled.

What, the sun and planet gears and the drive pawls?

Yep. New Sturney hubs are sealed units filled with grease. There's no longer any oil port on them.

[rogerzilla]

It's a brown runny grease.  It can actually escape from the hub if you put a lot of it in.