Help! SRAM p5 Rear hub for old giant twist/lafree

[flecc]

I don't know about that internal lug, I've not had one broken so can't know how much effect it has. The correct way round for the shift rod is with its spring inboard inside the hub, but if the opposite is better by all means use it that way.

However I think you're nearly there since you have 1 to 5 much of the time. Changing up on the P5 is ok, but down is always on the slow side and that's much worse when new with chances of a missed gear. That's because it depends on the spring action for down changes

I think it would be a good idea to ride it for a few trips to bed it in and loosen it up so it operates more freely. Then with adjustments to keep the yellow line alignment correct during that bedding in period you may well find it operating reliably. My new P5 was very slow changing down and somewhat unreliable until it had done afew miles.
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[Nealh]

The Yellow bit on the axle end hides an adjustment for a spring I think, whether this has any bearing on your issue I don't know.

On Cycling UK forum there is a very knowledgeable chap by the name of Brucey who seems to be good with most hub gear issues, you could try there.

 

[Nealh]

Don't knowif this helps any more.

http://fixedgeargallery.com/articles/grahamwebster/TECHNICAL_ARTICLE_SRAM_P5.pdf

 

[oznog]

I don't know about that internal lug, I've not had one broken so can't know how much effect it has. The correct way round for the shift rod is with its spring inboard inside the hub, but if the opposite is better by all means use it that way.

However I think you're nearly there since you have 1 to 5 much of the time. Changing up on the P5 is ok, but down is always on the slow side and that's much worse when new with chances of a missed gear. That's because it depends on the spring action for down changes

I think it would be a good idea to ride it for a few trips to bed it in and loosen it up so it operates more freely. Then with adjustments to keep the yellow line alignment correct during that bedding in period you may well find it operating reliably. My new P5 was very slow changing down and somewhat unreliable until it had done afew miles.
.

Do you mean yellow line on click box or something else?
The shift rod doesn’t have a spring? Just finely threaded near its ends ( it looked symmetrical to me, but as I say flipping it round seemed to improve it)

I will keep my fingers crossed that it’s just a bedding in issue.
I have found replacement “red plastic bits” but as they come in at £10 I’d want to know their importance before buying

 

[flecc]

Yes, the yellow line on the clickbox.

SRAM changed these hub gears during their life from just plain SRAM to SRAM Spectro. Yours is probably a different version from the ones I'm used to which have a long very thin spring wound tightly around the inner end of the shift rod. It seemed to be sort of shock absorber during shifting.

The lug on the plastic component only appears to fix the spindle position and clickbox relative to the bike frame, but how vital that is I don't know, since as you've found, changes can happen without it. I'd be inclined to fit one if the gear changing doesn't settle down after a little use. The vertical orientation of the spindle/hub internals may affect the change reliability.
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[oznog]

Took another ride today. Mostly have gears 1, 3-5. I rarely could get 2 ( seemed to work once whilst under tension of going uphill?) once I even lost all gears but 3-5. It makes me start to wonder if I truly have gear 1. Could I just have 3, x, 3,4,5?
I went back to the bike shop to get the chain guard screws they hadnt replaced, who wouldn’t hear any criticism of their “service” saying that their claim that they needed special tools to open the hub was valid as they are “professionals” and the fact that I did it with just a normal wrench was irrelevant or some sort of back alley type method!
My hub is a Spectro p5
and the rods etc look like this

 

[flecc]

The thin springs on the older ones I knew were around the inner rod at one end. Otherwise doing the same job, but I've never touched a Spectro, only knew of them.

The gear 1 on the cargo hub is lower than the standard hub gear 1, so you would be spinning a little bit faster than usual if in gear 1 now.
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[Weldinpatt]

The p5 sram internals can be bought from Holland Cycles £135 complete new innards but I have read they are no longer made and arnt that strong in comparison with other products . Sturmey Archer C50 C30 are tough as is their 3 speed fat hub . Mine is a beefed up X-rd3. Old hack before electric, but just the job , the ideal , the only way to go, post electric.
It’s the way to go