Dropout Eyelet Size on Dawes Galaxy?
07-15-19, 08:16 PM
#1
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Dropout Eyelet Size on Dawes Galaxy?
I'm putting a rear rack on a 70s Dawes Galaxy. It has mounting eyelets on the rear dropouts, but I'm not sure what size they are. They won't readily accept an M5 or #10-32 bolt, and M4 and #8 are both too small.
Is this an M5 hole that is gunked up and in need of tapping, or some oddball English size?
Is this an M5 hole that is gunked up and in need of tapping, or some oddball English size?
07-16-19, 04:55 AM
#2
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Could be British Whitworth threading, being from England at the time. Just a guess.
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07-16-19, 08:12 AM
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M5 x 0.8 is the most common eyelet thread. It was used by Campagnolo, Shimano and SunTour. Huret and Simplex were typically non-threaded. Given the small size it doesn't take much paint fill or foreign material to make for a tight fit. What brand are the dropouts? If they are stamped dropouts, there is a good chance they aren't tapped or were tapped by the owner.
Last edited by T-Mar; 07-16-19 at 08:15 AM.
07-16-19, 08:44 AM
#4
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M5 x 0.8 is the most common eyelet thread. It was used by Campagnolo, Shimano and SunTour. Huret and Simplex were typically non-threaded. Given the small size it doesn't take much paint fill or foreign material to make for a tight fit. What brand are the dropouts? If they are stamped dropouts, there is a good chance they aren't tapped or were tapped by the owner.
07-16-19, 04:10 PM
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07-16-19, 04:45 PM
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07-16-19, 05:00 PM
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I'm not a big fan of threaded eyelets anymore. Even with Locktite they tend to come loose. A through bolt with a nylok nut seems to work much better. The beggest issue with this is on the drive side, where fender and rack eyelets seem to always be in close proximity to the small cog on your rear wheel.
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07-16-19, 05:35 PM
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Why do rack-attaching fasteners tend to come loose more than anything else on a bike? Is it because of the weight they bear?
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07-16-19, 05:55 PM
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I just freed a stuck bolt in the rear nds eyelet on the '70s Galaxy I'm working on. I used a small drill bit and just kept going at it until I removed a lot of bolt ... then I could finally unscrew it with vise grips. Whew!
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I use the threaded Campy eyelet (without a nut) for the rear rack on my grocery getter. Every couple months I make sure those two m5 bolts are secure. I like that setup better than the necessity of a backing nut. Just seems "cleaner."
.
I use the threaded Campy eyelet (without a nut) for the rear rack on my grocery getter. Every couple months I make sure those two m5 bolts are secure. I like that setup better than the necessity of a backing nut. Just seems "cleaner."
07-17-19, 11:25 AM
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Not just racks, fender attachments tend to loosen with time as well.
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07-17-19, 02:22 PM
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On a similar note, if you can, attach mudguards and racks to separate eyelets to minimize problems. That's why we used double eyelets on the Trek 720:
07-17-19, 02:50 PM
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07-17-19, 03:02 PM
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07-17-19, 04:32 PM
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It's interesting that it seemed to take place in the middle of the 84/85 run. I've seen pictures of several 84s, and at least one decaled as an 85 with 2 eyelets front and rear.
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07-17-19, 05:21 PM
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Just noticed this was not mentioned. There was another weird thread used in the UK, one that Jack Taylor *sometimes* used. It's called 2BA. It's 4.7mm diameter and 0.81 pitch. So if the tap went in kinda hard - - probably you just cut them out to a size you can actually get 
11-17-20, 06:48 AM
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Just noticed this was not mentioned. There was another weird thread used in the UK, one that Jack Taylor *sometimes* used. It's called 2BA. It's 4.7mm diameter and 0.81 pitch. So if the tap went in kinda hard - - probably you just cut them out to a size you can actually get
11-18-20, 04:48 PM
#19
Old Bike Craphound
I just installed fenders on my Dawes Galaxy (old torch headbadge, so pre 1975) and M5 bolts went into the holes without complaining. It may be that they were retapped by the previous owner (another caphound), but it must be pretty close to M5, as they show no signs of injury.
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