NOS Sturmey Archer AWC (ii) Hub seems draggy
 

Anyone have experience with the Sturmey Archer AWC (ii) or RC3 (ii) hubs? I recently built up an SA AWC (ii) coaster brake 3-speed hub for my daughter. It was a NOS hub, new in the box, and I laced it up. I recently installed it in the bike, and it seems to shift ok, but the hub doesn't coast well at all. In the stand, the bike shifts fine, but the rear wheel slows down fairly quickly. Are these hubs just draggy, or do I need to adjust the cones?

Most all the current IGhs from the old world players (Shimano, SRAM/Sachs and SA/SunRace) have more drag when new then the classic AWs, Torpedo Boys and such. For the market they are designed for this isn't a deal breaker. Andy

My SA XRD3 will spin 3 min+. I guess a coaster may be more draggy like my roller brake.
If yours is old then obviously it needs taken apart and relubed. There needs to be a bit of play.
My Nexus 7i was also tight when new.
There's a hundred YT videos for all the 3 speed hubs. The Nexus 7 ones are almost all in Russian, darn it.

If there is no play when you try to wiggle the rim side to side it may be that the hub bearings are too tight. If there is slight play at the rim, then bearing adjustment will do nothing to reduce rolling friction.

What's the build date (stamped on the hub)?

Manuals:
sturmey-archerheritagedotcom has the factory five-page technical document for the AWC(ii)
http://www.sturmey-archerheritage.co.../view-1123.pdf

sturmey-archerdotcom has a generic one-page instruction sheet:
https://www.sturmey-archer.com/files...EED%20HUBS.pdf


Sheldon on coaster brakes:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html

Sutherlands manual pages on the AWC II
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sutherl...-5-sturmey.pdf

Coaster brake hubs always have more drag than non-coaster hubs. But unloaded spin-down does not really demonstrate how the hub will perform under load.

Don't see one, but it's a Sun-Race Sturmey-Archer so I know it's post-2000.

I found that the other day Googling. Section 2.3 seems to have some bearing:I tried loosening the cone locknut, but I couldn't budge it. That and the brake arm nut are an odd size, too. I'll have to come up with plan B.

Fun fact: In July 1908 Harry Green set a new Lands End to John O'Groats record of 2 days, 19 hours and fifty minutes riding a Raleigh fitted with an ancestor of the AWC II, a Sturmey-Archer Type-C Tricoaster. This is the only time a rider using a coaster-braked bicycle held the record.