Tom: There are a couple possibilities here, I think, and both seem to have a French accent. 1) "Metric" printed on a Zeus hub or freewheel package means French threads. "B.S.C." means exactly that, and I've seen "S.A.E." on a Zeus hub box also (Italian??). If those hubs are in their original box (and not mis-marked!), they are French-threaded. French-threaded Zeus freewheel bodies have an "M" stamped into the rear face of the body ("B" is for British), BTW. 2) They could be improperly machined French threads. Threads have tolerances, just like any other blueprint dimension. Zeus' threads can be a bit loosey-goosey sometimes. Zeus quality was, well, not exactly, um, Campagnolo-level, for lack of a better analogy. You could have French-diameter, but BSC-pitch threads! Can you carefully try an NOS French-threaded freewheel? In light of Steven's measurement data, it sure sounds like a French-threaded hub..... Remember though, that as far as diameter and pitch, you're looking for 34.7 vs. 34.8, and 1.0 vs 1.058 mm!! And these are nominal dimensions, that can vary.... Greg "ain't Manufacturing tolerances fun?" Parker Dexter, Michigan
Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 07:28:40 -0700 From: "Steven Willis" <smwillis@verizon.net> To: "Thomas Adams" <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: Re: [CR]Detecting French Freewheel threads in the field
Also remember we measured it out at 34.7 and that should be French but the French will not go on. I also put a thread gauge on it and it too says French. So, did the Zeus co. use some offbeat thread angle? Steven Steven Willis 1778 East Second Street Scotch Plains NJ 07076 908-322-3330 http://www.thebikestand.com
> Just bought a lovely pair of Zeus hubs on eBay, and the seller says they're BSC. The hubs are unmarked, and the box is marked Metric. Seller did check the hubs, an english freehwheel screws on and a french goes on two turns then binds.
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> My testing is identical, english screws on, french goes about three wrist twists (1.5 turns) and then binds. However the english freewheel seems to rock ever so slightly on the hub, and I always thought that a french freewheel wouldn't even start on an english hub. Also, the french freewheel I used for the test is an old, rusty dirty unit, so it's possible the threads are contaminated with dirt or otherwise damaged, hence the binding. On the other hand, the rocking with the english freewheel could be just bearing play (I didn't tighten it all the way down, as I don't have a rim laced to the hub and don't want to get the freewheel stuck).
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> I'd appreciate some enlightenment on whether this hub is english or french, or whether there's some other test I need to perform. The primary question is whether a French freewheel will thread about two turns on a BSC hub, then bind as opposed to my old belief that a french freewheel would not even start to screw onto a BSC hub. I don't want to risk ruining the hub with a BSC freewheel, so I'm looking for the warm fuzzy that this is not a french threaded hub.
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> Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ