# What are  Stewart-Warner Floating Hubs ????



## nomadman1956 (Dec 9, 2010)

I see floating hubs advertised from time to time, what are they and what do they do?

I seen a phoro of a pair off and they just looked like a hubcaps?   And what were they used on?


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## militarymonark (Dec 9, 2010)

they are kinda like a springer fork but a hub, it works using torsion


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## militarymonark (Dec 9, 2010)

they came on Elgins but it was an accessory, so you could put them on anything if you want


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## nomadman1956 (Dec 10, 2010)

Interesting,.... what years were they used?     
and were they ever used on spring fork bikes? 
how do they mount, do you remove the axle and bolt to the hub or what so it floats?  
and last question  all of them i see the plating is bad, i would assume they are pressed togher with a spring inside or something, so would that make them un rechromeable?


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## militarymonark (Dec 10, 2010)

im not sure on the years exactly, and I haven't seen them on a springer fork but Im sure you can. They mount like any other hub but the only difference is the axle is off set and it needs to be mounted a certain way (the large space of the offset mounted towards the ground). Like mentioned before it used the offset mounted in some type of rubber and uses a torsion to (float). The hub caps on them come off and can be chromed.


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## militarymonark (Dec 10, 2010)

working on a video


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## militarymonark (Dec 10, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FzTDd10N7c


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## nomadman1956 (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks for the video... To cool!!!   There are 2 sets on ebay right now but  it apears both are just the caps and not complete


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## Kelpie3 (Dec 13, 2010)

Anybody have a link to a patent for these?  I looked on Google patents but couldn't find one.


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## RMS37 (Dec 13, 2010)

I found this:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=_3dyAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=bicycle+hub&as_drrb_ap=b&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=1935&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=1941&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1935&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1941&rview=1&cd=1

It appears to be the SW floating hub without the branding and informational embossing on the hubcaps. Since there is no mention of Stewart-Warner as the assignee, it is possible the original inventor patented the device after selling rights to the design to SW. 

.....It looks like the system didn't like that as an automatic link but it should work if you cut and paste it.


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## npence (Dec 13, 2010)

I believe they are only used in 1941 I could be wrong but all the bikes are see them on are 1941 and that is it.



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## scrubbinrims (Dec 13, 2010)

Thanks for teasing me again with that thing Nate!


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## RMS37 (Dec 13, 2010)

The 1940 Westfield catalog depicts the Stewart Warner Floating Front Hub on the "*Special Features for 1940*" page in the middle of the catalog, referring to it as the "*Successor to the Spring Fork. Gives new ride-smoothness; noiseless in operation; available on all models.*" 

The catalog extols the virtues of the hub but it was a clever idea that was primarily offered O.E.M. by manufacturers who had not spent the money or time to develop their own spring fork.

I don't have earlier references to earlier availability of the hub but it’s inclusion in the catalog probably means it was being marketed at least as early as 1939. I doubt they were produced after 1941 but you probably could have bought one new off the shelf in a bike shop in the 50’s (or 70’s when collectors began to snap them up.)  

The unit is designed with the hub shell and bearings running eccentrically to the fixed axel. The connection between them is bonded with rubber to allow the hub shell to rock radialy with respect to the axel to cushion the ride. In reality, how much additional cushioning do you need when you are running less than 25 psi in Balloon tires? Period springers and all the other cushioning devices that made the deluxe Balloons special also made them less efficient, especially when the child riding them ran past the 200 lbs. mark.

The other concern with the Floating Front Hub is that rubber deteriorates with age and a hard jolt or repeated use could potentially separate the bond between the axel, the rubber, and the hub shell. While this could potentially cause a riding accident, the moving parts would not have far to go if cut loose, so it probably wouldn’t set off a chain of event leading to a catastrophe. (It’s definitely a worse idea to start off on a ride and forget to tie down your coaster brake reaction arm which I have done.) I think the hub is definately a cool add-on for any non-sprung 40-41 bike but I would not consider using one on a regular rider.


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