It was only a matter of time
before the Univega’s UN52 finally succumbed to slop. Mercifully its swansong commenced at the close of a fifty mile saunter, some sixty metres from
Stenningrad.
Largely superseded by
external cup designs, 8,000 miles plus isn’t outlandish from these venerable
square tapers so long as jet-washing and similarly destructive habits are
avoided.
However, as component designs evolve, or indeed fall from vogue;
supplies of older mid-range stuff often dwindle, leaving the market polarised
between bargain basement and top drawer.
Within two minutes of powering up the laptop and entering “68x113 square taper” into Google’s search bar, we’d scored a brand new, unboxed UN55 for the princely sum of £12.50 including postage! I’d been fishing for an XT grade UN72 but these have become rarer than hens’ teeth and I didn’t fancy playing the ebay lottery.
Without taking a grinder to
their shells, aluminium alloy cups and hollow axles separate the 50s, saving a
few grams without sacrificing strength; though avoid lithium based greases when
speeding them inside ferrous frames, or risk the joy of seizures many miles
hence.
Less than 48 hours after
adding to cart, transplant surgery proved very straightforward given the
existing unit was introduced with lashings of stout ceramic prep, complimented
by copious quantities of home brewed corrosion inhibitor. Curiously enough, the
UN55 has also reduced the Q-factor slightly but this is pretty academic on a
tubby tourer. Now for some self-extracting M8 crank bolts methinks…
