Shopping for threaded fasteners in VS .NET

Generating Quick Response Code in VS .NET Shopping for threaded fasteners

When you re shopping for threaded parts, keep in mind that threads are classified in a number of ways One is according to the diameter from one side of the thread to the other Threads are also measured based on how many threads are contained within a fixed length Usually you will see measurements such as 1 /2 inch x 20 tpi The first number refers to the thread diameter, and the second number refers to the number of threads per inch The important thing is not that you memorize what the two numbers mean but that you know that, if you have to buy a bolt, you ll need to take a measurement like this when you go

shopping If you have a bolt in hand and need to buy another one, take it to your local bike shop Just by eyeing the threads, the bike-shop staff will be able to help you For bolts, you commonly see an M before the measurement to represent millimeters For example, the M5 bolt of a water-bottle cage is a 5mm bolt

It s not as important to know what the numbers describing a thread mean as it is to make sure the measurements of the old and new fastener match

Despite the important role of bike cables, they rarely get the respect they deserve They usually play second fiddle to their sexier companions, the shifters, brake levers, derailleurs, and brakes The truth is, improperly installed or worn-out cables can prevent even the best derailleurs and brakes from functioning properly When a squirrel jumps out in front of you while you re hurtling down a hill on your bike, you re not only counting on your brakes to grip the wheels and slow you down, but you re depending on your cables to transfer the force from your clenching grip to the brakes Although cables have long been used to transfer force when pulled, bike cables are unique in that they have to transfer force around the curves and corners of a bike The design of the cable with an inner wire supported by a stiff outer housing made of steel and covered plastic makes this possible Most bike cable housings have a liner made of plastic, nylon, or Teflon This liner sits between the wire and the housing to help reduce friction In older cables, wires didn t have such a liner; because they came into contact with the housing, they required grease for lubrication In order to save weight and reduce the amount of friction, many bikes are designed to use cables with the inner wire exposed The cable housing runs along a portion of the frame until it comes to a stop The cable housing is fed into the narrow opening in the stop, which allows only the inner wire to pass through To ensure a snug fit in the stop, a small metal cap, called a ferrule, usually covers the end of the housing From here, the wire continues on until it comes to another stop, facing in the opposite direction, where the cable housing begins again Not just any cable housing can be used with a bike For index gears, you use a different style, higher-quality, non-compressing cable housing It s made with separate wires running parallel inside the housing and is held together by plastic

Higher-quality cable housing for shifting shouldn t be used for brakes, because it may not be able to handle the higher force applied during severe braking Less flexible non-compressing gear housing, though more expensive, is a different style and not necessarily higher quality The only real benefit is that the index adjustment holds better than conventional housing The failure rate of this housing is significant, and many people use brake housing for derailleurs anyway, although that usually means an additional adjustment to get the indexing correct The main consideration in the design of how cables work on a bike is eliminating friction so that force can be consistently transferred to the brakes or derailleurs Cables that are too long create unnecessary friction and lead to a soft or spongy response Cables that are too short may create kinks in the housing or limit your ability to fully turn from one side to the other Setting cable housing to the right length is important If you re replacing cable housing, measure them against your original housing Keep them a little longer than you think you need you can always trim off some extra length If you cut your own cable housing, use cable or diagonal cutters After cutting the cable housing, examine the ends to see if any burrs were created If so, you can recut the cable housing or file them down After cutting the cable housing, you may have to open up the end of the housing with a tool, such as an awl If ferrules came with the cable package, attach them to the end of the cable housing They protect and support the cable housing and help keep it in alignment with the stops You can buy cables in kits with inner wires, housing, and metal ferrules all included When running cables around a frame, you should try to avoid bends when possible If you can t avoid bends, make them as gradual as possible (as shown in Figure 2-5) If you re replacing cables, use the cable path that was designed for the bike an engineer took time to think this through For maintaining your cables, lubrication is useful to prevent rust Use silicon, mineral oil, or a synthetic lubrication, and coat the cable before inserting it into the housing Lubrication is also necessary for the parts that come in contact with the cables including adjusting barrels and anchor bolts, both of which have threads that need to be protected Don t use grease to lubricate your cables it creates too much friction and the dirt and dust from the road or trail will stick to the grease, causing even more problems