Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Something I've not really paid any attention to, but the 1928 parts book talks about `tie bolts' particularly around the crankcases and engine plates. I'd always assume they meant `studs' but they use the term `stud' separately.

So did the 28 use bolts not studs?

The parts lists for all my bikes use the term tie bolt for the engine plate studs. Must be an Ariel thing!

hi i would say they are studs because you fit a nut on each end and if it was a bolt it would have a head on one end

I have always understood that when Ariel said tie bolt they meant a stud with a nut at both ends with a CEI thread, ie ties things together.

Oddly enough, in the 1928 parts book Ariel describe fork spindles as `link bolts' - when I got my 1928 it did indeed have bolts as fork spindles, which appeared to be original, not a threaded spindle with two nuts.

My assumption was the same as yours Roger, but I'm wondering if that is correct now.

In general engineering terms studs screw into a casting or sub-assembly where frequent disassembly may take place. The studs are locked into the casting (or sub-assembly) which is normally a softer material than the stud. This protects the threads in the softer material. A tie bolt ties two or more layers of material together and is therefore much longer than a stud. Tie bolts almost always have the same thread on each end but a stud may have a coarse thread (whitworth for screwing into aluminium) on one end and a finer thread (cycle) for the nut on the other end provide the clamping force. I hope that helps a bit!!

Both 30 Ariels I've had had bolts in the front fork shackles. I'm making a new set for the current one soon and copying from the originals. Nev