Crank Cotters
$2.50 or $1.25
The poor quality of modern cotters caused me to wonder if any stocks of old ones might still be out there. Happily I was able to locate two 30 year old boxes, each containing 36 English size cotters. I'll keep half and sell the rest.

These old cotters are fully machined from 3/8" (9.5mm) steel. Even the nuts are turned on a lathe. Both ends are domed to prevent mushrooming when they are installed or removed. The threaded stems are larger, 7mm, and the washers are thicker and harder.
$2.50 each and worth every penny.


New cotters are just pinched off a piece of rod, rolled and mashed into a usable shape. Since the bevel is just stomped into place, there is a bulge at the sides. So, they have to use undersized, 9.2mm rod so the bulge won't keep them from fitting into a 9.5mm hole.
However they do work, and at $1.25 each are good enough for your brother-in-law's bike.
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