# Brooks saddle spanner - which way to tighten?



## ispoke

I couldn't find the instructions that came with my Swift saddle, and an online search turned up only general instructions. So maybe you can help me remember which way to turn the spanner (and bolt) in order to loosen or tighten the leather?

I'd try trial and error but I've heard that too much tension is a bad thing, and it might be hard to tell without damaging the leather first...


----------



## Dave_Stohler

"Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey". 
I thought everybody learned that in kindergarten?


----------



## Chris H

Dave_Stohler said:


> "Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey".
> I thought everybody learned that in kindergarten?


That one only works with one of my pedals...


----------



## ispoke

*it pains me to be so ignorant...*

thanks for the reminder about normal threads. now back to brooks saddles. going from memory, i seem to recall that the spanner engages what appears to be a nut positioned along the axis of the bolt. if the nut is separate from the bolt (captive to the frame), then i'd assume that righty would be tighty for the leather (backing off the frame). but if the nut is affixed to the bolt (perhaps tack welded), then righty would be loosey (engaging the frame).

so which is it?

recently i was tinkering and noticed that i could make a full turn of the nut without any apparent difference in leather tightness. i was concerned that turning until i saw a difference might be destructive if i was overtightening the leather.


----------



## PdxMark

It sounds like it's a new sadlle. If so, why are you thinking of messing with tension at all? You ought not need to mess with tension on a new Brooks for, oh, I dunno, 5 years.... if you ride alot...


----------



## Reynolds531

*clockwise facing front of saddle*



ispoke said:


> thanks for the reminder about normal threads. now back to brooks saddles. going from memory, i seem to recall that the spanner engages what appears to be a nut positioned along the axis of the bolt. if the nut is separate from the bolt (captive to the frame), then i'd assume that righty would be tighty for the leather (backing off the frame). but if the nut is affixed to the bolt (perhaps tack welded), then righty would be loosey (engaging the frame).
> 
> so which is it?
> 
> recently i was tinkering and noticed that i could make a full turn of the nut without any apparent difference in leather tightness. i was concerned that turning until i saw a difference might be destructive if i was overtightening the leather.


If you put your nose on the nose of the saddle you want to turn the nut clockwise to tighten the leather. The nut then pushes the threaded rod out and makes the saddle longer and tighter. I think it was about 8 years before I needed to do this.


----------

