Front wheel play

[Geoff Pearson]

My front wheel moves 1-2mm laterally on the axis. I presume I need to tighten the bearing - ther are
no noises or unseemly grindings but I reckon it is too loose to be good engineering (it wasn't like
that when I bought it 3 years ago. Is this straightforward or do I need to take it to teh LBS - nad
be without my bike for 2 days? Cones, thin spanners, grease, new ball bearings - that sort of thing?

[Peter B]

"Geoff Pearson" <gspearson@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:b6a53c$36cu5$1@ID-120835.news.dfncis.de...
> My front wheel moves 1-2mm laterally on the axis.

So long as the grease is not absent or contaminated and the ball bearings come up shiney when
cleaned there is no need to replace 'em. If the ball bearings are damaged chances are the bearing
surfaces in the hub are kaput too so a new hub (wheel?) would be needed, but on the bright side this
is unlikely. So all you probably need are some cone spanners and instructions, go to bike shop for
former and this web-site for latter:

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_hub.shtml

Your hubs may not have the rubber boots shown on the example but otherwise would be the same.

Pete

[Geoff Pearson]

"Peter B" <peter28@btinternet.com> wrote in message news:b6a6hh$d06$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
>
> "Geoff Pearson" <gspearson@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
> news:b6a53c$36cu5$1@ID-120835.news.dfncis.de...
> > My front wheel moves 1-2mm laterally on the axis.
>
> So long as the grease is not absent or contaminated and the ball bearings come up shiney when
> cleaned there is no need to replace 'em. If the ball bearings are damaged chances are the bearing
> surfaces in the hub are kaput too so a new hub (wheel?) would be needed, but on the bright side
> this is unlikely. So all you probably need are some cone spanners and instructions, go to
bike
> shop for former and this web-site for latter:
>
> http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_hub.shtml
>
> Your hubs may not have the rubber boots shown on the example but otherwise would be the same.
>
> Pete
>
>

Thanks for this. I did wonder if the change occurred when I put new locked skewers on which seemed
tighter than the QR type (my saddle was stolen so I put a set of locking skewers on both wheels and
saddle. These notes suggest that tightening skewers might loosen bearings. I will play.