Bent hub dust cap question

[Trent Gregory H]

Folks,

Here's another question, though this one is sadly "for reals," as the youth of today, in their
infinite linguistic creativity, say. I wound up overhauling a batch of hubs today, and in the
process bent not one, not two, but THREE! dust caps on my wife's Shimano RSX-equipped bike. I
attribute this hamfistedness to being sick as a dog and tired to boot.

My stupidity and its causes aside, is there any hope for fixing these? In checking the archives, the
consensus seems to be that they aren't available readily as replacement parts, and therefore the
best thing to do is to munge them back as straight as you can and try not to worry about it, which
would be easy had I done it on my bike. But my wife's?! I fear marital disharmony is in the post.
Either that, or the speedy acquisition of parts for a new, better wheel.

Help me!

Trent

 

[John Albergo]

trent gregory hill wrote:

>Folks,
>
>Here's another question, though this one is sadly "for reals," as the youth of today, in their
>infinite linguistic creativity, say. I wound up overhauling a batch of hubs today, and in the
>process bent not one, not two, but THREE! dust caps on my wife's Shimano RSX-equipped bike. I
>attribute this hamfistedness to being sick as a dog and tired to boot.
>
>My stupidity and its causes aside, is there any hope for fixing these? In checking the archives,
>the consensus seems to be that they aren't available readily as replacement parts, and therefore
>the best thing to do is to munge them back as straight as you can and try not to worry about it,
>which would be easy had I done it on my bike. But my wife's?! I fear marital disharmony is in the
>post. Either that, or the speedy acquisition of parts for a new, better wheel.
>
>Help me!
>
>Trent
>
Yep, just get them reasonably back in form. The metal is soft so just as it's not hard to bend them
out of shape it's not hard to get them back into shape. A gentle tapping with a hammer and small
piece of wood against a wooden bench will get it pretty good. The only thing to fear is repeated
aggresive bending, which would lead to fatigue failure.

 

[Robin Hubert]

"John Albergo" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>
> trent gregory hill wrote:
>
> >Folks,
> >
> >Here's another question, though this one is sadly "for reals," as the youth of today, in their
> >infinite linguistic creativity, say. I wound up overhauling a batch of hubs today, and in the
> >process bent not one, not two, but THREE! dust caps on my wife's Shimano RSX-equipped bike. I
> >attribute this hamfistedness to being sick as a dog and tired to boot.
> >
> >My stupidity and its causes aside, is there any hope for fixing these? In checking the archives,
> >the consensus seems to be that they aren't available readily as replacement parts, and therefore
> >the best thing to
do
> >is to munge them back as straight as you can and try not to worry about it, which would be easy
> >had I done it on my bike. But my wife's?! I
fear
> >marital disharmony is in the post. Either that, or the speedy
acquisition
> >of parts for a new, better wheel.
> >
> >Help me!
> >
> >Trent
> >
> Yep, just get them reasonably back in form. The metal is soft so just as it's not hard to bend
> them out of shape it's not hard to get them back into shape. A gentle tapping with a hammer and
> small piece of wood against a wooden bench will get it pretty good. The only thing to fear is
> repeated aggresive bending, which would lead to fatigue failure.
>

Yes, you can beat them to death. You can also get them reasonably straightened but I had a problem
getting the hole round enough to allow free rotation about the cone. <rub, rub

 

[Bruce Lange]

Along these lines, what's the best way to remove soft metal dustcaps?

New hubs almost always benefit from an overhaul but I find it difficult to get in there without
damaging the dustcap (most recently had difficulty with a Shimano HG-20).

Bruce

"trent gregory hill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
newsine.A41.4.44.0303222125530.116314-100000@homer40.u.washington.edu...
> Folks,
>
> Here's another question, though this one is sadly "for reals," as the youth of today, in their
> infinite linguistic creativity, say. I wound up overhauling a batch of hubs today, and in the
> process bent not one, not two, but THREE! dust caps on my wife's Shimano RSX-equipped bike. I
> attribute this hamfistedness to being sick as a dog and tired to boot.
>
> My stupidity and its causes aside, is there any hope for fixing these? In checking the archives,
> the consensus seems to be that they aren't available readily as replacement parts, and therefore
> the best thing to do is to munge them back as straight as you can and try not to worry about it,
> which would be easy had I done it on my bike. But my wife's?! I fear marital disharmony is in the
> post. Either that, or the speedy acquisition of parts for a new, better wheel.
>
> Help me!
>
> Trent

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 15:19:58 -0500, Bruce Lange wrote:

> Along these lines, what's the best way to remove soft metal dustcaps?

I've always used a screwdriver, since I am not overly concerned about scratching them or deforming
them a bit. Maybe a skinny-enough plastic tire lever would be gentler.

As far as rubbing of the munged dustap on the axle -- that can be taken care of with a dremel.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is a scientifically proven fact that a mid life crisis can _`\(,_ | only be cured by
something racy and Italian. Bianchis and (_)/ (_) | Colnagos are a lot cheaper than Maserattis
and Ferraris. -- Glenn Davies

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <OFofa.191340$eG2.26568@sccrnsc03>,
"Bruce Lange" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Along these lines, what's the best way to remove soft metal dustcaps?
>
> New hubs almost always benefit from an overhaul but I find it difficult to get in there without
> damaging the dustcap (most recently had difficulty with a Shimano HG-20).

The best way is probably a thing called a "J-tool" which is basically a a small J-shaped hook that
goes into the hub and pulls it out from the metal side. But if you have the axle out anyways, you
can just push it out with a screwdriver from the opposite side, which should hit the same metal part
of the dust cover.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[A Muzi]

"trent gregory hill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
newsine.A41.4.44.0303222125530.116314-100000@homer40.u.washington.edu...
> Folks,
>
> Here's another question, though this one is sadly "for reals," as the youth of today, in their
> infinite linguistic creativity, say. I wound up overhauling a batch of hubs today, and in the
> process bent not one, not two, but THREE! dust caps on my wife's Shimano RSX-equipped bike. I
> attribute this hamfistedness to being sick as a dog and tired to boot.
>
> My stupidity and its causes aside, is there any hope for fixing these? In checking the archives,
> the consensus seems to be that they aren't available readily as replacement parts, and therefore
> the best thing to do is to munge them back as straight as you can and try not to worry about it,
> which would be easy had I done it on my bike. But my wife's?! I fear marital disharmony is in the
> post. Either that, or the speedy acquisition of parts for a new, better wheel.

These are (in?)famously difficult to remove without deformation. So don't feel special if you
bent them.

Using a freewheel tool on the inside surface, tap the dustcaps flat again on an anvil. Now find a
socket of the appropriate diameter and press the cap over the socket with the freewhel tool so as to
form the inner opening round once more. Some sockets serendipitously have a step on the outside
that's perfect for this operation (Sears brand 3/8" drive 7/16" is ideal for your rear caps!)

Occasionally, a particularly mangled dustcap will need a quick pass with a file along the inner
opening to remove a sharp protrusion.

You wife need never know - they are mild steel and can be reformed to be unnoticeably like-new in
appearance.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[A Muzi]

> "trent gregory hill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> newsine.A41.4.44.0303222125530.116314-100000@homer40.u.washington.edu...
> > Here's another question, though this one is sadly "for reals," as the youth of today, in their
> > infinite linguistic creativity, say. I wound
up
> > overhauling a batch of hubs today, and in the process bent not one, not two, but THREE! dust
> > caps on my wife's Shimano RSX-equipped bike. I attribute this hamfistedness to being sick as a
> > dog and tired to boot.
> >
> > My stupidity and its causes aside, is there any hope for fixing these? In checking the archives,
> > the consensus seems to be that they aren't available readily as replacement parts, and therefore
> > the best thing to
do
> > is to munge them back as straight as you can and try not to worry about it, which would be easy
> > had I done it on my bike. But my wife's?! I
fear
> > marital disharmony is in the post. Either that, or the speedy
acquisition
> > of parts for a new, better wheel.

"Bruce Lange" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:OFofa.191340$eG2.26568@sccrnsc03...
> Along these lines, what's the best way to remove soft metal dustcaps?
>
> New hubs almost always benefit from an overhaul but I find it difficult to get in there without
> damaging the dustcap (most recently had difficulty
with
> a Shimano HG-20).

Agreed! They are a *****!

In a new hub, there's no reason to remove them. Just open, add lubricant and close.

It is necessary for thorough cleaning of a used hub, though.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[G.Daniels]

trenty! charge into "DIY" in bike.tech and therein lies a recipe for dustcap adjustments.