"Penasquitos Joe" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> While riding recently the skewer on the front wheel jumped ship. (I don't know what happened but
> all of a sudden the bike got hard to pedal and when
I
> took a look, the skewer was GONE!) Since I wanted a mechanic's opinion on the condition of the
> wheel I took it in and had him replace the skewer and repack the hub. So here's the question. I
> put the wheel back on and noticed play and noise like the bearings were grinding. I tried to
> adjust it but the dust cover doesn't stay in place, thus exposing the innards.
So
> what's the proper adjustment on the front wheel? I think I need a diagram to verify that
> everything is put back correctly but haven't found anything on the web yet. Can anyone suggest and
> sites that might help with
repairs.
> Thanks, all. I'm a newbie and trying to get started in this. I
appreciate
> the input.
>
Nelson Binch sent me this, excellent advice, follow it closely!
> Required tools and parts (for most shimano) 13mm 15mm 17mm cone
wrenches. 18 1/4 inch ball bearings (rear) 20 3/16 ball bearings (front) Waterproof grease (in my
case, Coastal Marine Grease)
remove rubber seals. Clean away as much grit and grime as possible. Use the smaller cone wrench (13
front, 15 rear) to hold the cone while using the 17 (or a 17mm open end wrench - or, in a pinch, an
adjustable wrench) to loosen the locknut. Do this on the non-drive side of the rear. Unscrew the
parts and place them in order, so all the funny little washers go back in the proper place.
Throw away the old bearing (I use a magnet on the end of a probe tool to get stubborn ones out of
nooks and crannies) and use a degreaser (avoid simple green - WD40 actually works well for this) and
maybe a toothbrush to clean everything out of the hubs. A dose of rubbing alcohol will wash away the
last contaminants.
Put a glob of grease in each cup. There is no such thing as too much at any point. The grease is
thick enough to hold the bearings in place while you work. Put 9 in each cup in the rear, 10 in the
front (this applies to most, though some oddballs use other sizes and counts)
Clean the axles as well as you can, dry them, then check with the cone wrenches that the side you
didn't take apart is properly tight. Put the axle back through and thread the other parts back on.
Add grease at every opportunity.
Holding the tight side, snug the cone down on the bearing. Hand tightern the locknut. Now give the
loose cone a quarter turn, so the bearings actually feel too tight. Hold the loose cone with the
cone wrench and tighten the locknut. There should be the tiniest bit of play when you're done.
Tightening the skewer takes this last bit of play out. Reinstall the rubber seals. Wipe off any
grease that splooched out and you're done.
It's not hard, and most LBSs do it fairly cheaply ($5 a hub, plus parts 10¢ per ball, so roughly $7
a wheel) so if you have access to a shop, have them do it or at least walk you through the process.
What I like about ball bearings is this: as a trained mechanic, I can always keep them in tip top
running shape. If the hubs develop play, I can adjust that out. Maintenance is easy and cheap. Ball
bearings of good quality are readily available.
Cartridge bearing hubs (I'm trying a set on one bike right now) are nice and low maintenance, but
once they develop play, there is little you can do to adjust it. You simply need to have the
bearings replaced, and sometimes they can be hard to find. I even have one hub, on the front of my
hybrid, that is totally unserviceable. It has no provision for disassembly. Forturnately, despite
being 10 years old, it is still smooth as silk, though I think use on a hybrid and not a MTB has
something to do with it.
--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...
