greasing wheel hubs?

Geoff Pearson said:

I think - after 5 years of daily commuting - that I need to replace
the ball bearings in my hubs. They make a nice clickety-clack noise
when I am sure they should be silent. I've held off because I
remember what a faff it was greasing the bearings in pedals - getting
the locknut done up just the right tightness. I do most other things
on the bike and quite like dismantling, greasing and re-assembling.
It is a 1999 Specialized A1 Comp with 8-speed cassette.

Is replacing the balls and greasing up as bad as I thought?

It's not bad at all except final adjustment is tricky until you've had
lots of experience at it. Particularly bear in mind the side effect that
the quick release has.

But Sheldon Brown's tips on "cone adjustment" help a lot. Instructions on
Park Tools might help for the stages before that but their adjustment
advice is not so good: they miss the trick about using two cone or locknut
spanners at the same time.

Quoted message said:

presume I need thin spanners?

Get a pair of cone spanners from LBS or www.mwdyason.ltd.uk/shop.asp ,
plus a pair of ordinary spanners for the locknuts.

Defnitely have a go!

~PB

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Geoff Pearson said:

I think - after 5 years of daily commuting - that I need to replace
the ball bearings in my hubs. They make a nice clickety-clack noise
when I am sure they should be silent. I've held off because I
remember what a faff it was greasing the bearings in pedals - getting
the locknut done up just the right tightness. I do most other things
on the bike and quite like dismantling, greasing and re-assembling.
It is a 1999 Specialized A1 Comp with 8-speed cassette.

Is replacing the balls and greasing up as bad as I thought?

It's not bad at all except final adjustment is tricky until you've had
lots of experience at it. Particularly bear in mind the side effect that
the quick release has.

But Sheldon Brown's tips on "cone adjustment" help a lot. Instructions on
Park Tools might help for the stages before that but their adjustment
advice is not so good: they miss the trick about using two cone or locknut
spanners at the same time.

Quoted message said:

presume I need thin spanners?

Get a pair of cone spanners from LBS or www.mwdyason.ltd.uk/shop.asp ,
plus a pair of ordinary spanners for the locknuts.

Defnitely have a go!

~PB

I see that Dyason is much cheaper than my LBS, Edinburgh Bike Coop - half
price in effect, even if I cycle over the Meadows to buy the stuff. Quite
surprising. I'll get a set of spanners and have a go.

in message <[email hidden]>, Geoff Pearson

(') said:

I think - after 5 years of daily commuting - that I need to replace
the ball bearings in my hubs. They make a nice clickety-clack noise
when I am sure they should be silent. I've held off because I
remember what a faff it was greasing the bearings in pedals - getting
the locknut done up just the right tightness. I do most other things
on the bike and quite like dismantling, greasing and re-assembling.
It is a 1999 Specialized A1 Comp with 8-speed cassette.

Is replacing the balls and greasing up as bad as I thought?

No, it's an easy job. Remember to put a bowl under the hub when you lift
the axle out, or you will lose balls on the floor. Pedros make a bowl
with a strong magnet in the base which is ideal for this purpose, but
any bowl will do. The bearings in a wheel hub are substantially larger
than those in a pedal, so a lot less fiddly to deal with.

However, if it's as bad as you say the cups and cones may be knackered,
too. Remover, inspect, and if they aren't smooth replace (if you can
get the right cups and cones for your hubs). Next time, service more
regularly - annually is good.

Some modern hubs use cartridge bearings of course. These usually are not
servicable, you just replace the unit.

Quoted message said:

I presume I need thin spanners?

Yes, cone spanners, which you will get from your LBS.

Quoted message said:

Or should I just grow up and try - handing it over to
the LBS if I make balls-up? I'll print the Sheldon Brown advice and
work from that..

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
"This young man has not the faintest idea how socialists think and does
not begin to understand the mentality of the party he has been elected
to lead. He is quite simply a liberal"
-- Ken Coates MEP (Lab) of Tony Blair

Simon Brooke wrote:

[ sensible advice snipped ]

Quoted message said:

However, if it's as bad as you say the cups and cones may be
knackered, too. Remover, inspect, and if they aren't smooth replace
(if you can get the right cups and cones for your hubs). Next time,
service more regularly - annually is good.

When inspecting a cone, a smooth shiny uniform wear line on the cone, where
the ball bearing run, is OK and quite normal.
The problems occur if that line is pitted, then the cone is knackered.

If the cones are not a common current size, one may be able to get cones
which match if there is a friendly shop which can hunt to find one with the
same shape. One can substitute different spacer washers if necessary between
cone and locknut to get the correct over-locknut-width (I made my own
spacers once).

- Nigel

--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

Simon Brooke said:

Remember to put a bowl under the hub when you
lift the axle out, or you will lose balls on the floor. Pedros make a
bowl with a strong magnet in the base which is ideal for this
purpose, but any bowl will do.

"Mike Lackey writes:
"> I remember reading long ago that one should not use a magnet to
"> remove ball bearings from a front/rear hub "lest ye be sorry".

"The balls become magnetized and will forever after collect metal
debris that can be found in bearings, debris that is better left to
settle in quiet corners of the bearing. The balls become garbage
collectors and self destruct."
- Jobst Brandt, rec.bicycles.tech

~PB

Geoff Pearson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think - after 5 years of daily commuting - that I need to replace the

ball

Quoted message said:

bearings in my hubs. They make a nice clickety-clack noise when I am sure
they should be silent. I've held off because I remember what a faff it

was

Quoted message said:

greasing the bearings in pedals - getting the locknut done up just the

right

Quoted message said:

tightness. I do most other things on the bike and quite like dismantling,
greasing and re-assembling. It is a 1999 Specialized A1 Comp with 8-speed
cassette.

Is replacing the balls and greasing up as bad as I thought? I presume I
need thin spanners? Or should I just grow up and try - handing it over to
the LBS if I make balls-up? I'll print the Sheldon Brown advice and work
from that..

I know all about hubs

Geoff Pearson said:

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Geoff Pearson said:

I think - after 5 years of daily commuting - that I need to replace
the ball bearings in my hubs. They make a nice clickety-clack noise
when I am sure they should be silent. I've held off because I
remember what a faff it was greasing the bearings in pedals - getting
the locknut done up just the right tightness. I do most other things
on the bike and quite like dismantling, greasing and re-assembling.
It is a 1999 Specialized A1 Comp with 8-speed cassette.

Is replacing the balls and greasing up as bad as I thought?

It's not bad at all except final adjustment is tricky until you've had
lots of experience at it. Particularly bear in mind the side effect that
the quick release has.

But Sheldon Brown's tips on "cone adjustment" help a lot. Instructions on
Park Tools might help for the stages before that but their adjustment
advice is not so good: they miss the trick about using two cone or locknut
spanners at the same time.

Quoted message said:

presume I need thin spanners?

Get a pair of cone spanners from LBS or www.mwdyason.ltd.uk/shop.asp ,
plus a pair of ordinary spanners for the locknuts.

Defnitely have a go!

~PB

I see that Dyason is much cheaper than my LBS, Edinburgh Bike Coop - half
price in effect, even if I cycle over the Meadows to buy the stuff. Quite
surprising. I'll get a set of spanners and have a go.

For those sort of hubs.. that is in which the balls are loose.. the
right no of balls.. is one less than will physically fit. If you can
fit 2 balls in the remaining space you have lost one. If you fit the
extra ball truly nasty things will happen

If the cones are that old.. and its making noise they will be stuffed.
They dont have to be very stuffed to be stuffed.. If you are replacing
cones then replace all the balls. They only cost cents.. er sorry pence.

Its a [censored] easy job.. When I was racing track we would pull the hubs
apart before every race and put em together with vasiline under the
impression we would go faster.

Dave

Geoff Pearson said:

I think - after 5 years of daily commuting - that I need to replace the ball
bearings in my hubs. They make a nice clickety-clack noise when I am sure
they should be silent. I've held off because I remember what a faff it was
greasing the bearings in pedals - getting the locknut done up just the right
tightness. I do most other things on the bike and quite like dismantling,
greasing and re-assembling. It is a 1999 Specialized A1 Comp with 8-speed
cassette.

Is replacing the balls and greasing up as bad as I thought? I presume I
need thin spanners? Or should I just grow up and try - handing it over to
the LBS if I make balls-up? I'll print the Sheldon Brown advice and work
from that..

if you drill a small (1.5mm) hole in the dust caps (some Shimano and
Campag hubs come like this already), then, witha fine nozzle grease gun,
squirt fresh grease into the hole, then the old stuff pushes out around
the cones with any dirt being flushed out. If the bearings are adjusted
good when you do this, then they will stay good for years without having
to adjust them. Just do the grease twice a year. For rear Shimano MTB
hubs, then lift the rubber seal off the LH side. Can't do too much on
the cassette side though

Simon Brooke said:

However, if it's as bad as you say the cups and cones may be knackered,
too. Remover, inspect, and if they aren't smooth replace (if you can
get the right cups and cones for your hubs).

Learning all the while...

....you can repalce the cups? Is this on all hubs or only those of a
reputable make. (I am using wheels with Shimano 'parallax' hubs).

Al C-F said:

...you can repalce the cups? Is this on all hubs or only those of a
reputable make.

If hub cups are replaceable at all, they tend to be pressed in so firmly
that's it's a professional job to remove and fit.

Cones wear out first anyway so you'll be ok if you catch the wear early
enough, or of course prevent it in the first place.

Quoted message said:

(I am using wheels with Shimano 'parallax' hubs).

Sorry I don't know about the cups in those.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

Al C-F said:

...you can repalce the cups? Is this on all hubs or only those of a
reputable make.

If hub cups are replaceable at all, they tend to be pressed in so firmly
that's it's a professional job to remove and fit.

I shan't be doing that then.

Quoted message said:

Cones wear out first anyway so you'll be ok if you catch the wear early
enough, or of course prevent it in the first place.

Quoted message said:

(I am using wheels with Shimano 'parallax' hubs).

Sorry I don't know about the cups in those.

Very much low-end, I think. Came on a bike fitted with an Altus
chainset. Probably not user-servicable.

Thanks.

Al C-F said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cones wear out first anyway so you'll be ok if you catch the wear early
enough, or of course prevent it in the first place.

Quoted message said:

(I am using wheels with Shimano 'parallax' hubs).

Sorry I don't know about the cups in those.

Very much low-end, I think. Came on a bike fitted with an Altus
chainset. Probably not user-servicable.

Thanks.

cones and axles should be freely available, but Shimano doesn't offer
replacement cups. You can service these hubs just like any other
Shimano offering
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

Quoted post said:

....you can replace the cups?

Sort of depends. Officially you can't, and cups aren't available as spares. But I've done it on an old MTB hub. Removing the cup by engaging the edge from the other side of the hub and tapping it gently with a chisel took maybe a total of 2 minutes. That time I replaced it with a sealed bearing instead. Since then I've retrieved the cups from a hub that got scrapped for other reasons and I reckon I'll be able to use them as spares if needed.