Robin Hubert wrote:
> jim beam wrote:
>
>> tlarwa wrote:
>>
>>> What's the best way to service a rear Mavic Cosmic Elite hub? I've
>>> pulled the axle out, but I don't know how to remove the freewheel
>>> body. Or do I need to? I was able to get at the bearings on the
>>> front wheel, and just pressed in some new grease and then reinstalled
>>> the bearing covers, is that all I can do? I didn't know how to
>>> actually get the balls out, or if that was necessary. Anyway, that's
>>> what I plan to do on the rear hub as well. Anything else I should do?
>>>
>>> I looked for instructions on line, but Mavic has NOTHING. Help????
>>
>>
>>
>> that's because they're sealed bearings, and generally, sealed bearings
>> do /not/ benefit from invasion. the tried & trusted maintenance path
>> is replacement. unless they're crunchy, leave them alone.
>>
>
> Really? What is the harm of popping the seals and flushing/regreasing?
because the standard of cleanliness you can achieve at your kitchen
table is nowhere /near/ that achieved in the factory. everything you
introduce to the bearing, even if it comes in with a dose of fresh
grease, is a contaminant that accelerates wear.
> This is, in fact, what Chris King recommends for their headsets. In my
> experience, this extends the life and the period between replacement.
you don't do this for the sealed bearings on your car do you?
truth is, not all bearing seals are created equal. i have a bearing on
my desk right now that i took off my mtb after it popped a seal [ball
retainer sprung apart]. even though it's supposed to have a contact
neoprene seal, i can still see daylight through what is supposed to be
the contact point. clearly /that/ seal is not very effective and sure,
you /will/ have contamination and this bearing will doubtless benefit
from attention. BUT, in the case of the mavic wheel the op is
discussing, those are skf bearings. they're a whole different league to
this cheapie seal-springing garbage. fwiw, i have a mavic wheel that
its previous owner said has done 10k miles of wet weather riding. the
bearings are absolutely smooth as butter. touching those bearings is
completely unnecessary.
> Granted, it's a lot easier with cart. bearings that are easily removable
> as opposed to those that are pressed into place. For those, the average
> user really ought to clean/regrease them. Of course, the beauty of
> cart. bearings is that, if they go to hell, they don't ruin the
> component or other parts therein.
>
> FWIW, "sealed" bearings are susceptible to water intrusion. I've seen
> it. How do I know? After a particularly rainy ride, I popped the seals
> and, to my surprise, there was water in there.
>
>
> Robin
