Shimano 959 MTB Pedal Axel Adjust



P

Paul Kopit

Guest
I'm a roadie and have a couple of sets of this pedal. I use a T091
shoe. This moring I noticed that the pedal wiggles on the axel. I
have no idea of how to tighten it or maintain it. The instructions
that on the Shimano site:

"If you experience any trouble with the rotating parts of the pedal,
the pedal may require adjustment. Obtain advice from a professional
dealer."

I have thousands of miles on these pedals. Living in SoCal, the
pedals almost have never been wet. Both sets are less than 3 years
old.

<[email protected]>

Paul Kopit
 
Paul Kopit wrote:
> I'm a roadie and have a couple of sets of this pedal. I use a T091
> shoe. This moring I noticed that the pedal wiggles on the axel. I
> have no idea of how to tighten it or maintain it. The instructions
> that on the Shimano site:
>
> "If you experience any trouble with the rotating parts of the pedal,
> the pedal may require adjustment. Obtain advice from a professional
> dealer."
>
> I have thousands of miles on these pedals. Living in SoCal, the
> pedals almost have never been wet. Both sets are less than 3 years
> old.


Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy piece" so
you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal body. I've done it
by putting a thick towel around the piece and then applying a vice grip,
snugging up the bearing by hand.

I've also totally trashed the bearings of almost every Shimano and Crank
Bros. pedal I've ever owned, to the point where the above fix...doesn't.
Worst was LOOK roadie pedals -- lasted less than a few months and LBS
refused to warranty 'em because I'd /tried/ to fix them myself first.

Now running Peformance brand Forte "Mag-Ti" Look-style pedals -- went thru
literally 7 or 8 pairs until finding one (two, actually -- one on each bike)
that the bearings have held up. (Good thing, too, since they're
discontinued.) So far they're light & tight, just like I like 'em.
(Eggbeaters on both mtbs have a little play, but not too much to use...yet.)

Bill "any shop should have the tool you need for those 959s" S.
 
Bill Sornson wrote:
> Paul Kopit wrote:

<snip> >
> > I have thousands of miles on these pedals. Living in SoCal, the
> > pedals almost have never been wet. Both sets are less than 3 years
> > old.

>
> Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy piece" so
> you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal body. I've done it
> by putting a thick towel around the piece and then applying a vice grip,
> snugging up the bearing by hand.
>


The plastic "toothy piece" is simply a holder for the bearing
cartridge. At least, it is on my M737 pedals. If you unscrew that
piece, the axle and bearings come out in one piece, and you then have
access to the bearing adjustment.

My M737 pedals are now 15 years old, with plenty of wet weather riding
thrown in. I remove the cartridges once or twice a year, adjust the
bearings, and throw in a dollop of grease. They're smooth like
buttah...

Jeff
 
JeffWills wrote:
> Bill Sornson wrote:
>> Paul Kopit wrote:

> <snip> >
>>> I have thousands of miles on these pedals. Living in SoCal, the
>>> pedals almost have never been wet. Both sets are less than 3 years
>>> old.

>>
>> Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy
>> piece" so you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal
>> body. I've done it by putting a thick towel around the piece and
>> then applying a vice grip, snugging up the bearing by hand.
>>

>
> The plastic "toothy piece" is simply a holder for the bearing
> cartridge. At least, it is on my M737 pedals. If you unscrew that
> piece, the axle and bearings come out in one piece, and you then have
> access to the bearing adjustment.
>
> My M737 pedals are now 15 years old, with plenty of wet weather riding
> thrown in. I remove the cartridges once or twice a year, adjust the
> bearings, and throw in a dollop of grease. They're smooth like
> buttah...


Now ya tell me...
 
Bill Sornson writes:

>> I'm a roadie and have a couple of sets of this pedal. I use a T091
>> shoe. This morning I noticed that the pedal wiggles on the axle.
>> I have no idea of how to tighten it or maintain it. The
>> instructions that on the Shimano site:


>> "If you experience any trouble with the rotating parts of the
>> pedal, the pedal may require adjustment. Obtain advice from a
>> professional dealer."


>> I have thousands of miles on these pedals. Living in SoCal, the
>> pedals almost have never been wet. Both sets are less than 3 years
>> old.


> Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy
> piece" so you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal
> body. I've done it by putting a thick towel around the piece and
> then applying a vice grip, snugging up the bearing by hand. Any
> shop should have the tool you need for those 959s.


The toothed plastic sleeve-nut you mention retains the pedal spindle
and its bearings in the pedal. To adjust the bearings, this nut must
be unscrewed from the pedal to allow the spindle with its bearings to
be pulled out to adjust the double nuts at its end.

However, the looseness you describe generally occurs when the case
hardening of the spindle fails and the bearing balls deform the race
causing large bearing clearance. Adjusting the bearing will do no
good because the bearing balls rapidly extrude more material and
you'll be back where you started.

Shimano does a poor job of spindle hardening of which I have several
examples, in contrast to my ancient pair of Campagnolo toe-clip and
strap type pedals that served more than a hundred thousand miles with
no problems. Although they didn't need it, they could be adjusted by
removing the domed brass cap to give access to the spindle nuts.

Jobst Brandt
 
On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:42:55 GMT, "Bill Sornson" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy piece" so
>you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal body. I've done it
>by putting a thick towel around the piece and then applying a vice grip,
>snugging up the bearing by hand.


No, I have severl of those tools. The 959 is smooth and has no place
for the tool to go into.
 
Paul Kopit wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:42:55 GMT, "Bill Sornson" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy
>> piece" so you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal
>> body. I've done it by putting a thick towel around the piece and
>> then applying a vice grip, snugging up the bearing by hand.

>
> No, I have severl of those tools. The 959 is smooth and has no place
> for the tool to go into.


http://images.google.com/imgres?img...59+pedal&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&safe=off

I spin corrected. Can you get a wrench on the nut and either snug it up (my
ham-fisted method) or open it up (correct way apparently)?
 
Bill Sornson wrote:
> Paul Kopit wrote:
> > On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:42:55 GMT, "Bill Sornson" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Shimano (and others?) make a tool to fit over the plastic "toothy
> >> piece" so you can tighten the bearing simply by turning the pedal
> >> body. I've done it by putting a thick towel around the piece and
> >> then applying a vice grip, snugging up the bearing by hand.

> >
> > No, I have severl of those tools. The 959 is smooth and has no place
> > for the tool to go into.

>
> http://images.google.com/imgres?img...59+pedal&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&safe=off
>
> I spin corrected. Can you get a wrench on the nut and either snug it up (my
> ham-fisted method) or open it up (correct way apparently)?


1: remove pedal
1a: look at cartridge retainer to see which way they unscrew (probably
different directions for left and right pedals)
2: clamp cartridge retainer in vice
3. unscrew pedal body from retainer
4. clamp pedal spindle in vice, with threads protected
5. perform bearing adjustment
6. throw dollop of grease in pedal body
7. reassemble pedal, squeezing grease through bearings
8. clean pedal and reinstall

Jeff
 
"Paul Kopit" <[email protected]> a écrit:

> The nut does not seem to have anything to do with the axel.
> It's tight.


Here's a pdf of an exploded view of the 959:

http://www.paul-lange.de/produkte/shimano/support/explosionszeichungen_archiv/PD/PD_M959_04.pdf

http://tinyurl.com/fr7ce

The 'nut' is actually the outer part of a threaded sleeve that serves as an
extractor for the axle cartridge. Holding the pedal body stationary, unscrew
the 'nut' until it becomes hard to turn, then keep going. It will push the
axle and bearings out of the pedal body. You then have access to the bearing
cone and locknut.

The right pedal 'nut' has a left hand thread.

The principle is the same as for most of Shimano's other SPD pedals, except
that the extractor collar is hexagonal rather than splined.

James Thomson
 

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