My question has to do with the way loose bearings look in an HB-M785 hub. That's the 2012* Deore XT front hub with the plastic bearing retainer (w/11 bearings) and a 14mm** hallow axle. The lock nuts are a nut/adapter (reducer) combo with a 5mm socket head.
I can almost fit 13 - 3/16 bearings in there, but they bind. If I put 12 in there (all new by the way), without the seal, and manually turn the axle, I can sometimes see a gap of almost one bearing diameter (minus the difference caused by the compound angle) in group***.
Is that ok, or, should I put the retainer back in?
The reason I ask is because the reducer part of the lock nuts no NOT seem centered. I recently sized up the loose balls and it seems that the original Shimano bearings are a tiny bit bigger. Perhaps that's the lot they came from?
Am I just being paranoid?
*I think it's 2012.
**I read somewhere that it's 14mm.
***I'm pretty sure I have the cones properly adjusted - a little drag with no rattling.
PS: I originally posted this in a not so appropriate place. When I copied it here, I removed one thing and added another.
I can almost fit 13 - 3/16 bearings in there, but they bind. If I put 12 in there (all new by the way), without the seal, and manually turn the axle, I can sometimes see a gap of almost one bearing diameter (minus the difference caused by the compound angle) in group***.
Is that ok, or, should I put the retainer back in?
The reason I ask is because the reducer part of the lock nuts no NOT seem centered. I recently sized up the loose balls and it seems that the original Shimano bearings are a tiny bit bigger. Perhaps that's the lot they came from?
Am I just being paranoid?
*I think it's 2012.
**I read somewhere that it's 14mm.
***I'm pretty sure I have the cones properly adjusted - a little drag with no rattling.
PS: I originally posted this in a not so appropriate place. When I copied it here, I removed one thing and added another.