Shimano wheel - bearing upgrade



Picked up a new Shimano's R560 wheelset. Anyone know if the bearings
setup can be upgraded with Dura-Ace (level) cup & cones (and grade 25
balls)? The bearings feel way rougher than Dura Ace wheels. Or are the
bearings setup the same level (doubtful given the price) and just need
to be "broken in"? Of course, I'll take it apart and add grease as
shop owners here have stated Shimano stuff often comes undergreased.

Also, would the pro's recommend completely de-tuning and tensioning or
just a simple truing? These are the first wheelset with nipples at the
hub so don't know how user friendly (durable) the nipples are to post-
production manipulation.

Pls no need to preach about the benefits of handbuilt wheels to the
choir - I build my own. I just wanted to try them as event wheels
(e.g. TTs) for the aero advantage of low spoke count and bladed spokes.
 
[email protected] who? wrote:
> ...
> Pls no need to preach about the benefits of handbuilt wheels to the
> choir - I build my own. I just wanted to try them as event wheels
> (e.g. TTs) for the aero advantage of low spoke count and bladed spokes.


No worry, we have to cover h*lm*t effectiveness, threaded verses
threadless headsets, greased versus non-greased square tapirs (er,
tapers), clinchers versus tubulars, brifters versus bar-end and
down-tube shifters, uprights versus recumbents, horizontal top tubes
versus compact geometry, indexed versus friction shifting, CFRP versus
alloy frames, the effectiveness of Power Cranks as a training aid,
dynamo hub versus battery lighting systems, the best chain maintenance
procedures, presta versus Schrader valves, whether or not fixies need
front brakes for street riding, and if "jim beam" is actually Jobst
Brandt's sock puppet before we can return to that topic. ;)

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Picked up a new Shimano's R560 wheelset. Anyone know if the bearings
> setup can be upgraded with Dura-Ace (level) cup & cones (and grade 25
> balls)? The bearings feel way rougher than Dura Ace wheels. Or are the
> bearings setup the same level (doubtful given the price) and just need
> to be "broken in"? Of course, I'll take it apart and add grease as
> shop owners here have stated Shimano stuff often comes undergreased.
>
> Also, would the pro's recommend completely de-tuning and tensioning or
> just a simple truing? These are the first wheelset with nipples at the
> hub so don't know how user friendly (durable) the nipples are to post-
> production manipulation.
>
> Pls no need to preach about the benefits of handbuilt wheels to the
> choir - I build my own. I just wanted to try them as event wheels
> (e.g. TTs) for the aero advantage of low spoke count and bladed spokes.
>


wow, you're intrepid - going against the r.b.t grain and all.

1. don't think you can upgrade the bearings. not economically anyway.

2. shimano doesn't undergrease. grease doesn't "flow" or "circulate",
so anything that's not actually in the race pathway is surplus. what
may be attributed to "undergreasing" is in fact shimano bearing failure.
bearings tight enough to not wobble the wheel in the truing stand are
too tight when clamped tightly with the skewer. you therefore need to
back them off slightly to have decent bearing life.

3. i wouldn't touch the spoke tension at all. unless the wheel is
untrue already, they don't need adjusting in my experience. unless
they've been "helped" by the wheel monkey at your lbs that is. excess
spoke tension causes rim cracking and does /not/ increase wheel strength.
 
On 2007-08-09, Tom "Johnny Sunset" Sherman <[email protected]> wrote:

> No worry, we have to cover h*lm*t effectiveness, threaded verses
> threadless headsets, greased versus non-greased square tapirs (er,
> tapers), clinchers versus tubulars, brifters versus bar-end and


Careful there. Greasing your tapir is illegal in many states.
 
On Aug 8, 8:53 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> The bearings feel way rougher than Dura Ace wheels.


Have you adjusted the play? Often new ones are too tight.
 

> 1. don't think you can upgrade the bearings. not economically anyway.
>
> 2. shimano doesn't undergrease. grease doesn't "flow" or "circulate",
> so anything that's not actually in the race pathway is surplus. what
> may be attributed to "undergreasing" is in fact shimano bearing failure.
> bearings tight enough to not wobble the wheel in the truing stand are
> too tight when clamped tightly with the skewer. you therefore need to
> back them off slightly to have decent bearing life.
>
> 3. i wouldn't touch the spoke tension at all. unless the wheel is
> untrue already, they don't need adjusting in my experience. unless
> they've been "helped" by the wheel monkey at your lbs that is. excess
> spoke tension causes rim cracking and does /not/ increase wheel strength.


Thanks for the response. The reason for wanting to touching spoke
tension is because of uneven tension, based on the the spoke pings.
It's not as bad as say a Ksyrium, but at least a couple of the spokes
are disturbingly low.

I will adjust the bearings to be snug WITH QR.
 
[email protected] wrote:
>> 1. don't think you can upgrade the bearings. not economically anyway.
>>
>> 2. shimano doesn't undergrease. grease doesn't "flow" or "circulate",
>> so anything that's not actually in the race pathway is surplus. what
>> may be attributed to "undergreasing" is in fact shimano bearing failure.
>> bearings tight enough to not wobble the wheel in the truing stand are
>> too tight when clamped tightly with the skewer. you therefore need to
>> back them off slightly to have decent bearing life.
>>
>> 3. i wouldn't touch the spoke tension at all. unless the wheel is
>> untrue already, they don't need adjusting in my experience. unless
>> they've been "helped" by the wheel monkey at your lbs that is. excess
>> spoke tension causes rim cracking and does /not/ increase wheel strength.

>
> Thanks for the response. The reason for wanting to touching spoke
> tension is because of uneven tension, based on the the spoke pings.


but this is a low spoke count wheel. you'll never get the same
uniformity out of it as a high spoke count wheel. i say, if it's true,
leave it alone. as said before, i've left my shimano spoke tension
alone and have been rewarded with wheels that have remained perfectly true.

> It's not as bad as say a Ksyrium, but at least a couple of the spokes
> are disturbingly low.
>
> I will adjust the bearings to be snug WITH QR.
>