repacking front hub with grease.. damage to cones.

[janus77]

Ok, so after receiving my tool kit, I couldn't help but sit down this evening and have a play. Figured pulling apart the front hub would be the easiest option. I'd thought it would have sealed bearings in it, however they're cup and cone jobs.

So.... after finding the 3 or 4 bearings that popped out before I realised what I was doing, i've chucked them in a little container of kero to clean them off. I don't have any degreaser, so have just cleaned out the cups inside the hub with a bit of kitchen paper.

The hub was running VERY roughly when rolling it by hand before pulling it apart, there was quite a bit of crap in them from all my rain riding.

The main issue I've found is that the cones on the hub axle are damaged, there is some rough pitting, either dirt in there, or maybe they were done up too tight? Anyway they obviously need to be replaced.

Is it possible to get these easily from bike shops?

I have to go and collect my Kenevans tomorrow morning anyway, so will check with them.

Is it much more difficult to repack rear hubs? Should I buy a few spare cones in case of this, are they expensive?

Cheers loving having grease on me!

[brakepad]

I did the same after receiving my tool set and also found some pitting in the front, but not bad enough to warrant a replacement. It is only a MTB so I don't go fast enough to worry about anything seizing up.

The back was a similar procedure to the front, but while cleaning the back and repacking the bearings, I removed the cassette and gave it a good clean.

Enjoy your new toolset......next it will be the bottom bracket.

[LuckyPierre]

You should be able to get a replacement axle kit from your lbs pretty cheaply. It's often cheaper (and easier) to buy the whole lot, rather than just the cones. I'd replace the bearings as well as the cones anyway.
I had the good fortune to break a spoke on my Ventos on Monday, so I've put another bike on the road for a few days - which meant that I spent last night servicing the hubs on some Shimano WH 560 wheels for it. The front was no problem, but the rear (which I knew needed replacement cones / bearings ) is still rough. The drive side cup in the hub has a 'discoloured' track worn around it, so I expect that it needs to be replaced as well. Fortunately, it appears that it screws into the cassette body, so it should be replaceable. Oh well, more fun with gready fingers.
ps. I stuck up for the WH R560's on another thread, that was about the spoke pattern (and the number of spokes). I'm not going to stick up for them any more - even though they've been fine to ride and they look pretty. I've had to replace the cones in both front and rear wheels now, while the old 105-hubbed Mavics that came with the girlie bike still spin better and I haven't had to touch them.

[chug chug]

Why are you guys receiving tool sets? Wheres mine?

[janus77]

dude, get with the program! hehe.

torpedo7.com.au had a special on..

[janus77]

My other question is, the bike's only 10 months old purchased new. Do you think the 12 month warranty might include replacement cones from the bike shop?

[Bnej]

Do you think the 12 month warranty might include replacement cones from the bike shop?

Warranty only covers defects from manufacturing - wear & tear from rain riding is not a warranty issue.

[janus77]

guy at bike shop said it's pretty normal for cones to go after some months of commuting. I've been on my bike rain and shine for 10 months now.

Asked him if i might have damaged them because I take the front wheel off sometimes to put it in my car, if I did the quick release up too tight, but he didn't seem to think i could have damaged it because of that... anyone have any comments on this? Sheldon Brown's website says you have to be careful about doing the quick release up wiht the cup/cone hubs, it can be too tight?

[janus77]

Well, I went into the LBS at lunch where I bought the bike late last year to see if they had any spare cones.. they weren't at all keen to help, guy just only offered for me to "bring in the wheel and we'll have a look".

Lucky I got a spare this morning from LBS near home when I picked up my other ride, they sold me an axle, the cones are shallower that the original ones in the hub, but there were some spacers in there too, so hopefully it will fit.

bought a big thing of citrus degreaser and some lithium bike grease (any good?)too. All set!

can you buy boxes of ball bearings? (front and back are different size right?)

[LuckyPierre]

I'm sure that you can buy boxes of bearings, but it's probably easier to buy smaller packs as you need them.
There's probably a Shimano stand in your lbs with pre-packed sets that are only a few (well, 'coz it's Shimano, a big few) bucks each.
Yes, you need different bearings for the front and back.

[janus77]

are there standard size bearings for all types of front hubs? Like I think my bike has formula hubs, will bearings be the same for these as shimano or campag?

[LuckyPierre]

I don't know if there's a difference betweenbrands - I certainly think that there isn't. I've used Shimano's pre-packed bearings in both Formula and J-teck hubs, as well as Shimano hubs.

[janus77]

so in that case, are there only 2 sizes of bicycle wheel hub bearings? ie. front and back?

[LuckyPierre]

That's what I think.

[janus77]

Ok, having some slight issues with the hub repack with new axle and cones.. the cones have some kind of dust protector on them, the previous ones did not. I'm not sure it fits. Perhaps I can get them off. I need plyers and an adjustable wrench.

amazing that with so many wrenches, this tool kit does not include one that fits the nuts on the end of the hub axles..

[John Lewis]

See if you can get hold of May-June and June-July Bike Vic's rideOn magazine. There is a tutorial on servicing hubs. The first is front and the second is rear.

John Lewis

[janus77]

ok, so this is where i'm at, the one without the silver ring on it is the old one, the one in my hand is the newie.. it doesn't seem to fit properly. I can't actually get the bolt off the other end of the axle anyway, so I guess no rush, just that I don't want to have to get the bus tomorrow, damnit.

Oldie


Newie

[janus77]

BOOYAH, found an adjustable wrench still struggling with that extra silver ring part around the cone though..

EDIT: got the silver ring part to pop off, lots of effort needed on that one.

[janus77]

Ok, got the grease in, re-assembled the hub, put the quick release skewer back in.

Now, 1 last issue. There are conical springs that sit against the end of the skewer, do the dropouts on the fork sit over there, or have I assembled it wrong?

thks.

[Kalgrm]

The fat end of the springs sit against the nuts on the skewers, the thin bits point inwards. They push against the axle through the dropouts.

Cheers,
Graeme

[janus77]

Thanks Graeme, just completed my first hub repack! pretty satisfied to have done it.

Had to muck around with the cone tightness and bolt to get it just right, when you do the bolt up the cone gets a bit tighter on the bearings. I'd read on Sheldon Brown's website that hubs with quick release skewers need some fine tuning, I thought before that it related to how tightly you did the skewers up against the dropouts when on the bike, but I guess now it's more to do with the bolt v's the cone.

[janus77]

Cool Runnings

[il padrone]

For future reference:
When in doubt, consult Sheldon Brown

Edit: oh, I see now you've already seen Sheldon

[janus77]

Hehe, thanks.

Well, there's definitely something going on with my bike, front wheel's running smooth (there's a slight rattle or something, have to take a closer look at it tomorrow).

There's something funny going on in the BB and also the back wheel if I lift it up and roll it, it slows down very fast.

Guess I've got a few hours of my weekend planned

[tallywhacker]

as well as Sheldon, Park's repair site is a font of information