rear hub

formerlyknownasbonj

I noticed my bike was a tiny bit wobbly at the rear yesterday and i tracked it down to the rear hub, I took the QR skewer out and the axle had a very small amount of play in it relative to the hub body. So i got a spanner on the nut that is only just protruding enough to get a spanner on, that is on either side, and tightened it quite tight. This removed the play, but it prevented the wheel turning, i.e. it was as if the hub couldn't rotate on its bearings. So I backed the nuts off a little bit and it now seems ok (although I haven't ridden it since).

Just wondering whether i've done the right thing, and why it would suddenly go like this? is it a sign my rear hub's on its way out?

And what are these nuts for, and why is it possible to tighten them too tight the hub can't rotate on its bearings?

nicklouse

read how to set the bearings on park tools.

and yes you can over tighten them and kill the hub.

formerlyknownasbonj

sorry forgot to mention i've got shimano deore m525 hubs, and the nut that i tightened is this:

formerlyknownasbonj

hmmm.. i presume you mean this nick
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105

I guess the bit i was missing is this:

"For quick release type hubs, snug the cone down until it contacts the ball bearings, and turn back counter-clockwise one quarter turn (90 degrees). This will purposely make the bearing adjustment too loose. Hold cone with cone wrench and tighten locknut fully. Proceed to HUB ADJUSTMENT below."

So, although it's probably not the right way to go about it, how can tightening the locknut on its own affect the position of the cone, if the cone has to be tightened itself with the cone wrench.

So, i guess it might be an opportunity to teach myself about hub servicing.
I presume if the bearings are buggered (either if due to me overtightening the locknut, or just generally) i can get new ones from LBS without having to get any other new hub parts?
I'm hoping the hub itself doesn't need replacing because if it did i'd want to replace it with a hope one which would mean doing ERD calculations and getting new spokes and everything.

supersonic

You must use cone spanners in conjuction with the lock nut spanner to properly adjust hubs.

Will Snow

formerlyknownasbonj wrote:

I'm hoping the hub itself doesn't need replacing because if it did i'd want to replace it with a hope one which would mean doing ERD calculations and getting new spokes and everything.

Unless you really tightened the nuts off (pun intended), it should be ok. Just throw some new bearings in there (even if they look ok, new bearings never hurt anyone...)

nicklouse

formerlyknownasbonj wrote:

So, although it's probably not the right way to go about it, how can tightening the locknut on its own affect the position of the cone, if the cone has to be tightened itself with the cone wrench.

ok, you were not just tightening the lock nut. as the hub had come lose the lock nut will not have been locked to the cone nut. and as you turned it the cone would have turned as well.

when the lock nut is tightened against the cone nut with spanners on both you force them together locking them together stopping them from moving.

formerlyknownasbonj

ah, got you. might order meself a cone wrench I think.

supersonic

Sometimes when you hold the cone with the wrnech, and lock down the lock nut against it, it will turn the axle slightly which throws the adjustment out. It may take a few goes to get right.

rickbrown

Its just a case of tightning the cone up the the right ammount too much will make it stiff and too little and the cone will wobble around. Hope ive helped.

rick