Hub adjustment

Stephenjames

Hi, can anyone help me? I have a shimano rear hub on a Specialized Stumpjumper that either over-tightens itself or loosens completely. I have tried adjusting it with cone spanners to try and get the balance right with the quick release. I have read the write-up at Park tools to try and fathom the 'nack' of how to keep the pressure of the cups on the bearings. Can anyone please explain how to keep the wheel nuts from loosening?

Thnaks

Chunkers1980

Do the lock nuts up very tightly, both of them.

cooldad

What he says, and if you are using the QR for any sort of adjustment you're doing it wrong.

benpinnick

The best way (IMHO) is to over tighten the cones and the lcknuts slightly, so that the hub is running a bit rough, then, holding the locknut tight (a vice is good for this) back the cone off again to it bites tight onto the locknut. You might need two or three goes to get it right, but this should give you a solid bind between cone and locknut.

cooldad

I tend to do it the opposite way, the cone fractionally loose, then tighten up the locknut, but it's really just getting it right, which just means a bit of fiddling - main thing is to get the locknut tight.

zx6man

QR 's have hollow axles so can flex a bit, which is why its the norm to set them on the slighlty loose side. Works for me

supersonic

cooldad wrote:

What he says, and if you are using the QR for any sort of adjustment you're doing it wrong.

You are supposed to do the adjustment with a slight bit of play, as the QR tension actually adds pressure.

cooldad

Maybe it just gets easier with practice. When I was a lad there was nothing else so must have done a million or two, as I'm very old. But once the locknut is really tight I can't see them moving by more than a billimetre when you do the QR/nuts up.

supersonic

it compresses the axle. And it makes a difference.

cooldad

Fair enough, I bow to your professional blue blobbiness.
Guess it's just something you just do after a while, don't really think about.

The Rookie

I locktight a locknut and cone on one side adjust the cone properly (just on the edge of loose) then using 2 people hold locktited locknut and adjusted cone while doing up the locknut.

cooldad

Pussy. I just use my personal awesome strength.

Stephenjames

Thnx for all the help and advice, very useful. I think I have the basic idea now, just something that comes with exprience.