Clicking from front Superstar Switch EVO hub

Criller

Hello,

My front hub has just started to click and is getting worse. The clicking is consistent with each revolution of the wheel. Getting faster when pedaling quicker and slowing down when speed decreases. If I lift the wheel off the ground and rotate the wheel there is no clicking.

With the wheel off the ground there is some sideways movement and if I remove the QR adaptors from the wheel there is movement of the bearings within the hub. So after only 9 months of use I'm guessing the bearings need replacing. Would the experts on this forum agree?

If I do need to replace the bearings, which is something I've never had to do before, what replacements should I look at and how do you get bearings out? I'm doing around 50 miles a week mostly on road.

Thanks in advance.

PJ

nicklouse

sounds like bearings.

clean or replace.

stubs

Katec on ebay does kits for the switch hubs Switch Evo front hub kit The seller will also give you advice on how to do the job. Its not too difficult to do its just knowing where to start because its not obvious at first. You can also email SuperStar and they will send you a list of the bearings you need and a service sheet.

Criller

Thanks for your replies.

I must admit I'm a little disappointed in the Superstar components I would expect something to last more than nine months.

Anyway I'll take a look at Katec and I've been sent service guides by Superstar. These say to use a drift to push the inner hub sleeve to expose the edge of the bearing. If I haven't got a drift what's the next best thing to use? I don't want to break anything.

cooldad

A long socket.

Uli

Criller wrote:

Thanks for your replies.

I must admit I'm a little disappointed in the Superstar components I would expect something to last more than nine months.

It is not only Superstar. Most bearings on cheaper hubs lasts weeks- especially in UK conditions. I think it is by design as quality bearings should last longer.

Criller

Ok, I've got the new bearings which are made by INA.
Should I apply a small amount of grease to the outer bearing housing and if so any particular type?

stubs

A smear of grease helps them slide in. I use Weldtite red cycle grease you can get it at Halfords and lots of bike shops. You can also use copper anti seize grease from a car parts shop. Personally I avoid Lithium grease which you can find everywhere it always seems to turn into a nasty dried out gluey mess when I have used it in the past

When I press bearings in I find its easier if I put the bearings in a clean freezer bag and put them in the freezer for a bit about 3/4 of an hour. The hub I put in direct sunlight or on a radiator to warm up and then they slide in with putting too much pressure on them.

rockmonkeysc

Dont buy Katec bearings. They are over greased which can be as bad as no grease and I wouldnt buy any bearings which have had seals removed and refitted.
Go to a local bearing shop and get some Koyo bearings with rubber seals. I think the ones you need are 6902RS

stubs

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Dont buy Katec bearings. They are over greased which can be as bad as no grease and I wouldnt buy any bearings which have had seals removed and refitted.

Dont know how Katec does it but its not necessary to remove the seals to grease the bearing. You can buy bearings without the rubber seals and buy the seals seperately.

cooldad

I've used his bearings in things for a good few years - excellent service and quality. His bike specific kits are also a real deal.
They last. I'm sure he's geek enough to know the difference between correctly greased or not.
Also very helpful if you need some help - has a lot of fitting vids on Youtube as well.
Although a few people on STW would disagree.l

rockmonkeysc

There is a very good reason why bearings arent fully packed with grease. By filling them you increase drag which increases loadings on the housing and increases pressure on the seals which will already be be compromised by having been removed and refitted. A goo quality rubber sealed bearing will be much better. I have used tthem in applications in quarries where they are exposed to dirt, sand and water, worse conditions than your wheel bearings will see and they generally last 12 - 18 months for 12 hours a day before they start to feel rough.

rockmonkeysc

There is a very good reason why bearings arent fully packed with grease. By filling them you increase drag which increases loadings on the housing and increases pressure on the seals which will already be be compromised by having been removed and refitted. A good quality rubber sealed bearing will be much better. I have used tthem in applications in quarries where they are exposed to dirt, sand and water, worse conditions than your wheel bearings will see and they generally last 12 - 18 months for 12 hours a day before they start to feel rough.

stubs

A bearing thats in use for 60 hours a week for 12 months is running for 3120 hours annually, at say an average of 6 mph thats 18,720 miles out of a wheel bearing. As most people dont do much more than a 1,000 miles a year why arent wheel bearings lasting 18 years. A big bearing isnt the same as a small bearing used on a bike hub the hub bearings on my last car did 118,000 miles before I sold it and they were still sweet and that was on a daily diet of M Way salt and back lane crud.

Also we dont know how Katec fills his bearings they might be done by the manufacturer or he could get them delivered without seals.

cooldad

AFAIK he specs them from the distributors. But in any event, I've used them, and have recommended them to plenty of people, and no one has had any issues, whatsoever.
So debate on how much grease aside, they seem to be as good or better than a lot of OE bearings.
And they are resonably priced.
Good enough for me.
Especially having read quite a lot of our 'expert's' previous posts. But I think you will find he says he found that a lot of bearings came with insufficient grease, or were virtually dry. Not that every last cubic billimetre needs packing out.

stubs

cooldad wrote:

they seem to be as good or better than a lot of OE bearings.
And they are resonably priced.
Good enough for me.

Good enough for me as well. The original SS bearings seem to last about 9 to 12 months tops but the Katec ones I fitted to a mates hubs have been going for about 2 1/2 years I think.

In the US Novatec hubs are highly regarded and SS EVO hubs are simply rebranded Novatecs.