Is greasing front wheel hub bearings difficult job ?

Serious Cat
Serious Cat Posts: 489
edited January 2014 in Workshop
When I rotate my front wheel which has a 105 5700 hub I can hear the clackerty-clack of the bearings which suggests to me they need greased. Is this an easy enough job or best left to lbs ?
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Comments

  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,496
    edited January 2014
    easy

    cone spanners

    tub of grease

    http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techd ... 703170.pdf

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... adjustment

    edit: btw sjs cycles are good for sundry hub parts, bearings etc. http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    You might also need new balls and cones if it's been allowed to get really bad.
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • Scozz76
    Scozz76 Posts: 27
    count the threads and make sure you lay the washers, spacers etc out in the order you remove them. Pretty straight forward and there are loads of vids on you tube that show you how to do it!
  • Serious Cat
    Serious Cat Posts: 489
    what is a "cone spanner"
    This serious internet site..............I serious cat
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    It's like a normal spanner only very thin so it can fit the narrow nuts used on wheels. E.g. these
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Careful prising off the plastic dust shields.

    Just remove the locknut / cone from one side and withdraw the axle from the other. That way when you reassemble it the axle should still be properly centered.

    Be prepared to catch the ball bearings as they'll fall out at this point if there's no grease left to hold them in. But if the bearings are as bad as you describe you should be planning to replace them anyway.

    When you've removed the axle and the bearings, give the races a good wipe clean and hopefully you'll see no damage. Ditto the cones.

    Dollop of grease in each race and pop the new bearings in (I stick them in one at a time using a spot of grease on the end of a screwdriver)

    Reassemble the axle and using your newly acquired cone spanners adjust the cone / locknut that you removed earlier. You want a tiny amount of play at the rim which disappears when the QR is done up. Better to start slightly too loose than too tight. Have a read of Sheldon Brown for a more comprehensive article on cup and cone bearing adjustment
  • Serious Cat
    Serious Cat Posts: 489
    If I were to only open one side as you say, would I still need to remove the dust covers ? Im hapless with my hands and I wonder if I should just let a tech do the work..(even though id love to be able to do it for myself)
    This serious internet site..............I serious cat
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    It really is very easy; once you've done it you'll be kicking yourself for not trying it sooner.

    Yes, you need to prise off the dust caps on both sides. I find a penknife blade useful

    The only tricky bit is the final adjustment, but with practice it becomes second nature. Just don't be tempted to overtighten it.
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    Have a look at this video. It's for a rear wheel but it will give you the general idea of how to go about tackling your front wheel bearing strip down and service.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90XxoPHWbI4
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Greasing front hubs? Easy. Just slather a good quality grease on them and re-assemble. Hard part is getting the adjustment right. I suggest a good manual, PROPER tools, and maybe a Youtube video.

    Know what you have to do before you do it.

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