Should QR pressure be considered when adjusting/tightening cup & cone hubs?
Looking at various threads and videos, some talk about getting the hub to where you can feel just a half a hair of lateral play and anticipate the pressure from the QR compressing it enough to take up that play. Two issues:
What I'm finding is that even at the point where I can't detect lateral play, if I grab one end of the hub and pull up and down hard, I can feel play - it's small but it's there. If I tighten the cone more, this previously described bit of play disappears, so it tells me that there must still be some play in the hub even after I can no longer detect lateral play.
An LBS tech I talked to dismissed the idea that the QR will compress the hub - he said he's been doing it for however many years and has never even heard that, he tightens it to where he thinks it needs to be without considering the QR pressure.
What's your method for getting hubs to the perfect tightness?
What I'm finding is that even at the point where I can't detect lateral play, if I grab one end of the hub and pull up and down hard, I can feel play - it's small but it's there. If I tighten the cone more, this previously described bit of play disappears, so it tells me that there must still be some play in the hub even after I can no longer detect lateral play.
An LBS tech I talked to dismissed the idea that the QR will compress the hub - he said he's been doing it for however many years and has never even heard that, he tightens it to where he thinks it needs to be without considering the QR pressure.
What's your method for getting hubs to the perfect tightness?
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Yes, they should.
You can demonstrate this for yourself with an under-tightened hub.
Do the quick release up loosely, there will be play easily felt at the rim.
Do the quick release up very tightly, the play will have gone.
It's an arduous back and forth process if you want to get it perfect.
What really matters is how smooth the wheel rolls when fitted, and the QR is a factor in that equation.0 -
^this /close threadTimothyW wrote:Yes, they should.
You can demonstrate this for yourself with an under-tightened hub.
Do the quick release up loosely, there will be play easily felt at the rim.
Do the quick release up very tightly, the play will have gone.
It's an arduous back and forth process if you want to get it perfect.
What really matters is how smooth the wheel rolls when fitted, and the QR is a factor in that equation.
FFS! Harden up and grow a pair0 -
+ several ^
Some times I get it right first time, others I'm faffing for ages. If in any doubt at all, err on the side of slightly too loose. Too tight + QR = rapid / premature wear.0 -
I love the whole idea of cup and cone bearings, its a great system but works best / last longest where time is taken to get it right.
The above answer is all people need to know but beware some hub will never get to a sweetspot and despair will ensue.
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LBS tech is clueless0
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It's easily demonstrated that the QR makes a difference. When adjusting cup and cone hubs, I remove the QR from the axle and stack enough suitable size washers (9mm front or 10mm rear) on each end of the axle so that when the QR is tightened, it will bear on the washers, and I then replace the QR. Adjust the bearings so that play has virtually disappeared with the QR tightened down on the washers - there will be noticeably more play with the QR off than on.
On Campagnolo hubs with the split cone, this adjustment can be done while the QR is tightened down, for most hubs you have to loosen the QR in order to adjust the cones, and then tighten it again to check the adjustment.0
