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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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.
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.
The above answer is all people need to know but beware some hub will never get to a sweetspot and despair will ensue.
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.