wobbly rear wheel........any ideas??

andyfromletchworth
andyfromletchworth Posts: 210
edited January 2008 in Workshop
Hi,
i have an allez, which has been unused for a little while. i noticed that the rear wheel had a very small amount of play in it so that yoiu could move it ever so slightly from side to side.(literally a millimetre or two). I deduced that this was probably the bearings so i changed them put it all back together but it still has a wobble!! Did i just not tighten the caps enough or am completely off track???
any ideas much appreciated.

thanks

andy

Comments

  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    If the bearings are shot you will feel a knocking from the hub as you move it sideways. All wheels have lateral flex, I can bounce my rims off the brake blocks if I put sideways pressure on them. It is nothing to worry about.
  • mercurykev
    mercurykev Posts: 264
    Your wheel has went out of true and you need to retrue it by tightening some of the spokes. To do this you'll need a spoke key. The process isn't too difficult, basically you turn your bike up side down and use your brake blocks as a guide to tell you where the wobble in the rim is. This guy explains is much more clearly than I can:
    http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/skills/spokes.htm

    HTH
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    mercurykev wrote:
    Your wheel has went out of true and you need to retrue it by tightening some of the spokes. To do this you'll need a spoke key. The process isn't too difficult, basically you turn your bike up side down and use your brake blocks as a guide to tell you where the wobble in the rim is. This guy explains is much more clearly than I can:
    http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/skills/spokes.htm

    HTH
    Andy says that he can move the rim, not that it is running out of true. As I said, all rims will move from side to side if you move them yourself.
  • mercurykev
    mercurykev Posts: 264
    that'll teach me to skim read a posting ;-)
  • normanp
    normanp Posts: 279
    Sorry - I don't agree Smokin. Wheels can be pushed to the side and flex - OK, but play is a different thing: there should be no perceptible play whatsoever. A mm or 2 of play is a lot IMO. Andy - your bearings are not adjusted correctly: different wheels have different ways to do this (the commonest with cheaper wheels is a cone needing cone spanners). The cones should be tightened just to the point where there is no play (any further will cause premature wear in the bearings) and the bearing runs free. Take care when tightening the locknut if there is one - it is easy to end with bearings too tight - if necessary leave a little play first so that the locknut tightening ends with a perfectly adjusted bearing with no play.

    If you can't get to no play without tightening so far that the axle doesn't turn freely the bearing may be worn out - go to yr LBS.
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    Hi there.

    The Normster is correct. For detailed instuctions look about halfway down this page:

    http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105

    Cheers, Andy

    www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    It depends on what the OP means by play. I did state in my first reply that if the wheel can be moved through badly adjusted bearings he will be able to feel it, but my impression from his post is that he was merely concerned about being able to move the rim by hand, which is normal.
  • andyfromletchworth
    andyfromletchworth Posts: 210
    thanks guys, what i mean is if i take hold of the rim between finder and thumb, i can move it from side to side a couple of mill each way, not by flexing the rim, it actually wobbles........................... it may be i have to go to my lbs but i hate to admit defeat!!!

    andy
  • Bugly
    Bugly Posts: 520
    what sort of bearings are on the hub? If they are the old cone type adjustment is easy if they are a cassette type then you may have to replace the bearing and possibly the axle also. (I recently had a bit of play in a front wheel - went to adjust the bearings and found the titanium axle had sheared - only the tension of the QR was keeping things togather :oops: )

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