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walsh
August 21st, 2006, 04:33 PM
I rebuilt a stock GT rear hub(black, GT 6061 is the only obvious marking.) This is the first time I've had to do this - I used to avoid gritty conditions, and I'm typically very easy on my equipment. I consider myself an experienced wrench, so I figured this would be routine. Once I extracted the old bearings, pressing the new ones wasn't a problem.

The non-drive side has a piece that serves like a cone: it's slotted for a cone wrench, it threads up against the non-drive side cartridge bearing, sets the bearing preload, and then the piece that contacts the dropout threads against it, locking in the preload.

The drive side, however, has a set of spacers to clear the freehub body, and then a single threaded piece which seems to both set the preload and contact the inside of the dropout. Nothing threads against it to hold a preload. Predictably, it tends to loosen up. There is play in the hub after a few minutes' riding. This never happened before I pulled the hub apart.

It seems like the axle spacing would be wrong if I lost a part. I tried setting the drive side of the axle with blue Loctite, and that didn't hold it. It just doesn't make sense. . .

Much beer awaits whomever can point out what I'm missing.

(PS: "Chuck it an buy DT/King hubs!!" is not considered a helpful answer. I know they're works of art. At the same time, these hubs are laced to Syncros rims that are dead true after many beatings, and have performed at a higher level than their rider for a while. And I'm too damned stubborn to just throw money at the problem.)

CountZero
August 21st, 2006, 05:09 PM
Photos please?

walsh
August 21st, 2006, 05:15 PM
I assumed that this would be read not only by superior wrenches, but superior wrenches who can read minds. Is that too much to ask??

sigh . . . OK, OK, I'll work on pictures.

macdaid
August 21st, 2006, 06:02 PM
...unh...(grunts of ignorance) I thought cart. bearings = "no adjustment required" and wouldn't be equipped w/ cones?

Maybe I should take a closer look at mine?

:confused:

walsh
August 21st, 2006, 06:27 PM
I can tighten everything enough to make the bearings grind without much torque at all. That made me assume that some sort of pre-load needs to be set. I'll readily admit that I have little experience with cartridge bearings. Perhaps I didn't drive them into the hub body fully? Food for thought.

Enough goofing off at work; I'm going to go ride my SS beater and deal with my problems tomorrow.

- J