Record/Chorus 8 speed hub ball bearing size?

[oliver1850]

I'm trying to piece together a rear hub from parts, but I'm lacking any balls for the drive side. Catalog shows PN (FH-RE004) but not diameter. Anyone know offhand so I can rob some from another hub? I need to get a meaurement today, so need to get the thing together. thanks

[Jaq]

1/4" on the non-drive side, 7/32" on the drive side.

When I rebuilt my 8-speed hub, I used Silicon Nitride (ceramic) bearings - not because I believe they're any faster, but because I could buy (on Ebay) a small number of ceramics for as much as a hundred or so steel, and I didn't want the extra bearings. The same seller (Toolsupply) sells loose steel ball bearings as well.

[oldpotatoe]

I'm trying to piece together a rear hub from parts, but I'm lacking any balls for the drive side. Catalog shows PN (FH-RE004) but not diameter. Anyone know offhand so I can rob some from another hub? I need to get a meaurement today, so need to get the thing together. thanks

LH, non drive, 9 1/4 inch..drive side, 10(altho it looks like 11 would fit 10) 7/32 bearing balls.

For the gent above...ceramic in non hardened steel cups and cones is not a great idea, IMHO. Wee bit of dirt in there and they will kill cones and cups in short order. Cones are still readily available..cups-notso.

[Jaq]

LH, non drive, 9 1/4 inch..drive side, 10(altho it looks like 11 would fit 10) 7/32 bearing balls.

For the gent above...ceramic in non hardened steel cups and cones is not a great idea, IMHO. Wee bit of dirt in there and they will kill cones and cups in short order. Cones are still readily available..cups-notso.

Now you tell me. ;) I'll pass that along to the chap I sold the hub to a few months back. Along with the hub, I included a set of cups & cones as well, so at least he's covered. Took a while to find the cups and cones; I forget which cup it was, but one of them was a bear to find. The other (and the cones) took a little time.

Then there's the cup tool... I actually had to fabricate that, as none of the shops around LA had one. That's something I found really disconcerting. Not to rag on a LBS, but I'd taken my bike into a pretty high-end shop for a tune-up, only to be told that my cups and cones were shot. "We don't have spares," they said, "can't get 'em, and even if we could, we can't replace 'em because we don't have the tool."

I was pretty taken aback by that; the guys seemed so cavalier about it. Guess we've got to move with the times.

[oliver1850]

Thanks, both. I wondered about cones. What's a drive side cone cost, Peter? The hub has the Ti axle.

[timsmcm]

LH, non drive, 9 1/4 inch..drive side, 10(altho it looks like 11 would fit 10) 7/32 bearing balls.

For the gent above...ceramic in non hardened steel cups and cones is not a great idea, IMHO. Wee bit of dirt in there and they will kill cones and cups in short order. Cones are still readily available..cups-notso.

Thanks I'm looking for this years later and needed this info. Great stuff.

[oldpotatoe]

Thanks, both. I wondered about cones. What's a drive side cone cost, Peter? The hub has the Ti axle.

From January but $20 and I have them, same cone as the ones on steel axles.