Relubed my wheels, now they dont spin as well...

[bikerboy337]

So i pulled apart my campy zonda wheelset this weekend, new bearings and new grease all around... question... they used to spin forever (but were rough and had some grit that i coudl hear and feel)... now, they spin smooth, but dont spin nearly as long... will they "loosen" up once they're used?

i repacked with Phils grease... only did my front wheel for now, if that makes a differnece...

[thwart]

will they "loosen" up once they're used? Yep, but will take a bit. The price you pay for doing maintenance... :D

[bikerboy337]

just needed some confidence... have never done hub maintenance... they spin nice and smooth, its a pretty foolproof process, but they dont spin as long, so i wanted to make sure...

i know the campy white grease is priced like gold, so i wasnt sure if that was the difference as thats what they come with...

[Wilkinson4]

Not sure about these wheels, Peter can probably help. But, with traditional cone-hubs when you tighten the quick release it compresses it slightly. So adjustment is critical with usually a bit of play off the bike.

I would start here... If your hub adjustment isn't right you will probably do some damage to the bearings and possibly the races if it is too tight.

http://www.esense.be/bike/Barnettmanual.pdf

mIKE

[lhuerta]

...with traditional cone-hubs when you tighten the quick release it compresses it slightly. So adjustment is critical with usually a bit of play off the bike.


+1...these are indeed cup and cone bearings and final adjustment to bearings should include a bit of play that will be taken up once you clamp the QR.Lou

[DRietz]

But yes, generally new grease will do that to a wheel as well.

Do check bearing play.

[fogrider]

its the grease that breaks in...campy grease is the best! that being said, there are several teflon greases that are pretty close to campy.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CM407B30-Finish%20Line%20White%20Grease.aspx?SSAID=176195

[130R]

campy grease was used to lube up dura ace hubs back in the day

[thwart]

+1...these are indeed cup and cone bearings and final adjustment to bearings should include a bit of play that will be taken up once you clamp the QR.Lou
Not sure if the Zonda has these (pretty sure it does, should be a Chorus level hub...), but the upper end Campy ball-and-cone hubs have a locking ring to adjust bearing play that is really sweet---you can do final adjustment for play after clamping down the QR with the wheel mounted on the bike.

[oldpotatoe]

So i pulled apart my campy zonda wheelset this weekend, new bearings and new grease all around... question... they used to spin forever (but were rough and had some grit that i coudl hear and feel)... now, they spin smooth, but dont spin nearly as long... will they "loosen" up once they're used?

i repacked with Phils grease... only did my front wheel for now, if that makes a differnece...

Make sure the bearings aren't upside down in the fiber cage and the seals are seated. But smooth is good, you won't feel that when you ride.

[ergott]

The best way to do the final adjustment for hub bearings:

1 - Install bearings and lube properly. Get the initial adjustment close.
2 - Get some spacers so you can clamp your skewer to the hub with the spacers acting as the dropouts of your frame. Bring the hub to a hardware store and find some washers.
3 - Eliminate play in the bearings and then back off a degree or two. These final adjustments vary depending on how the hub/axle is designed.

It is better to adjust your bearings with the same clamping force from a skewer that you would normally use. This way you aren't guessing at how much play is needed to compensate for the clamping of the skewer. Doing this with spacers instead of on the bike will allow you to get a better feel for how the bearings are spinning in your hand.

Thanks for Jeremy @ Alchemy Bicycle Works for explaining this to me.

[Louis]

Lots of grease will always feel "draggier" than 0.1 drops of sewing machine oil.

Unfortunately, if you go the later route, you'd have to re-lube after every ride.

[jaykosta]

My experience with cup & cone bearing is that they need to be adjusted a little loose, so that the quick release clamping will make them 'just right'.

For me it's tedious to get them adjusted, and I don't mind if there is just a tiny bit of looseness when on the bike - not enough to 'see' the rim move, but just a 'tick' of feeling when moving the rim left-right.

The bearings should NOT be a 'tight fit' between the cup & cone - a tiny gap is needed for the grease.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA