Chris King Hub Play

[Nooch]

How much play is appropriate? I've tightened it up and still have a little lateral movement when the wheel is in the drop outs -- not sure if it's appropriate or not?

[madcow]

Off the bike, tighten the preload adjuster so that it is as loose as possible but that there is no play at all. Then loosen it 1/16 of a turn. Once you clamp the wheel with the skewer there should be just the slightest amount of play.

[Nooch]

Okay -- i think i'm good then.

[11.4]

You may have play between the bearing cartridges and the hub shell. This occasionally happens and isn't solved by tightening up the bearing adjustment. Worth checking. The bearings are a precision fit and if spoke tensioning pulls the hub so the bearing comes loose, CK needs to replace with a slightly larger diameter bearing.

Usually when you first tension a wheel, you have to adjust bearing play slightly anyway. And clamping in stay ends can further alter adjustment, which means you basically need to do the off-the-bike adjustment, then coax it a bit once it's clamped in the frame. CK incorporates a lot more precision than many other brands, but it can make adjustment a little frustrating. The result is worth it.

[guyintense]

Originally Posted by 11.4

You may have play between the bearing cartridges and the hub shell. This occasionally happens and isn't solved by tightening up the bearing adjustment.

I've only seen that happen in the drive side of a rear hub and usually from over tensioned spokes. Anyone ever seen this in a front hub?

[Hermes_Alex]

If you've got oversized bearing bores, one's first symptom will be creaking, long before noticeable movement.

[11.4]

Originally Posted by guyintense

I've only seen that happen in the drive side of a rear hub and usually from over tensioned spokes. Anyone ever seen this in a front hub?

OP didn't say which wheel was giving problems, and I've also usually seen it on the rear. But CK considers wheels to be over tensioned at pretty low levels and with newer rims higher tension is quite normal and even preferred at times. I have run into it twice on front wheels with Classic hubs and not at high tension. So far I haven't seen it on R45's, which may be a better hub shell design or may be better bearing matching.

To another point here, sometimes one hears creaking first, sometimes not. And creaking doesn't mean the bearing is going to be loose, either. Two different phenomena.

[Splash]

Some good tips in this thread as well..
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showth...ghlight=splash


Splash

[Nooch]

Just drudging this up -- I've hardly ridden these wheels over the past few years, had it adjusted when I built up the corsa (this is the rear wheel, by the way).

Picked it up from the shop and I could grab the tire and it wouldn't 'shift.' After the maiden voyage, got home, grabbed it, and sure enough, it shifted back and forth (left to right).

My local shop, for whom I worked for many years, apparently doesn't have a CK hub tool. We didn't do a lot of wheel building, so I suppose I get it, and most of the hubs they deal with are wheels out of boxes, so..

The big question, I suppose, is whether it's "okay" to ride like this, or do I need to go and buy the hub tool and tear it down and see what's going on inside?

[parallelfish]

Originally Posted by Nooch

Just drudging this up -- I've hardly ridden these wheels over the past few years, had it adjusted when I built up the corsa (this is the rear wheel, by the way).

Picked it up from the shop and I could grab the tire and it wouldn't 'shift.' After the maiden voyage, got home, grabbed it, and sure enough, it shifted back and forth (left to right).

My local shop, for whom I worked for many years, apparently doesn't have a CK hub tool. We didn't do a lot of wheel building, so I suppose I get it, and most of the hubs they deal with are wheels out of boxes, so..

The big question, I suppose, is whether it's "okay" to ride like this, or do I need to go and buy the hub tool and tear it down and see what's going on inside?

This sounds normal - CK hubs take a bit of riding before they settle in. Until they do, hub adjustment may be required at fairly short intervals. At least that was my experience.

Adjustment is simple and only reqiures the use of common hex wrenches. No need for the special CK tool for this. Do not know which hub you have - find directions here:

https://www.chrisking.com/support/instructions/

[Nooch]

Originally Posted by parallelfish

This sounds normal - CK hubs take a bit of riding before they settle in. Until they do, hub adjustment may be required at fairly short intervals. At least that was my experience.

Adjustment is simple and only reqiures the use of common hex wrenches. No need for the special CK tool for this. Do not know which hub you have - find directions here:

https://www.chrisking.com/support/instructions/

the hubs were used previously, but mileage unknown, bought used off ebay IIRC. So I don't think it's a break in issue.. but will take a look at the instructions above

[parallelfish]

Originally Posted by Nooch

the hubs were used previously, but mileage unknown, bought used off ebay IIRC. So I don't think it's a break in issue.. but will take a look at the instructions above

Mine took on the order of 4-5 thousand miles before they settled down.

[Nooch]

So you're saying keep riding and keep adjusting it, and eventually it shouldn't 'loosen' up?

[feta99]

CK hubs are way overrated. There is something to be said for a hub that runs smooth from the beginning and has simple means of adjusting.My vent from having to take in my CK hub wheels for adjusting after hearing rocks grind away inside of them...

[berserk87]

Originally Posted by feta99

CK hubs are way overrated. There is something to be said for a hub that runs smooth from the beginning and has simple means of adjusting.My vent from having to take in my CK hub wheels for adjusting after hearing rocks grind away inside of them...

If by overrated, you mean 13 years of riding mine with no maintenance whatsoever, and zero issues, then yes, they are.

That said, I have never paid MSRP for any of them. I've gotten them on sale by sheer luck or lightly used.