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Author Topic: Bicycle problem  (Read 4472 times)

Northwoods

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Bicycle problem
« on: July 09, 2011, 01:09:03 AM »
On my ride home tonight I got about a mile in when something felt really wierd.  At first I thought it might be some problem with the chain or cassette.  So I stopped and looked all around the driveline.  Aside from a minor issue that I've known about and been living with for a while I couldn't see anything wrong.  Rode a little ways forward and felt the same thing while coasting.  Felt like it was coming from the front wheel.  Took it off and checked the spokes.  All were tight.  Then I looked at the hub.  I could see BB's at the end of the hub.   :O  Not good. 

Called SWMBO.  She couldn't come and get me as she was in the middle of some plumbing work and making strawberry jam.  Tried the pastor's wife (only have her number, not his), but no answer.  So I rode the remaining 8 miles to my truck.  Very slowly.  Felt like it was going to seize up on me the whole time.  It got pretty spooky on the downhill stretches even though I tried to keep the speed really low.  Made it to the truck though.

Anyway, I am obviously not riding again until that gets fixed.  Which brings me to my question.  Can the bearing in the hub be replaced?  If not would I be better to get a whole new wheel, or just replace the hub (and therefore also have to re-spoke the wheel)?

The wheel is a 16" (I have a short-wheel base recumbent with a 16" front wheel and a 26" rear wheel) so I'm having a hard time finding a replacement wheel.  There's just not that many out there it seems - that or my Google-fu is weak - unless they're meant for kids bikes and I'd need something skinnier and more durable than that.

I've also been looking at replacing the hub, but I'm not sure how they measure the spacing on them.  Plus I'm leary of re-spoking.  Seems like a lot of work that would be easy to screw up.  Or am I off base there?
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2011, 01:32:27 AM »
its been a few yrs but I think replacing the hub or the bearings is do-able  if you've got some of the right tools and a bikestand. some cities have places you can rent a stand/tools ... iirc a great book was "anybody's bike book"
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2011, 01:42:47 AM »
Quote from: sumpnz on July 09, 2011, 01:09:03 AM
Anyway, I am obviously not riding again until that gets fixed.  Which brings me to my question.  Can the bearing in the hub be replaced?  If not would I be better to get a whole new wheel, or just replace the hub (and therefore also have to re-spoke the wheel)?

Well, most likely one of the cones just loosened up somehow, so your cups and cones are probably not trashed if you didn't ride too far on it, so if all the ball bearings are still there (should be enough to form a nearly full line around each cup - maybe as many as will fit, maybe one less) then you could just squish some fresh grease in there and tighten it all back up.  If balls are missing, take a micrometer to one and Google.  You should be able to get a gross for around $10-20.

If they're cartridge bearings, then yeah, replace them.  Anywhere from $15-150 for a pair depending on quality.

http://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/cone-adjustment.html
(Warning; if you like tinkering with bikes, you will read the entire sheldonbrown.com site before you get back to actually tinkering.  It's like Wikipedia for bicycles.)
http://www.wikihow.com/Grease-Bicycle-Wheel-Bearings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_wheel#Bearings
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Northwoods

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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2011, 01:51:21 AM »
Been reading his article on wheel building. 
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2011, 01:51:36 AM »
Quote from: gunsmith on July 09, 2011, 01:32:27 AM
its been a few yrs but I think replacing the hub or the bearings is do-able  if you've got some of the right tools and a bikestand. some cities have places you can rent a stand/tools ... iirc a great book was "anybody's bike book"

Don't really need a stand to do wheel bearings, since you want the wheel off while you're working anyway.

As for replacement wheels, Spinlite does 16/700C sets, so I'd imagine they can also do a single front wheel. info@spinlitecycling.com
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2011, 09:28:56 AM »
Sixteen inch wheels are common on folding bicycles (I have a Dahon folder).  Perhaps if you Google for 'folding bicycle wheels' you might have more luck.
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2011, 09:33:10 AM »
You should be able to replace the bearings or the hub. You won't need new spokes.
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2011, 09:57:08 AM »
Quote from: sumpnz on July 09, 2011, 01:09:03 AM
Then I looked at the hub.  I could see BB's at the end of the hub.   :O  Not good.  

Anyway, I am obviously not riding again until that gets fixed.  Which brings me to my question.  Can the bearing in the hub be replaced?  If not would I be better to get a whole new wheel, or just replace the hub (and therefore also have to re-spoke the wheel)?

The wheel is a 16" (I have a short-wheel base recumbent with a 16" front wheel and a 26" rear wheel) so I'm having a hard time finding a replacement wheel.  There's just not that many out there it seems - that or my Google-fu is weak - unless they're meant for kids bikes and I'd need something skinnier and more durable than that.

I've also been looking at replacing the hub, but I'm not sure how they measure the spacing on them.  Plus I'm leary of re-spoking.  Seems like a lot of work that would be easy to screw up.  Or am I off base there?

Every front hub I've ever seen has been overhaulable.  Fixed cups, adjustable cones.  Pretty straightforward.  

That's not to say that someone somewhere might not be making wheels with funky "return to manufacturer" fixed sealed bearings.

----edit to add---

Long ago I had a rear axle break.  The quick release held it together enough to function.  I just thought it was "loose, I'll deal with it in a bit.".  By the time I did, the misalignment of the axle pieces had ruined the bearing cups.  New hub time.  Or, in that case, new wheel time.  I've never been that good at the whole true and tension stage of wheel building.  I can get it done eventually, but I don't have a proper wheel truing stand, and it's a genuine PITA.

« Last Edit: July 09, 2011, 11:23:16 AM by lee n. field »
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2011, 11:59:35 AM »
they don't get loose enough to see bearings without some major fubar

my bet is you broke the axle
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2011, 12:02:29 PM »
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Northwoods

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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #10 on: July 09, 2011, 12:10:15 PM »
I'll take the wheel into the local bike shop and get an estimate on the repair.  Hopefully it won't be too bad.  I can buy a pretty good quality hub and replace it for about $20 (plus all the work to put it in).
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Northwoods

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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #11 on: July 09, 2011, 07:35:55 PM »
OK.  Bike shop said it would be around $4 in parts and $10 labor to fix the hub.  I could buy a hub for darn close to that, but then I'd have to deal with re-lacing the wheel.  They said they'd have it done in about 5 days (bit of a backlog).
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #12 on: July 09, 2011, 09:44:00 PM »
Quote from: lee n. field on July 09, 2011, 09:57:08 AM
I can get it done eventually, but I don't have a proper wheel truing stand, and it's a genuine PITA.

Got a junkyard nearby?  A spare fork, a couple of neodymium magnets and some yarn needles will do the job.  Use the magnets to stick the needles on the fork blades and adjust them to get your true/round reference points, or you can do the same thing on the bike, using the fork blades in front or the seat stays in back.
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Northwoods

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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2011, 09:09:15 PM »
Bike shop called.  They fixed the wheel faster than I'd thought.  Harold was right, the axel was FUBAR'd.  For what they wound up charging (including labor) I could have bought a Shimano Tiagra hub.  'Course then I'd have had to relace the wheel myself, which would have been a questionably wise course of action.
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2011, 11:14:59 PM »
I always used dry erase markers for truing wheels. It's easy to spin the wheel, and hold the marker so that only the high spot(s) get marked. Adjust, erase with rag and repeat. When I rode BMX I got where I could build a wheel to rideable in about 20 minutes. 
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2011, 09:05:25 AM »
Quote from: zahc on July 11, 2011, 11:14:59 PM
I always used dry erase markers for truing wheels. It's easy to spin the wheel, and hold the marker so that only the high spot(s) get marked. Adjust, erase with rag and repeat. When I rode BMX I got where I could build a wheel to rideable in about 20 minutes. 

thank you for that tip!
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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2011, 12:38:23 PM »
i used to run solid crmo axels on my loading dock jumpers

There is not much meat in a QR axle

Kinda odd that you nerfed a recumbant front axle

did you wallop and potholes?
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Northwoods

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Re: Bicycle problem
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2011, 10:46:20 PM »
The hub looks to be old enough to vote.  The bike iteself dates to ca. 1997.  I've hit a few potholes, but I generally try to avoid them as I can't stand up to prevent the shock from going into my butt and back.  I will say that my particular recumbent is a very short wheel base model.  The front wheel is in front of the seat, but not by much.  It's pretty heavilly loaded compared to even slightly longer wheel base (never mind true long wheel base) recumbents.
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