Lubing hubs etc

[chris-s]

Went for a lunchtime spin and the front wheel bearing sounds a little dry on my Bianchi Nirone. It's done a 1000 miles mostly in the dry but a few wet rides.

Presumably I can re-grease the bearings somehow? Do I need any special tools? Any particular grease? I've got a pot of some sort of Castrol grey automotive grease, possibly lithium.

I might as well do the back wheel whilst I'm about it, what about the freewheel, can that be re-greased?

Tips appreciated.


Chris


PS I class myself as mechanically competent, quite happy to do cambelts etc.

 

[chris-s]

Ah, sealed bearings in the Noavtec hubs. Don't really want to take the seal off and re-grease them, I'll see what they are like when off the bike and maybe look at replacing them instead, the bearings not the wheels, but then again.........


Chris

 

[mickle]

If it is a new bike it's covered by warranty. Don't touch anything. At the earlierst opportunity wheel the bike back into the shop.

The best way to detect bearing failure is to set the component in motion and then place the side of your head against the handlebar bar or saddle. You'll hear the grinding reverberate through your skull. If the bearing is ok you just hear the wooosh of the bearings rolling round. It's not hard to tell the difference.

 

[accountantpete]

You should be able to tease off the seal on the bearings and then regrease - it's probably easier than taking the bearings out.

Any old grease will do - I have used the grey lithium stuff without any ill effects and it lasts quite well.

 

[Zoiders]

By "sealed" do you mean you have bog standard cup and cone bearings with a laybrinthe seal as most front hubs have or do you mean there is a rubber seal that then has a cartridge bearing behind it?

As the latter is a drop in component that you don't need to grease, you just replace it.

 

[gbb]

Never serviced the hubs in my Via Nirone, but i assume they're cup and cone (looking at them from the outside).
If they're dry/in need of service...do it soon. You'll damage the cones, or worse still, the cups, then face potentially wrecked hubs.

Mickle...here's one for you, ive had cups get damaged in cheap wheels, which i assume is integral to the hub. Can they ( the cups) be replaced ? I always assumed not, but...it'd be interesting to know.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Never serviced the hubs in my Via Nirone, but i assume they're cup and cone (looking at them from the outside).
If they're dry/in need of service...do it soon. You'll damage the cones, or worse still, the cups, then face potentially wrecked hubs.

Mickle...here's one for you, ive had cups get damaged in cheap wheels, which i assume is integral to the hub. Can they ( the cups) be replaced ? I always assumed not, but...it'd be interesting to know.

I've never really thought about it, but where would you purchase replacement cups? It is also likely that you would damage the hubs extracting the old cups. I have replaced vintage motorcycle cups that way, but I had to re-grind and re-harden them and fit oversize balls. In that case I had no choice as no replacements are available anyway for Edwardian motorcycles. Re-fitting the cups to the hubs was a nightmare too.

Oh and if you are wondering about the cycle/motorcycle analogy, many vintage motorcycles waere basically cycles with engines bolted on.