Tightening Axle after Replacing Sealed Bearings

[Hacienda71]

I replaced the sealed bearings in my rear wheel this morning and rode 10 miles into work the bike seems fine but...... When refitting the axle I noticed that I could only tighten the cone nuts hand tight or the bearings started feeling gritty. Is this right? as I am sure they were tighter than this when I removed them, although they could have been locked there due to salt and crap of the road or even thread seal when built up.
Also should there be any lateral movement at the perimeter of the wheel. There is less now I have changed the bearings one of which was fubarred but is a small amount of lateral movement down to the stifness of the spokes and wheel?

Just looking for a bit of reassurance I haven't completely cocked my wheel up having not replaced sealed bearings before.

 

[Tim Hall]

Not sure why you have cone nuts with sealed bearings - possibly it's down to a mix up of terminology, so we need to iron that out first.

Sealed bearings look like this:

Cup and cone bearings look like this: The bearings in them can either be loose or caged.

Which have you got?

 

[fossyant]

Sealed as in cartridge ? The cones on these should lock off similar to traditional cones. They only need to take out play. There shouldn't be any play at the rim - yes will flex, but any 'knock' type movement, then no.

Don't worry though. Ride them for a day or two to bed the cartridge into the hub. Then recheck and adjust. does your axel have two cones / 'nuts' each side ?

 

[fossyant]

Tim, cartridge bearings often have two 'nuts' or cones - one that presets the load on the bearing, then the other that 'locks off'. Some don't though !!

 

[Hacienda71]

Yep sealed bearings with lock nuts rather than cones. There is no clunky side to side play which there was before, but maybe a mm or two of side to side flex. The wheels are Planet X Al 30's

 

[fossyant]

Side to side flex is OK, so long as it's not 'resistance free' and clunking. If the bearings are seated properly, then you only do up the inner nut hand tight, then lock off. I've found that if it's too tight the bearings just feel stiff, rather than notchy. Are you using SKF ?

The stock bearings in the AL30's are a bit pants, but easily replaced. My Dolan Navigator Streets are similar to the AL30's for 'Fixed' but use Miche hubs with SKF bearings. There is a slight flex if I grab the rim. That's normal, but any clunks are not.

 

[Hacienda71]

No clunking just flex. Will keep an eye on it though. I got some mountain bike specific sealed ones from MB Bearings up in Lancs. Wanted some that would take a battering at this time of year.

 

[Tim Hall]

Tim, cartridge bearings often have two 'nuts' or cones - one that presets the load on the bearing, then the other that 'locks off'. Some don't though !!

I'd disagree. A nut is a nut, whilst a cone is, umm, cone shaped. Tapered. Yes, you get a nut or two on a sealed bearing, but no cone. Anyhow, the OP has been sorted, so that's good.

 

[Sillyoldman]

Squirrels can tell the difference between a nut and a cone.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Squirrels can tell the difference between a nut and a cone.

I tried sealed bearings, but I didn't like them - I found myself pining for cones

 

[robgul]

.... back on track .... IIRC Sheldon had something to say about checking/adjusting cones/hubs with the QR skewer pulled up as there is some minor "compression" when the tension is applied in the axle tube. Dunno if it's true ...

Rob

 

[User6179]

I would just hand tighten my fulcrum 5s but when I checked a mavic aksium the nut was really tight and when I tried to have it hand tight there was hardly enough axle showing to sit the wheel into the frame so I had to use spanners.