Got a set of Deore hubbed 700c disc wheels that are 5+ years old, with at least 10,000 miles on them. Free hub had started to feel rough so decided to replace it. Opened the hub to find it still full of grease, bearings pretty much good as new and I reckon I could have cleaned up the free hub and got a few more miles from it, but as I had a new one I decided to put it on.

I’d never opened one up before either, always been a bit “scared” of cup and cone hubs but it was a piece of piss to do. Happy days 🙂

there are definitely good batches and bad batches but if you have a goodun that was well assembled at the factory, they’ll last years!

Deore hub I bought was rough as houses. Fine once I stripped and greased though.

Can’t beat the big S.

There are different types of Deore hub , 525 for example is higher level than 475 and there is a lower level than this that is used as OE .

My experience with 525s was one on a bike that came with one set of cones too tight and one too loose. Once properly adjusted they were still sh*t; worked loose on every ride!
Now my Pro IIs have been perfect!

These are 525s.

I’ve one set of pro 2s that need a lot more looking after 😉

My experience with 525s is rebuild them from new (the guy at the S factory is paid peanuts and couldn’t give a shit), good grease, correct preload (with QRs there should be a minute amount of play that tightening the QR removes), locktite one side cone and locknut, and you’re good to go.

As long as you check for play and adjust pre-load when needed, and check for roughness every time you have the wheel off (just turn the axle by hand) and rebuild when needed, they last eons.

Beware though, the newer 525s don’t come with rubber seals.

Agree! Shimano cup ‘n cone get a lot of abuse on here, but its a satisfying experience to adjust a hub to that ‘just right’ point by feel alone.

I’ve got Deore M590 on my commuter, and after 5000kms I thought it about time to check them. Of course they were fine – only just about run it – and a dab of that luminous green Shimano grease and an adjustment was all that was needed.

Personally, I think adjusting bearings is one of those tactile pleasures that makes bike fettling fun, and I’m Shimano cup ‘n cone across all three bikes now – XT, SLX, and Deore.

Isn’t he a wizard from Harry Potter.

^^ 😀 very good sir bit of quality that, this early in the morning.

Subtle Drac, nice 🙂

Excellent work Drac, in the past,cup and cone threads on here ,would attract a lot of old wizards. 😛