First some background: I have a problem with the rear hub on one of my bikes. The hub is cheapo loose ball bearing type with cones and lock nuts. In order to convert the bike to single speed I rebuilt the wheel with new spokes and did a re-dish + changed the spacers on the axle. Everything was OK for around a year but last week I noticed knocking in the rear wheel and upon inspection it came out that the cones on the hub were loose. I tightened them and everything seemed to be all right but two days later the hub died on me completely (around 5 km from my house on a very rainy and cold day:). One of the cones came loose again and actually unscrewed itself quite far along the axle.
My questions is: are the lock nuts for each side of the axle different? (meaning is there a left and a right lock nut?). Maybe when I did the re-spacing of the hub I used the wrong lock nut on one side or mixed up the sides and that is way they are coming loose (however it's weird that it took a year of problem free riding for this to happen). Please, can anyone educate me on this matter???
No difference R and L AFAIK. Some good reading from Sheldon Brown that may help:
[url= http://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/hubs.html ]Hub Overhaul[/url]
[url= http://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html ]Cone Adjustment[/url]
Your hub is knackered and you probably need a new one. Been there many times with cheap hubs.
The bearing faces will probably be damaged and the bearings worn meaning you'll never get the hub tight and spinning freely. It will keep working its way loose.
Might be worth trying to sources cheap replacement and swap it out if you can build wheels.
search the Sealed Bearing vs Cup & Cone threads on here....
I've had a cup and cone rear hub lock up once going down a hill on the road at 30mph. I thought the brake had jammed on!
User error as the cone had tightened itself up again the bearings. Obviously I hadnt tightened the cone up against the locknut properly.