Hi all,
I'm at my wits end. For the second time since owning my SS Switch EVO hubs, it appeared it was time for new bearings. Light play on the rear wheel, a lot on the front. I checked, double checked, and triple checked to make sure my axles were tightened correctly. Seems they are. So, after my ride yesterday I started on removing the bearings in prep for the new bearings I've ordered.
Front wheel - Removed 15mm adaptors and it seems that the play is in the caps that pop into the hub flange on top of the bearings. A lot of play. And I can't remove them no matter what I do. Soaked in GT85, mallet, everything I can think of.
Rear wheel - So, left the front wheel in frustration. Removed rear wheel, cassette and axle/freehub body. As before, grease pretty much gone, horrible dirty brown 'water'. Every 2 months or so I remove everything from the rear hub and clean and regrease. Obviously isn't doing much....So, everything removed and the bearings now exposed, are buttery smooth on one side and a little gritty on the other. Decide to remove anyway with no obvious feeling of play in them. Bearings removed. Freehub ones seem fine as do the main hub bearings, no play.
So, the front wheel is as it is, left with the flange caps in which have lots of play in them. The rear, well, perhaps something else was causing the play? What though?
And there was me fooled by everyone almost 2 years ago that cartridge bearings are much less hassle than cup and cone....
Help anyone?
My last resort is drop them into a bike shop once the bearings arrive and get them to do it, but as I'm new to the area (Oldham) I don't know what LBS's are good for this kind of work.
And breathe.....
The play in the caps is still bearings, the caps just sit on the bearings. You need mor hammer, by the sounds of it.
Front ones should come out easiest. Are you removing them by hitting the axle? If not, you should be! 🙂
But yeah. Cup and cone are easier and cheaper to work on. Always have been, always will be. Cartridges, in [i]theory[/i] should last longer between maintainence, but that's not always so.
And just because a bearing feels fine in your fingers doesn't mean it is - think of the extra leverage when you rock the wheel back and forth by the tyre.
njee20, yea, I'm pretty sure that is the case. My main frustration is removing the caps on the front. The issue is, unless I'm being daft, is that once I remove the adaptors there's nothing for me to grab on top to lever out the caps....
Ahh end caps. They should come out when you knock the bearing out from t'other side.
One side removed, other is refusing. Bugger it, I'll try again another day.
Hi all,
Got the second top cap removed. Unsure as to how I can remove the front bearings. Do they sit on a slight lip inside the hub body which would make it impossible to push out from the opposite side?
Ordered the wrong type of bearings for the front anyway after misinformation I found online.
Thanks again
Colin
Ignore me, they're out.
I have a vague recollection from an old thread that the correct tool for servicing Superstar bearings is a rock. That was from the man in charge at Superstar. So maybe try that?