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Main
Date: 31 Oct 2007 10:01:03
From: news.virgin.net
Subject: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
Hi,
I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
for years.
Thanks in advance,
Bruce.
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Date: 04 Nov 2007 06:27:29
From: Ozark Bicycle
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
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On Nov 4, 7:46 am, jim beam <spamvor...@bad.example.net > wrote:
> Pete Biggs wrote:
> > jim beam wrote:
> >> Pete Biggs wrote:
> >>> jim beam wrote:
>
> >>>> surpus grease makes /zero/ difference to bearing longevity - it's
> >>>> just a passenger and lays no part in lubrication.
> >>> Isn't grease more likely to dry up if there is just a small amount
> >>> of it? Large surface area to volume ratio?
> >> marginally, but the oils held in grease suspension are not exactly
> >> volatile, so i wouldn't worry too much. we're talking decades.
>
> > I have found dried up grease in (poorly sealed) cheap hubs, headsets and
> > pedals that were only a few years old. Some had never been serviced, some
> > had been serviced a couple of years beforehand. Perhaps the grease was
> > crap? Perhaps the bike/parts had been stored in hot conditions?
>
> > Anyway, this encourages me to use too much rather than possibly-not-enough
> > grease.
>
> > ~PB
>
> and i've played with 20-year old n.o.s dura-ace and suntour hubs whose
> grease has been perfect. more likely, the grease you encountered was crap.
Agreed. I bought a pair of NOS late 1980s Deore XT (6sp 126mm rear)
hubs for personal use last year. The grease in both hubs was pristine.
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Date: 04 Nov 2007 04:54:13
From: Pete Biggs
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
news.virgin.net wrote:
> Hi,
> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many
> wheels over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are
> still completely smooth and have no detectable play. The question is
> - should I bother to replace bearings and grease ? It has done about
> 4000-5000miles, mosly on road and is just over a year old. I
> understand that replaceing the bearings on a free hub is more
> involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I should bother
> until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back with a
> guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> for years.
Bearing balls don't need replacing if they are still shiny - which means
they are as good as new ones. They won't suddenly go from shiny to
significantly pitted (if hub is kept adjusted properly, etc). You have the
early warning of them going dull first.
~PB
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 15:20:22
From: landotter
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On Oct 31, 6:02 pm, A Muzi <a...@yellowjersey.org > wrote:
[snip]
> Not just LBS service; cars, computers, medical, whatever. That's why my
> advice here is usually prefaced with 'competent' LBS. Not all service
> shops suck just as not all doctors are absent minded space cadets, not
> all cops are sadistic bullies. The few tar the average.
I just found a super confident VW mechanic last year from the Balkans.
He cares deeply about the fate of his customers to the point of soap
opera, does excellent work, and charges less than he should when a
problem turns out to be more disastrous than he diagnosed. I just had
$1500 worth of water pump, timing belt, plugs, etc done--and he calls
me with the bad news. "You be sad now, the problems are many--but
don't worry, I'm your friend, and when you see your car--it will be
like a new beginning, and you will be happy!" He never takes more than
48 hours even for major work, hugs you when you arrive, and proudly
shows you the work with a flashlight and pointer. I actually look
forward to little repairs so I can go see him. It's better than a
therapy session.
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 20:57:17
From: Pikachu
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
In article <1193869222.459399.208560@v3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com >,
landotter <landotter@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Oct 31, 6:02 pm, A Muzi <a...@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
> [snip]
> > Not just LBS service; cars, computers, medical, whatever. That's why my
> > advice here is usually prefaced with 'competent' LBS. Not all service
> > shops suck just as not all doctors are absent minded space cadets, not
> > all cops are sadistic bullies. The few tar the average.
>
> I just found a super confident VW mechanic last year from the Balkans.
> He cares deeply about the fate of his customers to the point of soap
> opera, does excellent work, and charges less than he should when a
> problem turns out to be more disastrous than he diagnosed. I just had
> $1500 worth of water pump, timing belt, plugs, etc done--and he calls
> me with the bad news. "You be sad now, the problems are many--but
> don't worry, I'm your friend, and when you see your car--it will be
> like a new beginning, and you will be happy!" He never takes more than
> 48 hours even for major work, hugs you when you arrive, and proudly
> shows you the work with a flashlight and pointer. I actually look
> forward to little repairs so I can go see him. It's better than a
> therapy session.
If you're going to go all out with your positive description of such an
apparently wonderful mechanic, the least you can do is to provide the
name of the shop so we VW owners can all share in your joy.
Pikachu
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 14:45:49
From:
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On Oct 31, 11:01 am, "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net > wrote:
> Hi,
> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
> over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
> on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> for years.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bruce.
Whatever you do, don't take it to a "professional." I've had too many
botched overhauls done by "reputable service people" to trust them any
more. I got my hubs overhauled on my current bike about one year
ago. Not long after, I was checking it over before going on a trip
and noticed that the drivetrain side cones on the rear hub were
loose. Since I didn't have the tool I needed to undo the cassette, I
once again took it to a bike shop. The mechanic said that the grease
was like new inside. It shows he has good eyes, but he still didn't
adjust it properly as it's a quick release hub and there was no play
off the bike.
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 17:02:58
From: A Muzi
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
> "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote:
>> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
>> over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
>> smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
>> replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
>> road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
>> on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
>> should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
>> with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
>> for years.
peteymills@hotmail.com wrote:
> Whatever you do, don't take it to a "professional." I've had too many
> botched overhauls done by "reputable service people" to trust them any
> more. I got my hubs overhauled on my current bike about one year
> ago. Not long after, I was checking it over before going on a trip
> and noticed that the drivetrain side cones on the rear hub were
> loose. Since I didn't have the tool I needed to undo the cassette, I
> once again took it to a bike shop. The mechanic said that the grease
> was like new inside. It shows he has good eyes, but he still didn't
> adjust it properly as it's a quick release hub and there was no play
> off the bike.
Not just LBS service; cars, computers, medical, whatever. That's why my
advice here is usually prefaced with 'competent' LBS. Not all service
shops suck just as not all doctors are absent minded space cadets, not
all cops are sadistic bullies. The few tar the average.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 18:53:10
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On Oct 31, 1:04 pm, landotter <landot...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Oct 31, 11:08 am, "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote in message
>
> >news:znYVi.3101$FQ2.2587@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
>
> > > Hi,
> > > I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many
> > wheels
> > > over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> > > smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> > > replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> > > road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the
> > bearings
> > > on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> > > should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> > > with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> > > for years.
>
> > > Thanks in advance,
>
> > > Bruce.
>
> > Thanks for the responses - I'm going to leave them and see how long they
> > last, and how they fail, when they do, as a bit of an experiment.
>
> Great experiment--you'll discover that you need to build new wheel on
> fresh hubs eventually.
>
> > It's a
> > town bike mostly and I won't get caught in the middle of the sahara with a
> > wobbly wheel.
>
> What do wobbly wheels have to do with underlubricated or contaminated
> bearing races getting scored and pitted?
>
> Park 13/15 cone wrench and a lifetime supply of grease is <$10 and a
> servicing should take ten minutes. You don't need to remove the
> cassette as long as ya ain't got brat sized fingers.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
newsvirgin rationalizes.
have you tried
rec.finaldaze?
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 10:04:31
From: landotter
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On Oct 31, 11:08 am, "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net > wrote:
> "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote in message
>
> news:znYVi.3101$FQ2.2587@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
>
>
>
> > Hi,
> > I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many
> wheels
> > over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> > smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> > replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> > road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the
> bearings
> > on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> > should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> > with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> > for years.
>
> > Thanks in advance,
>
> > Bruce.
>
> Thanks for the responses - I'm going to leave them and see how long they
> last, and how they fail, when they do, as a bit of an experiment.
Great experiment--you'll discover that you need to build new wheel on
fresh hubs eventually.
> It's a
> town bike mostly and I won't get caught in the middle of the sahara with a
> wobbly wheel.
What do wobbly wheels have to do with underlubricated or contaminated
bearing races getting scored and pitted?
Park 13/15 cone wrench and a lifetime supply of grease is <$10 and a
servicing should take ten minutes. You don't need to remove the
cassette as long as ya ain't got brat sized fingers.
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| | |
Date: 01 Nov 2007 09:47:02
From: news.virgin.net
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
"landotter" <landotter@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1193850271.162216.183280@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
> On Oct 31, 11:08 am, "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote:
> > "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote in message
> >
> > news:znYVi.3101$FQ2.2587@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
> >
> >
> >
> > > Hi,
> > > I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many
> > wheels
> > > over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still
completely
> > > smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother
to
> > > replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly
on
> > > road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the
> > bearings
> > > on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering
if I
> > > should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while
back
> > > with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched
them
> > > for years.
> >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > > Bruce.
> >
> > Thanks for the responses - I'm going to leave them and see how long they
> > last, and how they fail, when they do, as a bit of an experiment.
>
> Great experiment--you'll discover that you need to build new wheel on
> fresh hubs eventually.
>
> > It's a
> > town bike mostly and I won't get caught in the middle of the sahara with
a
> > wobbly wheel.
>
> What do wobbly wheels have to do with underlubricated or contaminated
> bearing races getting scored and pitted?
>
Well I guess this is the question - what will happen to an XT hub ? It is
normally for MTB use and has an excellent seal but is exposed only to road
use. If the hub stays free of contamination, will the races become pitted or
wear evenly - the need for replacement bearings then being indicated by play
in the axle. Does anyone know what the 'shimano specified' service interval
for these hubs is ? The whole point of selecting this heavy duty hub in the
first place was to reduce servicing requirements whilst maintaining a
quality ride. I have to say, with getting the tools out, cleaning the parts,
doing the job, cleaning the tools and myself then putting the tools away
again, it takes me longer than 10mins. And I have to concur with the
experiences of other posters as far as taking the bike to a 'professional'
is concerned. Hence the experiment - can I assemble a bike that will go 5
years (??!!) or 25,000 miles with just new tyres, chains and cassettes ?
> Park 13/15 cone wrench and a lifetime supply of grease is <$10 and a
> servicing should take ten minutes. You don't need to remove the
> cassette as long as ya ain't got brat sized fingers.
>
>
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| |
Date: 31 Oct 2007 16:08:02
From: news.virgin.net
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
"news.virgin.net" <anon@anon.net > wrote in message
news:znYVi.3101$FQ2.2587@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
> Hi,
> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many
wheels
> over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the
bearings
> on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> for years.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bruce.
>
>
Thanks for the responses - I'm going to leave them and see how long they
last, and how they fail, when they do, as a bit of an experiment. It's a
town bike mostly and I won't get caught in the middle of the sahara with a
wobbly wheel.
|
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Date: 01 Nov 2007 01:49:07
From: Steve Gravrock
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On 2007-10-31, news.virgin.net <anon@anon.net > wrote:
> Thanks for the responses - I'm going to leave them and see how long they
> last, and how they fail, when they do, as a bit of an experiment. It's a
> town bike mostly and I won't get caught in the middle of the sahara with a
> wobbly wheel.
How long they last depends on what grade balls and how much grease was
in there to begin with, as well as what conditions you rode in. You
can't really extrapolate from it. They'll fail when the bearing races
become pitted. At that point you'll notice that the axles feel rough
when you turn them.
I don't see any reason to sacrifice a perfectly good wheel in an
experiment that you won't learn anything from. If you want to learn,
why not learn how to repack a hub? It's easy, and doing it once a year
or so is cheap insurance for expensive parts.
Shimano hubs are easy to overhaul. See
<http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105 >. There is an
additional bearing between the freehub body and the hub shell, but that
one almost never needs attention. Just repack the axle bearings like on
a freewheel hub.
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| | | |
Date: 31 Oct 2007 21:13:25
From: jim beam
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
Steve Gravrock wrote:
> On 2007-10-31, news.virgin.net <anon@anon.net> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the responses - I'm going to leave them and see how long they
>> last, and how they fail, when they do, as a bit of an experiment. It's a
>> town bike mostly and I won't get caught in the middle of the sahara with a
>> wobbly wheel.
>
> How long they last depends on what grade balls
it's not just the bearing balls, it's the bearing races too.
> and how much grease was
> in there to begin with,
surpus grease makes /zero/ difference to bearing longevity - it's just a
passenger and lays no part in lubrication.
> as well as what conditions you rode in. You
> can't really extrapolate from it. They'll fail when the bearing races
> become pitted. At that point you'll notice that the axles feel rough
> when you turn them.
>
> I don't see any reason to sacrifice a perfectly good wheel in an
> experiment that you won't learn anything from. If you want to learn,
> why not learn how to repack a hub? It's easy, and doing it once a year
> or so is cheap insurance for expensive parts.
>
> Shimano hubs are easy to overhaul. See
> <http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105>. There is an
> additional bearing between the freehub body and the hub shell, but that
> one almost never needs attention.
why not? [rhetorical]
the reason is that the billion tiny bearing balls are pita to replace.
in reality therefore, and completely without scientific justification,
axle bearings are changed for recreation since they're easily accessed,
while the hard to deal with stuff, is left alone!
bottom line, those wanting to monkey with their bearings are best
advised to make sure they're not over-tight on skewer tightening.
beyond that, just run the hub until the bearings fail.
> Just repack the axle bearings like on
> a freewheel hub.
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| | | | |
Date: 04 Nov 2007 04:43:21
From: Pete Biggs
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
jim beam wrote:
> surpus grease makes /zero/ difference to bearing longevity - it's
> just a passenger and lays no part in lubrication.
Isn't grease more likely to dry up if there is just a small amount of it?
Large surface area to volume ratio?
~PB
|
| | | | | |
Date: 03 Nov 2007 21:49:30
From: jim beam
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
Pete Biggs wrote:
> jim beam wrote:
>
>> surpus grease makes /zero/ difference to bearing longevity - it's
>> just a passenger and lays no part in lubrication.
>
> Isn't grease more likely to dry up if there is just a small amount of it?
> Large surface area to volume ratio?
>
> ~PB
>
>
marginally, but the oils held in grease suspension are not exactly
volatile, so i wouldn't worry too much. we're talking decades.
|
| | | | | | |
Date: 04 Nov 2007 05:18:58
From: Pete Biggs
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
jim beam wrote:
> Pete Biggs wrote:
>> jim beam wrote:
>>
>>> surpus grease makes /zero/ difference to bearing longevity - it's
>>> just a passenger and lays no part in lubrication.
>>
>> Isn't grease more likely to dry up if there is just a small amount
>> of it? Large surface area to volume ratio?
>
> marginally, but the oils held in grease suspension are not exactly
> volatile, so i wouldn't worry too much. we're talking decades.
I have found dried up grease in (poorly sealed) cheap hubs, headsets and
pedals that were only a few years old. Some had never been serviced, some
had been serviced a couple of years beforehand. Perhaps the grease was
crap? Perhaps the bike/parts had been stored in hot conditions?
Anyway, this encourages me to use too much rather than possibly-not-enough
grease.
~PB
|
| | | | | | | |
Date: 04 Nov 2007 05:46:58
From: jim beam
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
Pete Biggs wrote:
> jim beam wrote:
>> Pete Biggs wrote:
>>> jim beam wrote:
>>>
>>>> surpus grease makes /zero/ difference to bearing longevity - it's
>>>> just a passenger and lays no part in lubrication.
>>> Isn't grease more likely to dry up if there is just a small amount
>>> of it? Large surface area to volume ratio?
>> marginally, but the oils held in grease suspension are not exactly
>> volatile, so i wouldn't worry too much. we're talking decades.
>
> I have found dried up grease in (poorly sealed) cheap hubs, headsets and
> pedals that were only a few years old. Some had never been serviced, some
> had been serviced a couple of years beforehand. Perhaps the grease was
> crap? Perhaps the bike/parts had been stored in hot conditions?
>
> Anyway, this encourages me to use too much rather than possibly-not-enough
> grease.
>
> ~PB
>
>
and i've played with 20-year old n.o.s dura-ace and suntour hubs whose
grease has been perfect. more likely, the grease you encountered was crap.
|
| |
Date: 31 Oct 2007 13:27:56
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
outstanding wear characteristics under HD touring mileages,
impressive. worthy of comment.
repack and add new grade 25 bearings - try Harris-Brown in Newton,
Mass.
if you're going around the block and not to Yemen, restraint with
grease is inorder following Shimano's lead. No good reason's for
forcing bearings out of the path giving long wear.
The idea
"it looks good don't fool with it" : like you have it apart, do it.
duh.
Castrol Marine grease from walmart is excellent.
|
| |
Date: 31 Oct 2007 06:13:34
From: landotter
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On Oct 31, 5:01 am, "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net > wrote:
> Hi,
> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
> over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
> on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> for years.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bruce.
If it's never been serviced, go ahead and repack with as much grease
as ya can squeeze in. I agree with Paul, Shimano hubs come with way
too little grease and when the bearings start to feel rough, that
could be a sign that the races are trashed and the hub is worthless,
not simply in need of repacking.
As for Beam Boy's "it could add contaminants" bullshit, it's just that.
|
| | |
Date: 31 Oct 2007 06:33:03
From: jim beam
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
landotter wrote:
> On Oct 31, 5:01 am, "news.virgin.net" <a...@anon.net> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
>> over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
>> smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
>> replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
>> road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
>> on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
>> should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
>> with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
>> for years.
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>> Bruce.
>
> If it's never been serviced, go ahead and repack with as much grease
> as ya can squeeze in.
that's pointless. it doesn't lubricate because grease doesn't "flow".
it's just a waste.
> I agree with Paul, Shimano hubs come with way
> too little grease and when the bearings start to feel rough,
they feel rough because they've been over-tightened and they start to spall.
> that
> could be a sign that the races are trashed and the hub is worthless,
> not simply in need of repacking.
see above.
>
> As for Beam Boy's "it could add contaminants" bullshit, it's just that.
manufacturers pack bearings in conditions close to surgical. do you
have such facilities? certainly not if you're wiping with an oily rag
and using greasy fingers that have been in contact with the gritty
exterior of the hub.
|
| |
Date: 31 Oct 2007 05:51:01
From: joseph.santaniello@gmail.com
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
|
On Oct 31, 1:40 pm, jim beam <spamvor...@bad.example.net > wrote:
> news.virgin.net wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
> > over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> > smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> > replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> > road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
> > on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> > should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> > with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> > for years.
>
> > Thanks in advance,
>
> > Bruce.
>
> i'd leave it. you'll likely introduce more contaminants "cleaning" it
> than leaving it alone.
I agree. And 5000 miles sounds like a short interval to me. I've got
some Ultegra hubs with WAY more miles in crap wet grimy conditions
that are still smooth as silk from the factory.
But that is of course no reason not to do it if you want to.
Joseph
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 05:40:21
From: jim beam
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
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news.virgin.net wrote:
> Hi,
> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
> over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
> smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
> replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
> road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
> on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
> should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
> with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
> for years.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bruce.
>
>
i'd leave it. you'll likely introduce more contaminants "cleaning" it
than leaving it alone.
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Date: 31 Oct 2007 12:27:51
From: Paul Kopit
Subject: Re: XT hub : to service or not ?
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On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:01:03 GMT, "news.virgin.net" <anon@anon.net >
wrote:
>Hi,
> I bought a wheel for my tourer with an XT hub after trashing many wheels
>over the years and it's been wonderfull. The bearings are still completely
>smooth and have no detectable play. The question is - should I bother to
>replace bearings and grease ? It has done about 4000-5000miles, mosly on
>road and is just over a year old. I understand that replaceing the bearings
>on a free hub is more involved than on a free-wheel so I'm wondering if I
>should bother until some play is detectable. I was on a ride a while back
>with a guy who had XT hubs for touring and he said he hadn't touched them
>for years.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Bruce.
Once the hub becomes unsmooth, it's frequently too late. The how to
doesn't get much better than the Park Tool site
<http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105 >
I live in SoCal and I rarely ride in rain and rarely need to open hubs
and the hubs I have go much >5,000 miles between cleaning and
regreasing. However, the OEM grease on Shimano balls is light.
I'd open the hubs, replace the bearings, and regrease. The grease
that is on my bench is Mobile Synthetic, which is red in color. I
almot always change the ball bearings when removing. They are
inexpencive and it's easy to put in new ones and not clean old.
Setting the preload on bearings properly will increase the lifetime of
a hub.
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