Bicycle Mechanics - Cones coming loose as I cycle.

My rear axle snapped last week :mad: . I got a new axle which is the same size and type as the old one etc.. Last night I fitted the new axle, I greased it and then put on the cones and spacers. Everything seemed fine, I put the wheel back on the bike, tightened the skewers. It seemed perfect, there was no side to side movement from the wheel, it was tight. Then I cycled the bike about 500m and I could feel the wheel starting to move from side to side! Whats wrong? And how can I fix this?

it should be just normal packing/beding in. Retighten and be aware it may happen once or twice more. Just don't overtighten - it'll just damage the hubs.

You may not have tightened the cone lock nuts sufficiently.
Once you determine the location of the drive side cone on the axle lock it in place tightly with a locknut. Then use the non-driveside (NDS) cone and locknut to make adjustments. Finally lock the NDS locknut to the cone and install the wheel.


There is no "beding in process" that I am aware of as referred to in an earlier post.

Enjoy

it should be just normal packing/beding in. Retighten and be aware it may happen once or twice more. Just don't overtighten - it'll just damage the hubs.There is nothing normal about that. Makes me wonder if the is using proper cone wrenches to adjust and then tighten the locknuts.

If the cone nuts are tight enough it should ride good if not tighten a little bit and tighten out side nuts

After a repack some of the grease will always move away from the cone and bearings.
With a re wheel repack I all ways suspend the bike and crank the wheel quite a few times, then re adjust the bearings and cones.
With the front as its not as easy to turn as the rear so I ride around the block then re adjust same way.
This technique has worked for 15 years.
Note : when packing the bearings I over pack the grease
some spins out
then I re adjust
The overpack stops water getting in during winter.
TURN TURN TURN as the Byrds used to sing

I'm wondering if there's resulting damage from the axle breaking. Is the hub damaged? Perhaps the hub has been ovalized some thus causing some play which loosens the cones after riding a while. Just thinking out loud...

If the bearings come loose than the locknut is not tight enough against the cone. Assuming the two were reasonably tightened against each other, perhaps the axle is not quite the same diameter as the original and allows the locknut to slip a thread under pressure.

That always happens to me too.

If you have cone spanners, you thread them on tight onto the bearings, then back a little bit so they can run free. Then hold onto the cones, and tighten the axle nuts so that they hold the cones in place, it forms a friction joint between the cone, nut and the forks. It takes a bit of practice.