Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Dura Ace Front Hub Wobble

I have a set of DA high flange hubs and the front hub seems to get loose a little bit. I have tightened them up correctly several times. I even did a full overhaul and everything looked to be alright. I had my LBS check them out and they said everything looks fine on them and they look like they're in great condition. So after right tightening the lock nuts, I decided to put teflon tape over the threads to help keep the locknuts from loosening (if that was the case). This did the trick for like 2 days and now the front hub has loosened up just a little. Do you guys think my locknuts are in bad shape or what? Again, the LBS and myself both agree that the cones look fine, the inside of the hub looks fine, all the bearings are good. The only other thing I can think of is that the locknuts may have been worn down some on the threads and loosen up easily. If this is the case, how do I go about getting new locknuts or even a new axle if needed? Or is there a way to just send the hub off the DA and get it fixed? I bought these hubs from a guy on BF and I am really pleased with how good they look and feel, if I could just get this problem fixed. Let me know what you think for a solution. Thanks!

I think you need to double check how tightly you are locking the cones and locknuts to each other. Aside from actually having stripped the locknuts or any other mechanical problem.

I think you need to double check how tightly you are locking the cones and locknuts to each other. Aside from actually having stripped the locknuts or any other mechanical problem.

I actually have had the LBS help me out on this to make sure I do everything right. We have been very aware to make sure the cones are tightened to perfection (no friction but no wobble). And the lock nuts are tighten well against the cone (again, making sure there isn't any cone friction or wobble). Everything feels fine when I put the wheel on but after riding for a little while, everything loosens up to where I can wiggle the front wheel a little bit and when I pick the front wheel up and sit it down, it vibrates.

This is a frustrating situation, I've had it happen before on a rear hub.

All I can say is that when you get wobble, try and work out what happened. Did one of the locknuts come loose? Or s everything still snug? Also examine if the locknuts move when you cinch down the nuts?

My feeling is here that either you're doing some wrong in the repack (ie poor quality bearings, way too much grease, not enough tightness to hold the adjustment), or that one of the locknuts/axle is damaged/ really gritty.

My solution was to clean all the hardware of the hub and then spend a little extra effort get the adjustment spot on and tight. I also backed off a little on how cranked down my track nuts where. Everything was golden after that.

Good luck.

When I say locknut, I actually mean the nut that is up against the cone. That is what I think is loose. I am going to wrap the threads with teflon tape on both sides of the hub tomorrow and adjust everything to perfect and see if it will hold from there. I just hate having to adjust everything constantly.

I don't see how this is possible. I think you just aren't tightening the locknuts against the cones enough. The last, last, last resort would be to put some blue loctite on it.

Is it ok to tighten down the locknuts to the cones pretty hard?

Yeah. I put on the 2 wrenches so that I can grip both with one hand and grab a good handful of them... i.e. almost as hard as I can with one hand. If you don't bend the wrench and can loosen the locknuts later then there's no harm done.

can you take a 16mm wrench on the locknuts on both sides of the axle and tighten the adjustment up just a bit, like an eighth turn...just do that without breaking the locknuts loose from the cones. no loctite or teflon.

can you take a 16mm wrench on the locknuts on both sides of the axle and tighten the adjustment up just a bit, like an eighth turn...just do that without breaking the locknuts loose from the cones. no loctite or teflon.

Are you saying, tighten both locknuts on each side at the same time? Maybe I'm not getting the locknuts tight enough. I am going to go up to the LBS tomorrow and play with it a bit. This $h1+ gets annoying but I almost guarantee that its me not doing something right.

yeah, with two 16mm wrenches, tighten the locknuts against each other and the cones will tighten up with them. you can usually tighten up the cones this way...unless everything is really tight.
do like an eighth turn and see if it is adjusted right.

What you want is both locknuts to be ****ing tight against their respective cones and the cones correctly adjusted at the same time.
So you start tightening nuts and cones one side at a time and if the adjustment is too loose you do what piwomka says, if it's too tight you can put a wrench each on the cones and turn them both outwards from the hub abd against the locknuts.
Sheldon describes this **** in more detail.