Bicycle Mechanics - Hubs and Annodizing Questions

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View Full Version : Hubs and Annodizing Questions


sooprvylyn
03-11-09, 07:04 PM
Hi all, I have a few questions to see if you can help me out. I am hoping to disassemble my hubs and annodize them to match my frame. Here are my concerns:

1. My hubs are aluminum but I don't know if they have steel cups without taking it apart. I am wondering if anyone knows whether aluminum hubs usually have steel cups or if the cups are usually machined into the aluminum? I'd like to figure out if it is worth disassembling my hubs to find out if mine do have steel cups.

2. Assuming my hubs do have steel cups would they be possible to remove before I annodize the hubs?

3. If the Cups are machined into the hubs with annodizing them ruin the cup surface? If so is there a way I can protect the cups from the acid bath?

Any help is appreciated. If I can annodize the hubs I plan on doing a lot of other aluminum parts.


andr0id
03-11-09, 07:12 PM
In 30 years, I've never seen an Al hub that didn't have steel cups pressed in. I don't think Al races would last very long at all.

Pressing them in or out would not be a very good idea in my opinion because you don't really have any way to realign them square to the cones.

I'd say read the docs and see if the anod solution damages steel or if it can be masked with anything.

sooprvylyn
03-11-09, 07:14 PM
That is what I thought, most cups on bikes are steel. I know that the acid with eat the steel, I wonder if there is a way to mask them or coat them with something to prevent the acid from reaching the surface.