Bicycle Mechanics - Loose back wheel

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Raleigh531
04-01-09, 05:39 AM
My rear wheel is a flip/flop hub installed on horizontal dropouts. The nuts are tight. The hub seems to shift back and forth on the axle though. I can grab the top of the wheel and move it side to side till it hits either side of the brake pads.

Does this mean the rear hub is trashed and I'll need a new wheel?

Lion Steve
04-01-09, 05:51 AM
Are the cones adjusted tight enough?
z415
04-01-09, 12:22 PM
Tighten the cones with cone wrenches or eventually your hub will be trashed. Parktool.com has good DIY instructions.

rhenning
04-01-09, 12:52 PM
Only two possibilities. Spokes are very loose or the hub bearings are very loose. Roger
Panthers007
04-01-09, 01:39 PM
Sounds like the hub needs an overhaul and adjustment. And the spoke-tension should also be checked.
tellyho
04-01-09, 06:15 PM
Not that I'll add anything new, but this is a bearing adjustment issue. And if you can move the rim that much, it could be trashed. You won't know until you tighten the cones up and see how she spins.
Panthers007
04-01-09, 10:15 PM
Here's a link to a video that shows you how to overhaul a hub and adjust the cones:

http://bicycletutor.com/overhaul-wheel-bearings/

And here's the Park Tool Repair written version:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=105
DieselDan
04-02-09, 06:54 AM
Tighten the cones.
Metzinger
04-02-09, 06:57 AM
I didn't bother to read the other posts. Did anyone mention the cones?
Seb71
04-02-09, 07:07 AM
I didn't bother to read the other posts. Did anyone mention the cones?

Yes. All 7 posts before you mentioned the cones.
Metzinger
04-02-09, 07:14 AM
^I still haven't bothered to read any of the posts. Did anyone answer my earlier question?
Seb71
04-02-09, 08:06 AM
Even the rhetorical questions are answered on Bike Forums.
Panthers007
04-02-09, 08:35 AM
^I still haven't bothered to read any of the posts. Did anyone answer my earlier question?

I'd answer you, but I didn't bother to read your posts either.
Raleigh531
04-03-09, 07:12 AM
Well that was a pain in the ass. Had to remove both the fixed cog and freewheel which was not fun as the fixed cog and lockring were put on with blue loctite. I've never messed with cone adjustment before, but it was tricky. I put some blue loctite on the cone lockrings so they don't come loose again - the wheel didn't wobble before recently and since just riding managed to loosen up the cones, I figured I wouldn't chance it.

Everything is back together now and she rides good. Hopefully the loctite will keep them from coming loose again.

Thanks.