Bicycle Mechanics - how many balls for bontrager front hub??

I have a trek 7300fx. it appears to be an 05 model with disc brakes. this may or may not be useful information, because i got the bike used and the wheel set may be aftermarket. the rim's are wtb speed discs, if that aids in identification, and the brakes are hayes mx2's (i know, i hear they are garbage. but i'm not made of money here...). i was taking the hub apart to repack it and my balls all fell to the floor. now i dont know how many are supposed to go in each side. I managed to collect 24 of them, 12 on each side. but when i put 12 in there, theres a gap. as if there's supposed to be 13 on a given side. but when i put in the 13th ball, it doesnt quite fit. Now i'm rather at a loss. i'm going to my lbs tomorrow to buy all new bearings. but how many should i get? how many will fit in there? and what's with the gap?:notamused:

thank you for your time
dan

Answer: As many as fit comfortably.

When you push them all together, there should be a gap smaller than a ball. If it's bigger than a ball, stick a ball in it. You want a gap so the balls don't rub together in use.

Since the 13th doesn't quite fit, then use 12.

The Bontrager manual I have for 2005 models lists 11 3/16" for the front and nine 1/4" for the rear. Are you sure you have the right size? I have this manual as a pdf. PM me if you would like a copy.

All you need is 2 balls and a shaft for those wheels. And yes the balls do need to be fully dropped.

i dunno. it's what was in it. please, do send me a copy of this manual! thank you!

i dunno. it's what was in it. please, do send me a copy of this manual! thank you!
You need to send me a personal message with your email and I will sent the PDF