rumatt

I just noticed that my front shimano 105 hub isn't rolling very smoothly. It's a bit crunchy/chunky/gritty when I spin it in my hand.

When they get to this point is it worth trying to service and fix? Would simply greasing it help? I can replace the wheel for about $125 (it's a handspun velocity A23 build) so it's not worth putting that much money into.

It's only 2 years old so that's pretty disappointing.



EDIT: 5700, not 6700

Bill Kapaun

Just buy 22 3/16" bearing balls and some grease.

https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830670743.pdf

rumatt

Thanks. But I'm reading that the cones are probably also trashed.

How would this happen after 2 years? Maybe it wasn't sealed up properly and water got in?

Dave Mayer

Overhauling a loose-ball Shimano hub is a 15 minute job. Perhaps it came from the factory with the cones too tight. Or you've been competing in salt-water bike polo matches. Or both.

The worst case is that the cones and loose balls are dead. Two cones will cost about $15 to replace. The standard-issue balls will cost $5 for a couple of hundred. These are the costs if your shop insists on ordering replacement parts from the wholesaler and they wait a week, and then they pull them out of bags. Or they can walk to the back of the shop and pull a taco'd wheel out of the pile and scavenge them for the suitable replacements. A perfectly acceptible course of action.

More likely, your hub just needs regreasing and re-adjustment. Again, this is a trivial job. This is the beauty of the Shimano design.

PS: Shimano 105 hubs are as good as anyone needs. It doesn't matter how much money your throw at this, it doesn't really get any better in terms of design, materials, weight, execution.

Looigi

Bearing gritty crunchiness is often due to dirt and grit that's gotten into the bearing and grease. Cleaning out the old grease and dirt and using fresh grease is often all that's needed to restore smooth rotation.

shelbyfv

I think there is a good chance the cones are ok, it's easy to find out. Shimano hubs seem to come light on grease and tight on adjustment.

Bill Kapaun

Just HOW are you "reading" this?

It takes a few minutes to disassemble & inspect and then you can actually KNOW.

davidad

You need to open it up and look. It isn't difficult.
How many miles in two years. I am old and don't have a job so one of my bikes would have at lest 18000 miles on it in two years. I would have opened the hubs up at least 7 times during that period.

rpenmanparker 

Could just be too tight. That should be your first check. Just put cone wrenches on both of cones (not lock nuts) and turn them away from each other agsinst the lock nuts as hard as you can. Did you get some small movement? Smoother?

rumatt

Thanks guys. I'm not sure why I was hesitant to take it apart. Doing so right now.

bobotech

105 hubs are like the perfect storm of lightness, toughness, durability, and ease of maintenance. Whenever I see a 105 hub, I tend to grab them just to hoard them because they are so nice. Don't have any spares now though. I have a pair of classic hard anodized hoops from the late eighties that are waiting for a nice set of 105 hubs one day.

They may not be the lightest out there but they are plenty light for the grand majority of bicycyclists out there.

Tunnelrat81

I think every shimano hub that I've gotten new (not many, but still) has been too tight from the factory. Maybe they expect them to 'wear in' more than they do, but what inevitably happens is that after some use the cones wear out and they need replacing. I love shimano hubs as much as the next guy, but don't ever assume that they came 'properly adjusted' from the factory. You should have a touch of play at the axle with the wheel uninstalled, and that play should disappear once the wheel is on the bike with the skewer tightened. Any more tension than this and the hub parts will be slowly wearing themselves out. Adjusted properly, a set of cones/bearings/cups can easily last 30,000+ miles if regularly serviced with fresh grease etc..

-Jeremy

cny-bikeman

Hub manufacturers would rather the bike shop be responsible for adjustment, as it's not something that lends itself easily to automation. Unfortunately not all shops check and correct the bearings, which indeed are almost always too tight. I agree - just take it apart and inspect, and check the rear hub while you are at it.

fietsbob

+1) tear it down and LOOK yea hubs commonly ship tight,

when setting up New Bikes in the Shop, it is not unusual to loosen the cones
after all Tightening the QR compresses the bearing adjustment,

so compensation is to adjust a hair loose and the skewer compression tightens it up again ..

rumatt

Me thinks I need some new parts.

Al1943

If it's a 6700 hub, as said in the thread title, it would be Ultegra not 105. But maintenance and overhaul would be the same either way.

edit: that cone is shot but I don't see how it can happen in only 2 years unless it's been in salt water.

bobotech

Yeah, go to your local bike shop and get a set of new cones. You should be golden after that.

rumatt

Yeah they're 5700... fixed the typo.

Yeah I don't get it either. I'd say it has 2000 miles on it? I rode it on salty roads last week, but until then it saw no salt.

cny-bikeman

Of course you also need to check the cups mounted in the hub, but what the pic illustrates is why it's a good idea to check all bearings on a regular basis for smoothness and play.

rumatt

The cups inside the hub looked OK to me. But they go bad they're not removable right? It's time for a new hub?

rpenmanparker 

Forget the 105s and get Tiagras (4600). They are crazy nice; crazy cheap on Amazon. Beautiful forged shell. Oh, and of course, they were too tight when I got them. I didn't touch the lock nuts, just unscrewed the cones a minuscule amount back up against them. Perfect.

Kimmo

It shouldn't happen to a Shimano hub; they're sealed well enough.

Almost certainly due to never being properly adjusted; hubs tend to come tight from the factory and often won't last more than a few months with the excessive preload.

Although there's quite a large window of preload where damage doesn't occur, or is slow to occur, despite feeling like crap. If you're lucky, it will feel smooth when properly adjusted but chances are you have pitted cones by now.

The cones will suffer first, then the balls, then finally the cups, destroying the hub.

hueyhoolihan

i understand your compulsion...

davidad

Right. They are usually the last to go. I have seen cones as bad or worse than yours and the cups were still fine.

Amesja

Check the inside of the hub but usually the cones go first.

Shimano 105 5700 front axle & cone replacement from Wheels Man****uring $27

I agree that the Tiagra hubs are just as nice as the 105 but unfortunately you can't get the replacement parts for them like you can for 105 or better hubs.