1955

Hey all ,

I searched for this issue but couldn't find it. And I also posted on the mechanics forum a couple of days ago with no help. Maybe some one with a Specialized Roubaix Pro with the Dura Ace wheels (7800) can help me out.

I have the Dura Ace wheels (7800) and replaced the bearings (I lost one of the originals :rolleyes, there are 28 total per hub (14 per side) and ever since they were brand new they just seem kind of tight to me. Could that be a function of all the bearings that are used in this wheel and should I just try to replicate the feel of the way they came from the factory? These wheels don't spin effortlessly like other brands of wheels do. Does anyone here have any experience with regreasing and replacing the bearings on this particular wheel?

Any advice would be appreciated.

The bike has 3500 miles on it and since I'm recovering from a broken butt I thought I'd repack the wheel bearings and wanted to get it right without ruining them.

TIA
Ralph

531Aussie

they have adjustable cones, right?

there's an old roadie trick that is mostly scoffed at by the younger 'dudes' of today, but I still do it: I adjust the cones slightly loose because the force of the QR skewer being tightened pushes them in.

If the cones are set too tight, pushing in the QR skewer tightens them even more

DannoXYZ 

Yeah, you can feel the looseness that's just perfect. With the skewer barely holding the wheel in place, push back on the forth on the rim laterally at the brake-caliper. You should feel it clunking loosely back and forth about 0.5mm. Then fully tighten down the skewer and all the play goes away...

If you've got sensitive enough fingers, you can actually determine how much play is needed at the axle itself by pushing it up & down.

531Aussie

you'd laugh if you saw how loose I set mine

I'm know I shouldn't be, because there's a gazillion riders using them, but I'm still
a little skeptical about sealed bearings. I had some older sealed hubs that
didn't seem to roll as smoothly as my loose cones

sydney

Cartrige bearing is a better term. Cup and ball hub have seals varying from virtually worthlessto very good. All cartridge bearing aren't created equal either.

sydney

It has nothing to do with the # of bearings. Shimano hubs tend to be adjusted a bit tight as they come from the factory. www.parktool,com repair section has the drill on adjusting cup and ball hubs. Even perfectly adjusted hubs with the right grease in them may spin differently due to seal drag.

F1_Fan

Just to weigh in here... I picked up a set of Shimano WH-550 for winter use and abuse. The first time I spun the axles in my finger they felt like Wal*Mart bike quality bearings. I almost sent the wheels back but decided to open up the hubs and check what was in there. I found a good amount of grease and nicely polished bearing races. Hm.

I then adjusted the hubs properly and the axles were then silky smooth.

I don't know what's up with Shimano's factory adjustment but it's wrong.

zzzz

No doubt, but that is true of all hubs and wheels from the factory. That, along with the initial adjustment/setup required by most every other part on a bike is why quality bikes are sold by independent bicycle shops, not department stores - the assembly matters. There is no reason to expect that the hubs will be perfectly adjusted from the factory.

Like others mentioned above, you need to set the adjustment so that the play just goes away when the QR is fully tightened. There is probably a little variation in what people consider a properly tightened QR, so there is a bit of variation in bearing adjustment too. If I set my QR a bit less tight than I usually do (but within the range of what others use), I get a tiny bit of play at the rim. A bit more tightness at the QR and the bearing adjustment is perfect.