Originally Posted by
wgscott
I just cleaned and re-greased, etc. my front and rear CK R45 hubs. They weren't that bad, but the front one was starting to make some noise, so I re-did everything on it, and everything on the rear one except for what requires the $188 tool (or a trip to a bike shop).
So, how do I know when it is time to do a complete overhaul of the rear hub, requiring the expensive tool? The on-line manual suggests every year or two, but that seems a bit excessive or paranoid. Is it a realistic schedule?
(I've managed to blow off hub maintenance for 20 to 30 years at a time on my Bianchi, which pre-dates stuff like sealed bearings, with no ill effect.)
I ride all year long so service my cup and cone hubs in autumn (before the rains and salty roads) and in the spring (after the rains and salty roads. Grease running out and dirt/water coming in is what causes hub damage. While a good quality grease (chap and good option being auto store lithium complex grease) can stay put and greasy for long, dirt and water intrusion are highly dependant on riding conditions.
Industrial bearing hubs with replaceable bearing balls an races, as a compact cartridge unit, could probably be ridden until the bearings are bust and then replaced with new ones.