Originally Posted by
unterhausen
Shimano dynohubs fail right and left, but nobody mentions it. Who would design a cup and cone hub that can't be overhauled? Shimano. I have one that's probably ruined. I can't make myself throw it away because people have figured out how to overhaul them, but I've never overhauled a hub that felt like that which was still worth riding.
All I've got are Schmidt hub dynamos, and I haven't had a bearing failure yet.
I know that the first version had to go back to Peter or Germany for bearing replacement, and I think(?) the second could be disassembled... but I have no idea how that would actually work. The need to have wires running out of the axle makes any bearing maintenance much more complicated.
Is there a hub dynamo that makes it easy replace or re-lube the hub bearings?
I could excuse the use of cup and cone bearings if they were sealed well enough to last 10 or 20 years. .. or if there was a port to permit injection of new grease (as was done for some SunTour components a long time ago).
Steve in Peoria