Looking to replace a vintage front hub cone.
 

Hi! I just opened up my 1989 Schwinn Voyageur's front hub and learned I need a new cone or 2 if I want it to run nice and smooth. The problem is, when I took it to my LBS they were pretty pessimistic about finding a proper replacement and recommended I just got a new wheel or repack it as is and run it gritty. I know a guy with an identical bike and I remember him talking about replacing stuff in his hubs. He said it was a pain in the neck, but I guess he did it. So I was hoping some more knowing people might be able to help me to identify what I need and where I might be able to find it! (If I can)

The hub itself is 36 spoke (I think? 18 holes on each side) and says:

Maillard
1 06 89
Made in France

The cones themselves didn't have much for identifiers, but I attached pictures.

The mechanic who looked at it said it has a 9x1 thread, and about a 3mm edge where that silver rim thing is attached.

If replacing a couple more parts (the axel or something else cheap an simple) would give me a few more options to find a match then I would be open to that.

Might be able to find one to transfer that dust shield onto..
Bike biz obsoletes things, to sell, the New!

French Industry went under for the most part.

bike tools etc?

Yeah.....if it were mine, I'd go through the huge assortment of old cones I have and find a usable match.

But since you probably don't have such a thing at your disposal, nor do you likely wish to pay someone about a buck a minute to sort through theirs, I'd council a new, sealed bearing wheel.:thumb:

Trek had an affinity for Maillard hubs in the 1980's. But the hubs felt awful even when new.

I've swapped Normandy and Maillard cones a lot of times over the last thirty years, or so. You might be able to find a hub to canniblize at a town dump. There were an awful lot of Normandy hubs on Raliegh, Schwinn, Peugot , Motobecane bikes among others. It might be more difficult to find one with a dust shield, but some dust shields cn be pushed on and off.

You should be able to use another cone (s) from somebody like shimano as long it match size and treads of the axle . as far the dust cover goes just pop (slide ) the one (s) you have off the old and put them on the new one (s) . Try biketoolsetc.com or thethirdhand.com for replacement .

Maillard hub parts are sporadically available on eBay. A rear axle assembly, complete with cones, was recently for sale for $22. A new hub (made in China) can be bought for just a few more dollars. If you are a stalwart devotee of vintage parts, keep the Maillard hub and buy replacement parts as they become available. Otherwise, go to a China-made wheelset for daily use. Chinese wheels are good quality, very affordable, and are easily replaceable. I am satisfied with my Wheelmaster wheels purchased from Niagara Cycling.

Thanks guys!

From the mixed responses it sounds like it would be risky at best to try and order a replacement without physically being sure it matches well enough to use. I like that dump idea though! I think ill look into hunting around in a place like that, but if I have no luck Ill just ride it as is until its annoying enough to be worth getting a new wheel (Im not there yet, heh)

Your profile does not indicate your location.
Many cities have a place or two like this....

http://myweb.wwu.edu/~browna30/index.html

Part co-op, part bicycle wrecking yard.
They stockpile a treasure trove of boxes full of old parts of every type imaginable.
You have to dig a bit but it can be an adventure and I have always found the odd ball part I need.

Oh yea, I should add that. Im in Minneapolis, MN. I did a google search and it looks like we at least have this:

http://www.oneononebike.com/category/bikes/the-junkyard

I know we have a Hub location or 2 as well (not sure if they are affiliated, but the Hubs in Mpls are also a co-op)

If you're in Minneapolis, try Sunrise on Lake Street. They work on lots of older bikes.

http://www.sunrisecyclerympls.com/

M9x1.0 threading is almost universal for front hub axles so most cones will at least thread on properly. Finding the proper thickness and configuration will be more difficult. Loose Screws list replacement cones in a bewildering variety of sizes. Go through their multi-page listing and see if a close match is available:

http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi...d=265746825591

As noted, Trek used a lot of Maillard hubs in the '80's and they weren't that good even new. An old LBS that has sold Treks for decades may even have a suitable cone sitting in their parts supply. In fact, I still have the front wheel that came on a used '87 Trek 560 I inherited from a friend and it has a 36H Maillard hub engraved:

Maillard
06 85
Made in France

Those places are awesome!
When I am at The Hub I am like a hog in a wallow. :D

Not really, a replacement cone has to match the original. You can see if they match by threading them on an axle face to face.

yes really ironwood , it worth a try . since mallard is no longer around ,one can try .