I'm rebuilding a 2nd-hand mountain bike.

Taking apart the front hub I found it a bit puzzling.
It has a "Voodoo" logo on it, but that's also the name on the frame, so it may just be an OEM.
The skewer is Shimano branded.

Took it apart and replaced the bearings okay.

The unusual thing to me is the outside nut and a "shroud" attached to it. (3rd & 4th images, Voodoo3.jpg, Voodoo4.jpg.)




The nut is a normal looking steel locknut. But it's embedded into a rigid plastic cone with an aluminium shell.
I would expect to see some spacers and the locknut and a soft rubbery conical dustcap. That's what's on the rear, Shimano, hub.

If I tighten the nut up, the shroud is jammed onto the shell and the hub is immobilised.
It seems that I should set it so there is a small gap between the inner face and the hub shell.
But there is nothing to secure it, the nut can rotate and move easily.

When the wheel is inserted in the fork and the QR engaged the nut should not be mobile, but I feel uneasy about this.
If the nut does rotate the wheel could lock up suddenly, or come loose in the forks.

Is anyone familiar with this style of hub, am I doing it right?
I'm sure I didn't lose any parts, it looks all reassembled as it was when I got it.
Any online references?

The nuts look to be sitting on the bearing, not the hub shell, they also interface with the fork, so at no point, should the be in a position to lock-up the wheel. Attach them, and spin the wheel, and this should be the case; hold the the nuts, and the wheel/hub will spin freely.

For them being rigid vs rubber, different manufacture = different design

I think you're looking at picture #2 , with the outside "shroud-nut" removed.
Look at #1 and you see the inner face of the shroud is flush with the hub shell.

From the centre: cup/balls/cone/locknut/shroud-nut/fork/QR
The inner locknut is on the cone, that's fine.
Its the space between the nuts that weirds me out.

A soft cover adds an imperceptible drag. This hard one can lock the wheel if tightened.

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Playing with this a bit more, I think there is a part missing: on the inner face of the shroud there is a ledge. (You can see this in picture #1.) A plastic washer could fit there that would give a slippery seal and stop the metal-to-metal contact that would lock the hub.

When I was taking it apart there was some sticky gunk there that I cleaned out, probably the decayed remains of that.
So I either need to find a replacement for this plastic washer (unlikely to find) or look for a more conventional hub I can cannibalise to convert it to a spacer nuts and rubber dustcover.

my guess .. the cone and locknut are what hold the bearing adjustment . the shroud nut can be finger tight

it functions like a spacer might , between the cone and locknut . bring the outside to 10cm.. like the fork is ..

in fact if it drags on the dust shield add a thin flatwasher under it Or between the cone and locknut.


FWIW, some hubs on modestly priced bikes are using a rubber shroud for appearance and keeping lots of crud out.

Yes. I worked that out.



The thing I worry about is that there is no spacer.
The shroud nut is not locked.
There is just a gap between this and the cone lock nut.

If it moves in, the wheel QR is loosened, if I survive that a bit more and its rim jams into the hub shell.

I think I will just throw this shroud nut away and add some normal spacer(s) and an outer lock nut. If I can find a rubber shroud to fit I'll put that on, otherwise just go commando.

It doesn't have to be, mechanically .. the axle nut holding the wheel in the dropout holds the whole thing in the frame.

buy new wheels .. the hub design integrated the rubber boot , it is not an add on.

The axle nut presses against the fork. If the nut inside the fork moves then the fork can flex, and the axle nut is less tight.


And I still have to worry about it suddenly jamming into the hub.

Maybe this is just paranoia. But I've never seen this design on another wheel and I am highly suspicious of it.



Not an option for me. Would cost more than the whole bike did.
They aren't a mechanical part of the wheel, (unlike these solid shroud nuts).
As long as they are approximately the right size, it will be good enough.

Could you put a spacer between the bearing locknut and the inside of the shroud to give it's nut something solid to tighten against while leaving it clear of the hub shell?

That would be ideal, if i could find one narrow enough to fit inside the shroud.
I'm rummaging through my scrap parts.


So no one else has seen this kind of set up?
I didn't lose any parts, but maybe someone working on it in the past did.