jimwells41

I bought a Velosteel coaster brake hub already laced to a rim. The problem is that after I brake, I have to crank forward a revolution or two before the hub starts driving. Something seems wrong and LBS won't touch it. No response from Velosteel email. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.

TMike

Any reason why you are using a hub with a coaster break? There are a lot of other ways to keep your ride looking clean and simple without using such a component.

osiris419

You should bring it back to where you got it from and get a new one or have them fix it. That hub was probably assembled wrong.

lz4005

If it works anything like a Shimano coaster hub, your drive side cone nut may be loose. Its the nut on the axle closest to the hub shell.

If it isn't tightened properly it can partially unscrew when you use the brake, then you'd have to pedal forward to get it to re-engage. Check that first. If that isn't it, find a better LBS. Or ask in the mechanics forum.

You should be able to adjust it so there is no more than 1/4 revolution of play between braking and forward engagement.

The LT

Take the thing apart and put it back together or if you don't want to do that send it to me and I will dispose of it for you

jimwells41

Thank you for the responses to date. I bought it on the Internet so I can't take it back. lz4005's suggestions sound good. I got an email from Velosteel (in Czechoslovakia) today and they were mystified, so I don't think it is as simple as tightening a nut. Again, thanks.

velosteelguy

Hi Jim, If you bought the wheel on @bay, it must have been from me I think. Did you put any extra grease in the hub? The roller clutch is very sensitive to the type and amount of grease it has, if it is too sticky, the rollers will be slow to respond. With the factory grease in them, they seem to engage quite quickly. Please email me as soon as you get this message, and please feel free to contact me if you have any further issues with this hub. I would be happy to pay the shipping both ways in order to look at your wheel and make sure it is working properly. Contact me directly at: bikeguy(at)elegantwheels.net. BTW lz4005, it doesn't work anything like a shimano brake, it has a completely different clutch mechanism.

Unlike the shimano or bendix hub, the Velosteel only needs a light coating of grease to work properly and last a very long time. The rollers in the clutch need to be able to roll back and forth on their ramps freely in order to engage the shell. As long as there is not too much grease or too sticky, they work quite reliably.

velosteelguy

Hopefully Jim got his wheel going ok, if you are curious about velosteel hubs, check out my web site per my signature for more information.

Johnnnyc

Hey -

I think I got my Velosteel from you on ebay too. It makes a funny sort of clunk or click when I apply the brake. Ideas? Right now I'm favoring my wheels built with the KT hub.

jasonnc80

I had a custom wheel built off your ebay store. Velosteel to Velocity Fusion. Very well built, I love it

sk8vet

I think we need more feedback and resources on this subject. All the historical information (from jimv) is from 2004 when Velosteels were very hard to come by. They seem to be more readily available today, so maybe more people can comment.

In some of jimv's posts, it was recommended that Velosteels should be cleaned and repacked before use because they came with little grease from the factory (leading to clicking noises or other unusual behavior). Can anyone comment on this? Are there any how-to's or exploded diagrams about how to open up, clean, grease, and repack Velosteels?

clarknick67

Velosteel to Velocity Fusion?? any pic of it?

jasonnc80

Not atm, I'll try to grab some pics tonight

jasonnc80

Here are a couple pictures. Sorry they aren't the greatest quality but took them with my droid. I took a couple on my bike, disregard the fact it's being stripped atm for my other bike. It's also hard to tell but its a really nice chrome, looks good w/ the stainless spokes. My tire is flat too lol

velosteelguy

Hi Jason, thanks for the positive feedback on the wheel. I really enjoyed building your wheel for you, it turned out great.

velosteelguy

Hi John, sorry to hear you are having a problem with your wheel. I haven't come across this issue yet, but rest assured that I am ready to do whatever it takes to make your wheel work correctly. Contact me through the web site and we can get this taken care of. Thanks for the purchase!

velosteelguy

Here is a link (clidk on the thumbnail) to my Photobucket album for the Velosteel service instructions. Try it out and let me know if it makes sense. Just read the captions and click the next button for subsequent steps. Let me know how it works for you.

sk8vet

This is absolutely perfect! Thank you soooo much for putting that together. I compiled all the pics and comments into a pdf but it's too big to attach (3MB).

A couple of questions:

1. Do you have any comments on new Velosteels needing to be cleaned and regreased before use? I've read some comments that it's recommended, but there isn't much out there to confirm or deny this.
2. What do you use to clean the old grease off (and any recommendations on new grease)?
3. On your next to last picture you talk about tightening it and preload. Do you have feedback on how much to tighten (e.g., hand tighten then 1 full wrench turn)?

velosteelguy

Thanks for the positive comment. Thanks for making a PDF, if you don't mind sharing that, I would love to have a copy. bikeguy(at)elegantwheels(dot)net.

1.I don't think the hubs need any more grease than they have as delivered. The habit of heavily greasing coaster brakes has made people think that the Velosteel is under lubricated. I think all the engagement problems are related to people taking the hubs apart and stuffing them with thick grease.

2.I use Simple green to clean all my bike parts. I have an ultrasonic cleaner, but a bowl and a toothbrush will do the job as well. Of course if you have access to a parts cleaner of some kind that is the easiest. As far as grease, something very light, I have used Phil Wood in the past, but now I think it is too thick. I haven't done any research on the grease and what is available yet, but I'm sure there are lots of appropriate products out there. Something close to the consistency of Vaseline is what you are looking for. If anyone finds something good, please share. I will of course be looking for a recommendation, but haven't done so yet.

3.Well, there really isn't a fixed number of turns to adjust a hub. You have to feel your way. You want the bearings to move freely, but have NO play. You want the slightest amount of contact. You want to avoid having pressure from the preload wearing out the bearings and adding drag. It is kinda like spokes, you want them all to take the load, if there is slack, only the two bearings at the bottom of the race carry the entire load.

velosteelguy

I got the PDF that sk8vet made, and it is awesome, thank you very much! If anyone wants a copy of it, contact me through my web site at my signature and I'll forward it to you. I will try to post it on the web site as well. I have really had good luck with these hubs so far, If those who are intersted want to contribute any tips for optimizing their use, post the ideas here so we can all benefit. Thanks again for all the positive comments, and be sure to contact me if you have any questions about the Velosteel hubs.