- There is a lot of tech
crammed in to our mountain bike hubs.
So here are some simple tips to help you follow
to boost performance.
By bearing with me I hope to be able to
seal the deal and encapsulate -
end-capsulate (laughs) - some good points.
(dramatic mechanic sounds)
Hubs can be divided into two main subdivisions:
sealed, such as this one,
or loose, these ball bearings here.
Now, this second type is often called
cup and cone, because the bearings themselves
whirl on an interface on the axle, and of the hub itself.
(relaxed music)
Some free hubs are made a very light and exotic materials,
but that can mean that the driving forces being ran through
our steel cassettes can sometimes scar them.
Now something like this isn't too much of an issue.
But you can see steel cassettes go through
very soft alloy bodies like a hot knife through butter.
So what can you do?
Well, you can use a slightly higher end cassette
which often have a alloy spider,
or you can think about talking to the manufacturer directly,
and seeing if you can get a steel freehub body
if that's a problem you suffer from.
Assembly grease is absolutely fantastic
for assembling our bike componentry,
but that doesn't mean it's perfect for every application.
Take suspension, for instance.
It uses a very light suspension-specific grease
that is fit for purpose,
and freehubs have their own demands too.
If you go pumping some very thick assembly grease in here,
it is not only going to add drag to the system,
but it could also wear parts prematurely.
I would suggest using a very light freehub-specific grease
or, failing that,
you can use just a drop of wet lube
on each pool to keep your freehub running smooth.
Seals are there to provide a barrier
of the external elements
to keep all that muck and grit outside.
But even the most perfectly executed systems
will have the inherent drag.
In fact, most of the drag from a sealed bearing such as this
comes from the seal itself.
Now, if you want to, sometimes drastically,
increase your rolling speed,
you'd be amazed how much difference
removing that seal can make.
But please use some common sense here.
This might be a good idea for downhill racing,
but it probably isn't something to do
if you're a dab hand with a pressure wash.
So, maybe experiment at the odd race weekend,
but it's probably not suitable for day-to-day riding.
Beautiful bearing presses such as this headset press
are an absolute joy to use,
but sometimes they can be a little bit
out of reach for the home mechanic.
So, what's the next best alternative?
Well, once you've knocked the old bearings out
and you're looking to put the new ones in,
why not float them in with the old bearings?
They're the correct size,
and if you're having to drive them in using impact,
you don't risk damaging the new bearings
before you've even ridden them.
If the interface is quite deep,
it's sometimes worth putting
a little slot of cardboard or two
between the bearings.
Now this means that you're not going to accidentally
reinstall them both.
Another way to aid you installing bearings
is to use some carefully sized sockets.
Now, a few tips here.
I wouldn't use that interface,
that six point the spanner interface,
because it can actually ride up on the inside of the bearing
and be directing force
straight onto the ball bearings themselves,
which will almost definitely damage them.
One of these combined with the old bearing
can work wonders,
but I would use that end there
and go slowly,
you don't need to be absolutely swinging off the hammer.
Just tap it in, nice and easy.
It's also worth thinking about
how much this socket set means to you.
If it is really, really nice piece of kit,
you're probably better off
just getting some correct driving tools,
as opposed to just smashing it in
with what can be quite an expensive piece of kit.
Angular bearings feature in some hubs.
You might have seen them
with different colored seals on either side.
Now with these ones be really sure to install them
in the correct orientation,
else, you're going to be killing your bearings
before they've had a time to shine.
On an angular bearing,
you can also make a note of the thickness of the inner race.
Now the inner is often a lot thinner than the outer.
So that's a good way to see what you have going on.
Often the black seal faces inwards.
Now, these bearings,
and it's absolutely vital
that you don't put large amounts of force
through that inner race,
because you can punch it clean out,
leaving you with an outer race stuck in your freehub.
What I would recommend is taking your time,
looking at the instructions of your hub,
because they often have little notches on the inside
of which you can drive out on the outer race.
Now, I've mentioned this one before,
but it's one of my favorites.
Once you use a full roll of tuber's tape,
keep the inner plastic roll.
It's really handy for working wheels.
It not only means you've got a space to drive bearings into,
but it also means that that soft plastic
isn't going to damage your spokes or any part of your hub.
So it's really worth hanging on to.
When assembling or working on
quick-release axles that use a cup and cone system,
such as this one here,
it's really important to be very careful with preload.
Getting the preload right is absolutely vital.
And there are a few things I would note.
Sometimes the clamping force of that quick-release lever
will compress the axle slightly,
probably not with something as burly as this,
but with your kind of more entry level bikes,
it can definitely be a factor.
Now what that means is, you might get your preload
absolutely perfect when the wheel is out of the bike,
but as soon as you stall it into the bike
and do up that lever,
you might get, you know, large amounts of wear.
But really take your time with this, okay?
In my experience,
there's often a very, very small amount of play
when setting preload with the wheel out of the bike,
but that is remedied once that quick-release lever
is done up.
But nobody was born an expert.
The best way to get good at setting preload
on quick-release wheels
is practice,
and experience really is your friend here.
Another tip for loose bearing hubs
is that a magnet can really be your friend
when taking bearings out,
and a flat bladed screwdriver and some grease
can really help installation.
Now, your bearings themselves should be shiny.
If they're rough, and all kind of scarred,
then they're probably quite worn.
Similarly, if your cone has developed a defined ridge in it,
then it's probably on the way of wearing too.
As with a lot of things such as our drive trains,
these will wear together.
So be wary of that.
If your wheel is working perfectly,
but with quite worn bearings,
if you put some brand-spankers in there,
it can actually, sometimes,
create more problems than it solves.
As I mentioned earlier,
quick-release axles can often compress
and sometimes they can be vulnerable to bending.
Now, what's the best way to check this?
If you just put it on top of the counter
and roll it along like a rolling pin,
any bending will become immediately obvious.
And there we have it,
some simple tips to help you work on your hubs.
Now, if you want to stay with the channel,
click down here to see a pretty in-depth view
of how to true a wheel
and click down here to see some of the things
I've bodged and popped in to my toolbox.
As always, don't forget to like and subscribe,
and we'll see you next time.