CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Strange humming from my rear hub

(10 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by DaveC
  • Latest reply from Roibeard
  • This topic is not a support question

  1. DaveC
    Member

    I have a old wheel, ~3 years old, which was a rebuild from an even older wheel (3 year again??). The hub is the same, a Shimano Tiagra. Its built into a Mavic Open Sport rim. While prepping my Audax bike for the weekend I knoticed it was noisy and suspected the bearings. Spinning the rear wheel on the stand and feeling the non spinning part of the axle I could not feel any worrying vibration. I listened closely and figured it was NOT the tyre against the mudguard (skool boy error). So I started to suspect the freehub where the casette is mounted.

    I changed the wheel for a newer spare one but am now thinking about fixing this wheel. There is some wear on the rim but rather than spend money on a new Tiagra hub and have the faff od changing it over, I wondered if anyone had seen / heard this before and if it could be fixed by swapping the wheel/freehub bearings for new ones? Is it easy? are bearings easy to get hold of?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. Cyclops
    Member

    As Shimano hubs are cup and cone they use loose bearings which are cheap and easy to get hold of (they most likely use 1/4 inch bearings, 9 on each side). I've got loads of packets of them and could bring some on Saturday if you're not in a rush.

    To change them you need to remove the axle lock nut and cone from one side and the axle should slide out the hub. Then just replace the bearings, stick plenty grease in and put it all back together again.

    The freehub bodies on Shimano aren't really serviceable and best replaced if that's playing up.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. DaveC
    Member

    Yes please Cyclops! That would be great. The thought of swapping out the hub and rebuilding the wheel would be a pita and I'd have most probably have just bought a new hub. Let me know how much I owe and I'll bring cash on Friday eve.

    EDIT: Oh forgot to say, there is a very slight amount of play in the free hub. Once I took off the cassette to put on your wheel, I tried wiggling the freehub, and it has a tiny amount of play. Is this normal.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Cyclops
    Member

    A very slight amount of play is nothing to worry about - it should be detectable more by feel rather than you can see the free hub wobbling about.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. DaveC
    Member

    Cool, well I'll give the new bearings a try and see if it fixes it. How much are they btw? Not more than a new Tiagra hub is it?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. Cyclops
    Member

    Not unless you can get a new Tiagra hub for less than a quid.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. DaveC
    Member

    Upadet; I fittted those new bearing but the hum/grumbling from the rear wheel is still there. As there is some wear on the rim, I think I'll just run it into the ground on my summer commuter.

    I have an XT Deore hub which I can squeeze into the rear of the Dawes. I have spokes and a new rim from my LBS and will see about biulding a new wheel in the next coulpe of weeks. I need to read the section on wheel building again in ZIN and perhaps speak to Baldcyclists for any tips.

    Dave C

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Interestingly I had a "rattling" noise in the rear hub lastnight that I noticed when putting a new casette on. Turns out one of the bearings on the drive side had come loose on a previous removal of the axle to inspect/regrease and had been rolling around inside the hub shell all that time.

    Amazingly there appears to be no damage, all the bearings and race surfaces were still smooth and shiny, so I regreased and popped it right back in. Rattle - gone!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Aye, happy to give tips, or come over. I found it fun, and my wheel stil works, and is more or less true. :)

    no1 tip though is: don't try to squeeze a disc hub onto a non disc frame for truing. Although there is only 5mm difference in hub size. When I first trued my disc wheel it was perfect in the road bike frame, but when transferred onto the CX bike totally warped, couldn't understand why for a while. I think best to true wheel in frame it's going to be used on (if that frame has blocks, and is fairly close fitting to the wheel), even better on a stand (I will probably purchase one for next build).

    no2 tip: If you don't buy a stand, DO buy (or bribe Dave of Bike Shed with wine) a dish stick. I thought the wheel was perfectly centre in the frame, but left hand corners felt all wrong, dish was out. Once that was sorted the ride was much better.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. Roibeard
    Member

    Wee tip for the dish stick - allegedly these can be easily made from thick cardboard and a spoke.

    Or cardboard and a pencil...

    I don't have enough experience building wheels to say if this is a good idea, but it seems to have worked for me, particularly given that a Pino compatible 20" dishing tool is ~£50 (Park WAG 4) although if you're in 24"+ territory they are cheaper Park/Minoura folding/portable models for ~£25.

    Robert

    Posted 10 years ago #

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