hey, Hi, help, lol, just getting back in the game, Im older(40s) put together an ok budget beginner bike, craigslist, ebay , trade etc, finally got some wheels on trade, Maivc rims with Ringle Hubs, older ones I guess, I have never had sealed hubs like this, just came back from a ride earlier, was fine heading out ,on way back it feels like when I stop pedaling t bike slows down faster than before with the factory rims. I can pick bike up and they spin fine off the ground, would they need regreased or skewer to tight? Never had sealed hubs , so not sure o maintenance, or is it my imagination?
Help! hubs freaking me out
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Anything that makes you think it's the hubs in particular? Have you taken it out again and found it still feels like it's dragging, or was it an isolated thing? Wheel didn't slide around in the dropout or anything like that? Is your skewer overly tight? Gotta ask, you weren't worn out, or riding slightly uphill or into a headwind on the way back were ya? I have times when I swear my brakes are dragging when it's actually just my lack of fitness.
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Sealed bearing hubs are typically easier to work on than adjustable ones. But the troubleshooting is basically the same. Pull the wheels off the bike and try turning the axles with your fingers. It's normal to feel some drag. Maybe even a lot. But the bearings should feel smooth.
If they feel rough, replace them. Bearings are most often pressed into the housing, so you'll need a bearing puller. A drift pin, punch or dowel and a hammer will do in a pinch. Try not to mar the housing. Keep the old bearing.
Get more of the same thing. Most bearings have the trade number printed on them somewhere. Clean the housing, apply anti-seize if you've got it or grease if you don't, press in the new bearings, and reassemble.
If you don't have a press, tap the bearings in with a dead blow hammer. Apply pressure only to the outer race. This is where the old bearing comes in.
I find a 2x4 with a hole in it to be helpful, to put behind the hub.
If they feel rough, replace them. Bearings are most often pressed into the housing, so you'll need a bearing puller. A drift pin, punch or dowel and a hammer will do in a pinch. Try not to mar the housing. Keep the old bearing.
Get more of the same thing. Most bearings have the trade number printed on them somewhere. Clean the housing, apply anti-seize if you've got it or grease if you don't, press in the new bearings, and reassemble.
If you don't have a press, tap the bearings in with a dead blow hammer. Apply pressure only to the outer race. This is where the old bearing comes in.
I find a 2x4 with a hole in it to be helpful, to put behind the hub.
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758 Posts
I haven't worked on sealed bearing hubs, but to echo what was said above, you need to take the wheels off the frame and see how they feel when you turn the axle to see if they need replacing.
If they turn smoothly it could be something else that is dragging. And it can even be something stupid. A couple of years ago I was riding my road bike and everything was fine until I shifter into the large chain ring then I hear a rubbing sound. I checked everything (I thought) and couldn't figure it out. I was convinced that it had something to do with the chain, freehub, or something that was an issue when the wheel was turning faster. Finally one day I noticed that the cable to the front derailleur had been bent back and when I shifter into the large chain ring it was rubbing against the tire, but it didn't when I was in the small chain ring. I did feel pretty stupid.
John
If they turn smoothly it could be something else that is dragging. And it can even be something stupid. A couple of years ago I was riding my road bike and everything was fine until I shifter into the large chain ring then I hear a rubbing sound. I checked everything (I thought) and couldn't figure it out. I was convinced that it had something to do with the chain, freehub, or something that was an issue when the wheel was turning faster. Finally one day I noticed that the cable to the front derailleur had been bent back and when I shifter into the large chain ring it was rubbing against the tire, but it didn't when I was in the small chain ring. I did feel pretty stupid.
John
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If they spin well when you spin them freely then I'd suggest a couple things:
1. Your brakes drag when the bike is weighted.
2. You were tired and looking for reasons why things felt harder on the way back.
3. You have some other problem like you picked up a slow leak flat.
If it were the hubs you would probably notice them slowing down when you freely spin them. Since that's not the case then it seems less likely that hubs are your problem. I will say that if you spin the back wheel freely and the chain goes slack on the top then you might need to service the freehub body. You didn't say if the wheels were new or not but Mavic freehub bodies need to be serviced more frequently than most others. Luckily it's very easy to do.
1. Your brakes drag when the bike is weighted.
2. You were tired and looking for reasons why things felt harder on the way back.
3. You have some other problem like you picked up a slow leak flat.
If it were the hubs you would probably notice them slowing down when you freely spin them. Since that's not the case then it seems less likely that hubs are your problem. I will say that if you spin the back wheel freely and the chain goes slack on the top then you might need to service the freehub body. You didn't say if the wheels were new or not but Mavic freehub bodies need to be serviced more frequently than most others. Luckily it's very easy to do.
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I did once have a situation where my wheels would spin freely any time except when I was on the bike. I'd get on, and they would drag like crazy, as well as the cog would get drag against the hub and rotate along with it. Ended up being a cracked axle (this was on a set of the original DeeMax DH wheels). Very very unlikely that you've got a problem like this without having put some really, really tough miles on the bike, but not impossible.
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