Help!!! After advice with hubs rebuilds.

[alans27]

Hello, can anyone help me? I've picked up a Scott MTB the other week and it's got a problem with the rear hub. Basically it sounded rough and there appeared to be float in the rear freehub. The cogs would move about a bit when it freewheeled. So upon the advice of my lbs I've renewed the the freehub today and got some new bearings for the wheel too. I've rebuilt many a hub before but this one is being awkward! Basically i'm tightening up the bearings to the point where it binds and won't spin freely yet there is still play on the freehub side.
If I put it on the bike and spin the wheel you can see movement up and down in the freehub on the axle. The bearings are the same size as the old ones, they fit perfect on the none freehub side so should be fine for the freehub side althought there does seem to be plenty of room in there. I've fitted nine bearing either side so that's ok, so the only thing I can think of is the axle may be bent. But my lbs tells me they hardly ever bend! But if I turn the axle when the wheel is not on the bike it does look like there is slight up and down movement of the axle on the freehub side.
Question is, can anyone think of anything else I may have over looked here that could be causing this? I rebuilt the front hub the other day and never had a problem, there's always one isn't there!! :x

 

[mass199]

Is the hub or cones worn, is the cone the correct size?

 

[alans27]

Just double checked the part number and it is correct plus it's identical to the old freehub. I got the part number off the shimano tech website as well. It has to be right. Better bloody had be anyway lol.
But the play does appear to be all in the freehub side. Hmm I still suspect a bent axle here as when I turn it i'm sure it's got up and down movement unless it's my eyesight.

 

[marc two tone]

bent axle i reckon. easy thing to swap out too.

quick release type, yes?

 

[FluffyChicken]

What hub are we dealing with ?
Roll the axle on the bench, kitchen table/ something flat and see what happens.

 

[fettler]

hub rebuild

Frustrating isn`t it? You spend an hour covered in dirty grease hoping things will get better! All my Shimano freehubs have a bit of float in them whereas all my Hope hubs have none. If it`s enough to make your gears misbehave I`d strip it down & roll the spindle across a piece of glass or a window & check for bends & wobbles. Did you change the bearing cones too? Are these intefering with the hub body? I`ve seen some cheaper bearing cones where the race isn`t concentric to the spindle bore making it impossible to tighten the bearings correctly.

 

[ishaw]

If you think it's the axle, put it back in the other way round and see if the play switches to the other side - just a thought.

 

[alans27]

Well just ordered a new axle off ebay complete with the end bits (can never remember what they are called) so hopefully one i've changed all that it'll solve the problem. My thinking is if the axle is bent then the cone can't be seating properly on the end so hopefully this will fix it.

 

[alans27]

Sh** never thought of that Ishaw! Ah well a new axle is ordered now so we'll see. Thanks anyway.[/quote]

 

[hamster]

If you think it's the axle, put it back in the other way round and see if the play switches to the other side - just a thought.

Can you do that? I though the flat part on the axle (where the threads are ground down) was to stop it grinding on the freewheel body lock bolt.