Hub rebuilds on a Marin Pallisades Trail '88

[vspike]

Hi-

I can't find much useful info on this online, but I may be searching for the wrong terms. I adjusted the cone bearings on this bike (still on original wheels and bearings) but I think they need a rebuild.

I also tried to get a local bike shop to true the rear wheel and they did an awful job - it's probably worse than when I gave it to them, or at least no better. When refitting the wheel I noticed that when you spin the rear wheel, the cassette flexes its angle slightly, making me think perhaps the axle is a little bent. I read somewhere this is a problem with the old style of rear axle/hub/bearing design.

So questions:-

• What parts do I need to rebuild the front and/or rear bearings? I'd guess the cone, ball bearings and maybe the plastic cap part.
• How easy is it to replace the rear axle too as part of this? Is there anything else I should pan to change, e.g. free wheel?
• At this point would I be better putting some newer parts on .. possibly even newer wheel with a modern hub? I'm not obsessed with correctness - it's just a bike to me. I like the fact that it's old and different, and I'll go for more correct stuff if I can ... but I also like the gains of newer tech in terms of maintenance etc. If there's a good balance to be found, perfect.

I still have the original rear cassette by the way, although I'm using a new Shimano Acera rear mech.

 

[xerxes]

Re:

When refitting the wheel I noticed that when you spin the rear wheel, the cassette flexes its angle slightly, making me think perhaps the axle is a little bent.

What's happening at the rim? Freewheels/cassettes do tend to wobble/rock a bit when you spin the wheel, it doesn't necessarily mean that the axle is bent. If the rim is running through the brake blocks without waggling from side to side or up and down more than a millimetre or so, then that's all good.

You can replace the axles, cones and ball bearings in hubs, but you generally find that if the cones are very worn, then so is the bearing surface in the hub body and you can't replace those.

 

[vspike]

Re: Re:

What's happening at the rim? Freewheels/cassettes do tend to wobble/rock a bit when you spin the wheel, it doesn't necessarily mean that the axle is bent. If the rim is running through the brake blocks without waggling from side to side or up and down more than a millimetre or so, then that's all good.

Ah, interesting. The rim is all over the place, but I think that's because the rim needs work rather than to do with the hub. I could be wrong though!

Your comment on the bearing is why I was wondering if this is a good opportunity to jump forward a decade or two by replacing with a newer wheel.

 

[vspike]

Re:

https://giphy.com/gifs/bike-wheel-rim-w ... PQnbwIwIyk

Not sure how well this works but here you go. This was *after* I paid the shop to true both wheels. They also failed to tighten the lock nut on the front cone so when I put the wheel on it was flapping around like crazy. I'll not be going there again.

 

[xerxes]

Re:

That's very poor if that's after they've had a go. I can do better than that and I've had no formal training in bicycle maintenance whatsoever.

However, it looks like it's just the rim and it's not out radially, the rim is only moving side-to-side, not up and down, which is slightly trickier to sort.

If you have a spoke key, it's not that difficult to do, the trick is to only make very small adjustments at a time, just 1/4 or 1/2 turns on a spoke nipple at a time. Have a read through some tips or watch some videos, they'll explain it better than I can: https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?hl=en&am ... ng+a+wheel

Failing that, where are you, someone should be able to recommend a decent shop nearby.

 

[vspike]

I think I've found a decent mechanic locally now, and there are other shops which are better and more reliable, so I'll chalk that up to experience. On this older bike it's a nice opportunity to learn how to do a few jobs myself, but having watched a few vids on rim truing I decided it was better left to someone with a proper jig!