twobiscuits

XC v. XC9000 hubs

I have a Q about SunTour hubs. I have a pair of XC 9000s, threaded freewheel version with a solid threaded axle. They are excellent, bombproof, bearings are easy to replace, really a very simple design, just very well made. I got them > 30 years ago with a touring bike I'm still using.
Now I have just acquired another old frame very similar to that bike, just a touch smaller (I'm older & stiffer). Considered resetting the read dropouts wider, but I find that an IRD freewheel is working fine, so that's the bottleneck with continuing to use 126-mm threaded freewheels/hubs pretty much solved. With that it seems viable to stick with this kind of hub and have 2 interchangeable pairs of wheels for the two bikes.

My question is, I have a chance to get a pair of SunTour XC hubs, also with the solid threaded axle. Are these essentially the same as the XC 9000 (the XC are mid 80s, the XC9000 are the 1989 model) – or do they have any quirks that make them difficult or a bad idea?
Two points in particular:

1. Over on Velobase there's a comment to the effect that these have an odd sized bearing you can't get. I find that highly implausible. The XC 9000s have 6001 12-28 bearings. Anyone know what bearings are in the XCs? I can't post a link bc I'm new here, but it's not too hard to find.
2. There's this odd shaped thing on one end that needs a special wrench (is it the GreaseGuard thing?) I could make the wrench if I have to, but can't you just unscrew the other end of the axle instead?

Many thanks to anyone who can enlighten me on this 👍🙏

masi61

I am curious what others will say in response to your question. I like the XC 9000 hubs and find that it is very similar to Superbe Pro hubs. The XC Pro hubs I believe were the updated version of the XC 9000 and these got the GG (patented WTB Grease Guard) micro grease ports.

I believe you are on the right track about the XC hubs. I worked on a co-worker’s vintage Cannondale touring bike that had these. I believe they have a sticker on the hub barrel that says “sealed bearings” on it. Also the end caps are as you describe with a unique lockring dust cover that requires a proprietary SunTour tool. If you keep checking eBay for SunTour, eventually these tools pop up at a sensible price (not $60 like some people try to charge). Sorry I don’t know the part # of the tool. I also cannot speak to how to replace or even how to adjust these bearings since I never opened them up on the bike that I encountered. I wanted to disassemble them though since they weren’t entirely smooth but for lack of the correct tool my friend said don’t worry about it. I ended up just taking some Mother’s mag wheel polish to the hub shells to give them a shine and lubed the freewheel and they seemed to roll Ok.

noobinsf 

Do you mean these? https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.a...490f7&Enum=110

If so, then those have cartridge bearings, which shouldn't need any servicing for the life of the hub. I happened upon a wheelset with Cyclone hubs that have cartridge bearings, and they're great. Here's an image of the brochure I found on the interwebs, and it's the same cartridge bearings that the XC linked above would have.

https://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?...serialNumber=2

T-Mar

I used to have set of these hubs many decades ago, on a Norco. I don't know the bearing designation/size, as I never had to service the bearings. However, I find it hard to believe that SunTour designed around non-standard cartridge bearings, especially one that is only slightly smaller. It would increase the price and/or decrease their profit margin.

The Cyclone page posted by noobinsf is interesting in that it appears to be the same page used for XC hub, except for the large photo at the top. The sectioned diagram even shows an XC hub with the more substantial dust cap,intended to provide extra protection in off-road conditions. Unfortunately, the SunTour small parts catalogue of the era does not even give a SunTour part number for the cartridge bearings.

There's no need for Greaseguard on a sealed cartridge bearing hub. Greaseguard was a small, flush, Zerk-like fitting located on the hub barrel, just medial of the spoke flanges. I assume that the feature to which the OP is referring, is the black dust cap.

Attached is a photo of the two special tools marketed for Suntour's cartridge bearing hubs, the TS-340 Bearing Remover and the TA-260 adjusting spanner, with the three prong end being used to remove the black dust caps.

FWIW, I have used the TA-340 to remove and install 6001 cartridge bearings on Gipiemme and HED hubs/wheels. The diameter of the installation driver is 0.2mm under 28mm, which seems appropriate for a 6001 bearing that is meant to be a press fit.

dmark 

I'd love to know where my TS-340 is hiding.

Saudadeii

My '84 Univega GT came with Suntour hubs. They don't say what model they are but they are sealed bearings. I had to replace the rear wheel once upon a time but I still have the hub. I've never had to service either of them (still have the front one on the bike).

Bearings usually have a number on them. You can likely find one at McMasters if you need one (or two).

Hobbiano 

I believe it's a TA-260. Someone was selling copies that looked pretty good on ebay a while back.

T-Mar

I said it was a TA-260, in the 2nd to last paragraph of my previous post.

Hobbiano 

My apologies. For some reason I read TA-340.

twobiscuits

That's reassuring. In the meantime my new IRD freewheel decided to unscrew itself and deposit its bearings on the road, so I'm just taking a small pause to make sure I can fix that. It doesn't seem like rocket science; Sheldon/John have a good description of what has to be done. But as the new hub decision is based on having a supply of reliable threaded freewheels into the future, I’mma make sure the freewheel is OK first. The IRD 7-speed's ratios are ideal for me, btw, with 13-32 teeth; I don't see another current model out there with these sprockets (the shimano ones with a 24-34 jump aren't very helpful). Combined with my 50-40-24 chainset (soon to be 48-44-24 bc of the step from 14 to 13 teeth at the back) I can have everything I need for pootling along comfortably on the flat while also climbing the hills around here, which have a lot of very steep bits.

twobiscuits

(had to strip out the links bc still a newbie)

yeah pretty much those. with an even bigger "sealed bearings" sticker suggesting that they're really the first such model.

the ones you linked the brochure for look identical to my xc-9000s. they have a thin metal dust cap over the bearings, which works fine. the earlier ones seem to have this more elaborate part that needs the special tool. if that's the only difference everything is cool.

re "the life of the hub" mine are 30 years old and i just replaced the bearings i think it was the year before last. once you have the tools, it's easy. the bearings themselves, even in the version specifically marketed for bikes, eg enduro, cost peanuts. the old ones weren't close to failing, had possibly developed a tiny bit of play in the rear wheel (barely perceptible movement when pushing the rim from side to side) & their grease had long since dried up. new ones gave the bike I *think* – though it may be a placebo effect – a feeling of rolling a little bit better. so the life of the hub is … indefinite. they could still be fine after I’m gone :-)

twobiscuits

The bottom one of those looks exactly like the ones I'm looking at.

I've seen pics of the tool around. With a bit of patience it would also be possible to make a replica of that, I think.

Thanks