yayoloco

Hello,

A few days ago I snapped the front axle on one of my bikes, so I got a replacement axle with new cones and adjusted it no problem.
I also decided to take a look on the rear axle, so I took it apart and I gave it a good cleaning. Upon inspection, the cones and races were in pretty good condition; only one cone had a tiny scratch of the size of a pinhead.

I'm going to replace the axle and bearings, but I live in a remote area, so getting new parts takes a while. In the mean time I decided to remount the axle. And then my frustation began.

My procedure is as follows:

I take the wheel and I put the "fixed" side of the axle on a vice. Then I adjust the other cone just enough so it does not have any play (finger tight). I lock it in place using a cone wrench, and I tight the locknut against the cone. As far as I know, this should work no problem. But what happens is that even if the cone did not move AT ALL (I have tried for several hours), the bearings end up so tight that the wheel barely spins. Even if I let the cone loose and I tight the locknut, it ends up almost seized.

I also have tried not having the fixed side of the axle on a vice, and just locking the cone and tightening the locknut against it, but then I have the opposite problem: the cones end up loose. Even if I preload the cone a lot, when I tight the locknut the cones ends up loose.

Really, I dont even know what to do anymore. I have adjusted a handful of cones in my life, but I have never faced an issue like this. I understand that having a damaged cone can cause issues getting the right amount of preload, but I feel that this is a different problem.

Please, I would appreciate if someone could tell if im doing something wrong or if is just that the whole axle is busted. Thanks.

CliffordK

I do similarly... Lock down one side. Then adjust the other side.

I'll lock the second side down to about 70% of my desired tightness. Then check. If loose, put two 17mm wrenches on the two lock nuts and tighten. It should be able to slightly move the cone and tighten.

If tight, put on two cone wrenches, and loosen slightly.

Keep in mind that the QR may tighten the cones slightly when you install the wheel.

CliffordK

I've been polishing cones for a while. I bought a couple of broken axle stubs from the local bike co-op.

Then I screw the cone and lock nut onto the axle stub backwards. Put in a drill or drillpress, and hit with successive sandpaper from 220 to 600 oiled. I get pretty close to a mirrored polish on the cones and can work out fine imperfections.

I can't say about case hardening, but if there is a case hardened rough surface, that won't work for me anyway.

Narhay

After doing it hundreds of times it is still trial and error. If your bearing balls are slightly worn that can affect the feel. Sometimes it helps to turn the other end with a wrench to adjust the adjustable side. I find the threaded portions sometimes have a little groove they like to sit in so it takes some adjusting on both sides at times.

zacster

It is trial and error to me too. I start by feel, trying to get the cone right and then tighten, holding the opposite axle and cone relative to each other and tightening the locknut. Then I feel. If too tight, I'll unlock and loosen the cone a bit relative to the opposite axle and retighten, if too loose the opposite. I keep doing this until I get it smooth as buttah. I then fully tighten by backing off the cone against the opposite axle to ever so slightly loosen it so that the QR takes up that little slack.

I've done 3 hubs recently, which is a lot considering my main ride uses sealed bearings. 2 on my almost never used MTB and one on my daughter's bike. The other on that bike probably needs it too but I haven't checked.

2cam16

Same here after doing gazillion of them. It's just the norm,really. Just take your time and you'll eventually get it right.

79pmooney

With your technique, you are forcing the locknut against the cone and pushing it to the hubside limit of the threads, whereas when you hand tightened to "perfect", the cone was pushing (lightly) against the outboard limit of the threads, I do my cones similarly. but - I back off the cone a touch before tightening the locknut KEEPING the cone wrench on the cone and in my other hand. after tightening the locknut, I remove wrenches, loosen the vise (another secret - use a vise and keep yhour vices out of the shop ), and spin the axle - looking for a tiny bit of play if it is a quick release hub. If not perfect (and first try rarely is) I put the axle back in the vise. Wrench back on the cone, Now I loosen the locknut and turn the cone wrench a small distance to correct. Loosen vise and repeat. So, I always have my left hand on the cone wrench and just do little turns on it to finesse the cone to perfect (or to the best that hub can get).

I hope I have helped you understand that you cannot hand tighten the cone first because there will always be play in the threads. How much depends on manufacturers tolerances but really doesn't matter, It is always there. (Even if there was zero play, just tightening the locknut would force all the threads of the axle and cone to bend and deform a little, doing the same thing. The cone moves in and tightens the bearings.) So, hand tighten as before, Back off say 1/8th of a turn. Now tighten the locknut and check for smoothness and play. Repeat until smooth and enough play that when the quick release is closed, the play at the rim just goes away, no more.

For a wheel with no quick release, adjust to no play at the rim, coming from the side of noticeable play and stopping when you are just there.

Ben

Andrew R Stewart 

I was going to post the technique error but Ben beat me to it. BTW it's far easier to feel/sense a loose bearing adjustment (after all cones and lock nuts are fully counter tightened) if the adjustment is a tad loose. Then trial and error redo the adjustment with one side's cone being SLIGHTLY further threaded onto the axle before tightening the lock nut. Then test for slop again. The quickie method is to start a atd loose and counter tighten the two lock nuts. Usually (but not always) the cones will follow and thread closer to each other while they stay tightened against their respective lock nuts. Andy

70sSanO

One question...

... did you make sure there isn’t a bearing left somewhere in the hub? ... behind the cup?

This isn’t going to help with the tightening issue, you have already been given advice on that, but it will make it impossible to get the bearings adjusted correctly. This happened to me once and since then I have been more diligent in counting bearings out as much as bearings in.

John

CliffordK

I think you've hit it. I always adjust cones with the wheel loose. So, one side is tight, the other side is being tightened. And, both the cone and lock nut move slightly when locking down, hopefully moving to a place generally preserving the cone's position.

By putting the axle in the vise and holding the cone wrench fixed, then one is pushing the cone to one side.

Mad Honk 

After teaching the adjustments for about (a long time) it is fairly easy to get it right. The threads on the axles have the same number on them and easiest way to get it right is to lock the fixed bearing race side in a vise, and adjust from the other side Spin the cone down to the bearing until it starts to stop and back the cone off 1/4 turn and then tighten the lock nut. works every time. Smiles, MH

davidad

If the balls still have their finish they are not worn.

yayoloco

Thank you all for your help, I'll post an update on the matter.

Your explanation was crystal clear, I'm definitely going to try your method. I never thought that the locknut could compress the threads of the axle, but it makes sense. Thank you very much. You have teached me a couple of things today (also, the difference between vices and vises )

No sir, no bearings left on the hub. It happened to me once and since then I always double check before putting back the axle.

sweeks

I like using an axle vise (like THIS ONE, though it's easy to improvise an equivalent set-up) when I'm adjusting bearings on a quick-release hub. This allows the adjustment to be made with the axle compressed so it will be perfect on the bike.

davidad

I know that there is a tool for this, but I have been using a 7/16" nut over the drive side axle to adjust my bearings. I put a skewer through it and the axle with the end cap on the NDS. I Tighten the QR and snug the locknut against the cone and adjust the bearing either with the locknut or the cone depending on which will give me a light preload on the bearing. When I open the QR there is a slight amount of play in the bearing that goes away when the wheel is installed.

yayoloco

Sorry for the late response, and thank you all for the help. I really appreciate it.

I used the method described by 79pmooney combined with the nut and QR trick by davidad. The result was perfect. I never thought that I could get such good bearing preload.

Hopefully this info will help others with the same issue.

davidad

I'm glad to help.