80sTourist

Hi all,

I repacked a front hub I haven't worked on before and can't get rid of the clicking. (It wasn't clicking before I repacked it, just sluggish and overdue for an overhaul.) Bike is a 2016 Kona Sutra; hubs are Shimano Deoro.

I adjusted the cones so there was minimal play that went away when I reefed down the QR, and got constant clicking when I spun the wheel and put my ear next to the hub. Figured it was grease starvation. (This is the first hub I've owned that has dust covers you're not supposed to remove when cleaning and repacking. Not a fan; I like to see how clean the bearing cups are and know exactly how much grease I'm putting in.)

So I took the hub apart again and squeezed more grease on the bearings.

Re-adjusted for minimal play when lightly mounted, and none when reefed down. Clicking's reduced now, but still audible when I spin the wheel and put my ear next to the hub.

I gave bearings, cones, and cups a thorough eyeball inspection when I cleaned them; nothing dramatic there. (I suppose they could be pitted or brinneled at a magnified level, but I wouldn't expect that to cause this kind of noise.)

Any ideas? Thanks.

dsbrantjr

Maybe it's still a little too tight?

blamester

No hub is perfect after you open it.
If you have to put your ear to the hub to hear it it's o.k. It's not going to suddenly stop working and the noise may go away with some miles on it.
Or may not go away but never get any worse

80sTourist

Brilliant, Blamester! That's what I needed to hear. My old hubs I could adjust down to nothing but a whirr, even through a stethoscope, but these never seem to make it there. Also, I've seen in some fora where responders have said that Shimano hubs just do that. They're never completely quiet again. So I'll ride around a bit and keep my, er... ear... on the situation.

Thanks also, dsbrantjr. I doubt that's the case here, since it took me forever both times to find the place where the quick release would take all the play out, but it's something else I can investigate.

Still attending for other answers, if forthcoming. Thanks again.

dsbrantjr

One of these might save some time: https://www.steintool.com/portfolio-...ub-axle-vises/

Mackers

Maybe a ball bearing dropped into the hub by accident and now it's stuck between the axle and the hub shell.

On second thought that seems unlikely since you took it apart again....

Andrew R Stewart 

People often make the same mistake twice, which is why people often don't catch wrong answers on a test when they double check before handing it in to the teacher.

Not saying the OP did make a mistake just that he's both the student and the teacher where both have never done this job before. Not what you'd want if it was your bike being serviced.

The first thing I thought of is one too many balls on one side. The second is if the cone has a dust cap pressed onto it and if this cap is catching on the hub's dust cap. One should apply enough grease so on reassembly excess grease is squeezed out and gets wiped off. Andy

80sTourist

Thanks! I definitely got squeeze-out this time around.

80sTourist

That's a fascinating device, and not too expensive. (Actually, downright cheap.) I'll have to get one. Thanks!

Tandem Tom

Andy, we're supposed to wipe it off!😃😃😃