Originally Posted by degan

Oh man, I'm glad this thread was resurrected.

So, my girlfriend has a set of matching wheels with Helicomatic hubs that, I believe, are original to her 82 Trek 560. They are in really great condition but we are planning on biking across the US this summer and I've been worrying about having those wheels on there for thousands of miles. Do you guys think it would be wise to get a different, more common, wheelset? The bike came with all the tools to take the hub apart but even if we can get it apart finding replacement parts will be darn near impossible while on the road.

Originally Posted by degan

we are planning on biking across the US this summer and I've been worrying about having those wheels on there for thousands of miles. Do you guys think it would be wise to get a different, more common, wheelset? The bike came with all the tools to take the hub apart but even if we can get it apart finding replacement parts will be darn near impossible while on the road.

Originally Posted by jdefran

I too am glad this thread was resurrected. This past weekend I purchased an 1984 Trek 510 (with these hubs) to serve as a daily driver. I am going to service the hubs along with everything else this weekend...kinda nervous about finding something that will require replacing

Originally Posted by Chombi

Make sure you inspect the Helicomatic hub bearings and races very carefully. You might as well just change the bearings to new ones just to be sure as it will be a very cheap thing to do. They had problems with them breaking up. I had two hubsets have their bearings go to hell within the year I bought the bikes they came in. Seems like later Helis did not die on owners as soon/easily and I think they did come out with a sealed bearing version later that was even better.

Chombi

Originally Posted by jdefran

Thank you, exactly what I was thinking. Coincidently, my LBS and ace hardware are both out of them (don't have enough to complete the job at least) for the time being...probably going to snag them off ebay. Does the grade of stainless steel matter?

Originally Posted by balindamood

IMHO, like most things French, they got it 80% spot-on, but the 20% which they missed sank the boat. The right bearing races were moved outboard slightly, but not enought to really releive rear axle stress like Shimano's freehub. They were small bearings with small cones to fit inside the freewheel. The result is they wear out fast if not kept clean, adjusted and well lubicated. The cones were not especially hard, which only made matters worse. You will not find another set of cones easily. If they are used, they will likely be pitted just like the ones you will be trying to replace.

Under Shimano's system, a.k.a. the freehubs we still have today, they were not bashfull about making the hub/cone thing with a greater diameter, resulting in better bearing life under load and poor operating conditions. Had the Heliocromatic system increased their freewheel internal diameter 1/4 inch, I think they would have fared better becasue they are ALOT easier to service than the traditional screw-on freewheels.

Originally Posted by Captain Blight

So carry a few dozen extra bearings and a couple-three extra cones with you. The hubs are a drug on the market on Ebay, you can pick them up literally for five bucks apiece. Buy them, salvage the cones and bearings if they're in good shape, polish them up and install them on your shelf, knowing you have the parts you need to keep your good hubs rolling for years to come.

They came as standard equipment on the good old steel Trek touring bikes. That doesn't speak to poor quality and Helicomatics have logged many many thousands of miles. Just... be aware that they have their quirks. If you wiegh much more than about 180 lb, though, consider another hub choice.

Originally Posted by mazdaspeed

So once again, what do I need to do to this thing to keep it from breaking? Cause at the moment, it probably only has a couple hundred miles on it.

Originally Posted by garage sale GT

Many of the helicomatic models were designed to work with standard cones, although they use smaller bearing balls on them.

Originally Posted by HMU 4 The Loud

Take the lockring off, remove the freewheel, inspect the bearings, inspect the cones, lube up everything, put it back together (with the right tools), and it should last you indefinitely. Remember to grease the threads on the freewheel lockring to prevent it from siezing into place. Also, take it to LBS to have them service whatever you can't or don't have time for.