randalll

im washing a pair of Rock Shox J1's from an old Giant bike i'm servicing/re-building

i've just washed the wheels, tyres and inner tubes in warm, soapy water in the bath tub

can i do the same for the forks?


also, on the rear wheel, what's the part called that the cassettes fit onto, the cylindrical plastic part.

i think that needs replacing, it doesnt spin very smoothly.


i'd like to know how the wheels are made up.. could anyone post a link to a webpage about it? any other wheel parts that may need replacing? the rims look suprisingly good for their age, they were fairly cheap at the time too.. i'll keep the wheels if i can service them properly.



thanks

randall

estabro

I would not do that in the bath tub... rinse it with a hose gently and use a rag or soft brush to get rid of the crud.

bikinfool

Well, that's the first I've ever heard of someone literally bathing their wheels...a little AR in my mind.

The part(s) cassettes fit onto shouldn't be plastic, at least I've never seen one. There are a couple basic types but try this article for basic type https://www.sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html. Look around on that site for a lot of good general information on the makeup of bicycles and components...

I'd just generally wipe the fork stanchions off with a clean cloth, if you have to wet them do not direct pressurized water at the seals (or any bearings for that matter).

randalll

thanks for the replies

yeah ive just checked and they are metal, they just look deceptively like plastic. i'll have them replaced if it's worth the hassle.

why shouldn't you wash tyres and wheels in the bath? it cant do them any damage surely? if they were brand new i might not, but these ones would probably sell for a fiver, and giving them a scrub down in the bath gets rid of the mud

Shimagnolo

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that you are single.

randalll

lol good guess.

neil0502

In an ideal world:

• wheels have hubs
• hubs have grease
• grease doesn't always hold up well to immersion

IMHO, if you're careful to avoid the above pitfall, you could wash the wheelset in your (bachelor) tub.

Forks? Keep chemicals away. Soft rag, dampened with water, should be enough. You just need to be careful about getting anything inSIDE the fork that could deteriorate seal quality.

randalll

too late to worry about the hubs on these wheels

time bandit

i think by "cylindrical plastic part the cassetttes fit on to", he meant a hub with a amatte black finish.

a bath would be a good reason the axles are not spinning smoothly anymore.

repack the hubs if you have the tools/knowhow.

get the tools/knowhow if you are interested.

or take them to the bike shop.