Hub Adjustment -- Need Three Hands
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Far, Far Northern California
Posts: 2,873
Bikes: 1997 Specialized M2Pro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hub Adjustment -- Need Three Hands
In overhauling my hubs yesterday, I had the following problem: I get the cone where I want it, but when holding the cone in position and tightening the lock nut, the axle moves. I fixed it by having my wife hold the other (locked) locknut in place, but is there a good way to do this without an extra person? Vise? Thanks.
#2
Cat 6
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Mountain Brook, AL
Posts: 7,482
Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 500 Post(s)
Liked 183 Times
in
118 Posts
hold the opposite side cone wrench between the knees
__________________
72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
#3
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,782
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3587 Post(s)
Liked 3,398 Times
in
1,932 Posts
Hold it as well as you can and tighten it down -- it will probably be a little snug. Then put a cone wrench on each side of the hub and back the cones out against the locknuts to get the proper final adjustment.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
An axle vise makes this job so much easier. It provides the needed third hand so you can use your other two for the cone and locknut wrenches.
#5
Senior Member
Lock the cone/locknut on one side tight. On the other side, set the bearing play to slightly tight and lock together the cone/locknut so they are snug but can still move together , then back off the cone until the bearing play is correct, then finish tightening the cone/locknut combo.
__________________
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 397
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This sounds so much easier. I wound up using a little kentucky windage my first time around. A couple tries later and I got the hang of it. Locking down the axle seems like it would be easier.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,442
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I do what Hillrider does. First, I clamp the other side with a large pair of vise-grips, then hold the wheel on my lap with the vise-grips between my knees. Looks funny but works.
#10
Senior Member
Bench vise... Works wonders.
__________________
1984 Cannondale ST
1985 Cannondale SR300
1980 Gary Littlejohn Cruiser
1984 Trek 760
1981 Trek 710
Pics
1984 Cannondale ST
1985 Cannondale SR300
1980 Gary Littlejohn Cruiser
1984 Trek 760
1981 Trek 710
Pics
#11
Senior Member
Bench vise....
Anyone doing much bike work at all and that has even a modestly set up permanent shop really owes it to themselves to get a decent bench vise. The vise is your best friend with the third hand you'll ever have.
If you don't have a permanent bench setup and have to work out of a tool kit which has to be put away to clear the room to serve dinner then that's different and you're stuck with having to resort to oddball tricks such as holding a wrench or vise grips between your knees. But with foldable benches such as B&D Workmates and the like on the market there are better options than contortions to do this.
Anyone doing much bike work at all and that has even a modestly set up permanent shop really owes it to themselves to get a decent bench vise. The vise is your best friend with the third hand you'll ever have.
If you don't have a permanent bench setup and have to work out of a tool kit which has to be put away to clear the room to serve dinner then that's different and you're stuck with having to resort to oddball tricks such as holding a wrench or vise grips between your knees. But with foldable benches such as B&D Workmates and the like on the market there are better options than contortions to do this.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: boston, ma
Posts: 2,896
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
freewheel hubs and front hubs dont usualy need an axle vise. clamp the lock nut in the vise then take the cone wrench and tighten the cone against the clamped nut. now adjust the hub from the other side
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 397
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
That's basically adjusting what you do to what will happen. Kinda hard to explain, so let me give you an example. You have everything set up perfectly, but as you tighten the locknut, the axle backs the cone off 1/4 turn. So what you do is get everything perfect, then tighten up the cone 1/4 turn, then as you tighten down the lock nut, the alxe backs off its 1/4 turn and its now set perfectly. Of course its not that easy because if you tighten down the cone all the way, the alxe might not move the full 1/4 back. So you gotta play around till you get the right combination.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,470
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I find it helps if I hold the tip of my tongue between my front teeth (or bite my lower lip slightly), hold my breath, and gaze at a point in the middle distance while I'm doing this. A slack-jawed blank stare is the proper expression to shoot for here. Half-vocalized mumblings of the self-questioning variety may or may not help but I do it anyway.
Barked knuckles are said to be optional but always seem to be included in my version.
Barked knuckles are said to be optional but always seem to be included in my version.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
Absolutely right. An AXEL VISE is a specific bike tool that is clamped in a bench vise. They are not the same thing. A bench vise or Vise Grips used alone are an excellent way to damage the hub's axle threads.
Sure an axle vise isn't essential but it sure makes the job easier and less awkward with no chance of damaging the axle threads or the locknut. Its a relatively low cost tool so there is really no need to avoid using the proper one.
....freewheel hubs and front hubs dont usualy need an axle vise. clamp the lock nut in the vise then take the cone wrench and tighten the cone against the clamped nut. now adjust the hub from the other side.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,442
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Must have read someone else's post.... Anyway, you obviously don't clamp the vise-grips on the threaded portion of the axle... You put in on the fixed axle nuts. The ones you didn't loosen.
"Kentucky windage" is an old shooting term. Our ancestor's "Pennsylvania" and "Kentucky" rifles did not have adjustable sights. So, depending on conditions, one might have to aim not at the target itself, but at a point to one side or the other to compensate for wind.
"Kentucky windage" is an old shooting term. Our ancestor's "Pennsylvania" and "Kentucky" rifles did not have adjustable sights. So, depending on conditions, one might have to aim not at the target itself, but at a point to one side or the other to compensate for wind.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: England
Posts: 12,948
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
7 Posts
On the road when I dont have a bench or axle vice I set the locknut to the cone finger tight with the cone a bit lose. I put one cone wrench on the OTHER (lets call it fixed) cone and on on the locknut, ie one wrench on each side of the wheel. I then tighten the locknut until the adjustment is about right.
THEN move the cone wrench back to the adjusting cone and tighten the locknut.
May have to move the wrench back to the fixed cone and tighten or losen the adjusting cone
THEN move the cone wrench back to the adjusting cone and tighten the locknut.
May have to move the wrench back to the fixed cone and tighten or losen the adjusting cone
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: boston, ma
Posts: 2,896
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
On the road when I dont have a bench or axle vice I set the locknut to the cone finger tight with the cone a bit lose. I put one cone wrench on the OTHER (lets call it fixed) cone and on on the locknut, ie one wrench on each side of the wheel. I then tighten the locknut until the adjustment is about right.
THEN move the cone wrench back to the adjusting cone and tighten the locknut.
May have to move the wrench back to the fixed cone and tighten or losen the adjusting cone
THEN move the cone wrench back to the adjusting cone and tighten the locknut.
May have to move the wrench back to the fixed cone and tighten or losen the adjusting cone
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,589
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 239 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
7 Posts
Park tool method seconded.
Take your quick release skewer, take out the springs, then use it to clamp the locked up side of the axel onto the Outside of your non-drive-side drop out. Holds everything steady so you can use your remaining hands on the other cone.
Take your quick release skewer, take out the springs, then use it to clamp the locked up side of the axel onto the Outside of your non-drive-side drop out. Holds everything steady so you can use your remaining hands on the other cone.
#21
17yrold in 64yrold body
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 922
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I use a 'three wrench' method: I only loosen one side lock nut/cone. After cleaning/relubing, I hold the unloosened side with two wrenches (cone wrench and crescent usually). I adjust the cone on the other side, and then hold all three wrenches (two cone wrenches and crescent) while I tighten the lock nut on the 'loosened' side. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get a feel for it, it is pretty easy.
#24
Senior Member
I haven't done this in a while, but I used to manage without a vise. I'd line the two cone wrenches up and grab both through the spokes and tighten the cone with the other hand. I think that's what I did. It always took about 10 tries to get it right but that was part of the process. I still have those wheels 25 years later and they are fine but would need to be repacked if I wanted to use them.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,124
Bikes: All 70s and 80s, only steel.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Bench vise....
Anyone doing much bike work at all and that has even a modestly set up permanent shop really owes it to themselves to get a decent bench vise. The vise is your best friend with the third hand you'll ever have.
If you don't have a permanent bench setup and have to work out of a tool kit which has to be put away to clear the room to serve dinner then that's different and you're stuck with having to resort to oddball tricks such as holding a wrench or vise grips between your knees. But with foldable benches such as B&D Workmates and the like on the market there are better options than contortions to do this.
Anyone doing much bike work at all and that has even a modestly set up permanent shop really owes it to themselves to get a decent bench vise. The vise is your best friend with the third hand you'll ever have.
If you don't have a permanent bench setup and have to work out of a tool kit which has to be put away to clear the room to serve dinner then that's different and you're stuck with having to resort to oddball tricks such as holding a wrench or vise grips between your knees. But with foldable benches such as B&D Workmates and the like on the market there are better options than contortions to do this.
Re: cone adjustment; + another one on the Parktool on-the-bike method. I used to fumble around a lot with two cone wrenches and two adjustable wrenches, but doing it all with a single cone wrench and adjustable wrench on one side is far easier and faster. It also makes it easy adding grease to the bearings for a quick and dirty re-pack while minimizing the chance of having bearings dropping out all over the place. (I also invested in a grease gun a while back, which marked a major improvement for me in greasing everything that wasn't my hands, pants and face.)