Adding dust boots to budget bike hubs?
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
Adding dust boots to budget bike hubs?
This Walbike I've been working on doesn't have rubber dust boots on the hubs. Is there such a thing as an aftermarket dust boot for hubs like this?
Last edited by MyRedTrek; 04-19-22 at 06:53 PM.
#2
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
I doubt anyone makes aftermarket parts for bikes of that "quality". You can improvise with suitable size O-rings. In the past people used to wrap pipe cleaners around the hub seams as a seal.
Likes For HillRider:
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Nor-Cal
Posts: 3,767
Bikes: lots
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1958 Post(s)
Liked 2,932 Times
in
1,489 Posts
Between this and the grease thread you're wayyyyy overthinking this.
Likes For cxwrench:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: South Shore of Long Island
Posts: 2,799
Bikes: 2010 Carrera Volans, 2015 C-Dale Trail 2sl, 2017 Raleigh Rush Hour, 2017 Blue Proseccio, 1992 Giant Perigee, 80s Gitane Rallye Tandem
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 1,024 Times
in
723 Posts
Nope, hubs with rubber shields have grooves the rubber can run in while ones without don't have good ways of sealing them to the hub. Most with boots also use a larger washer and specific spacers to give the shield room to work with and stay in place, not easy to replicate. The metal dust shields work fairly well in general and unless you ride in a lot of mud and rain really do keep the dust out in general.
Likes For Russ Roth:
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Nor-Cal
Posts: 3,767
Bikes: lots
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1958 Post(s)
Liked 2,932 Times
in
1,489 Posts
I don't need to 'impart' any information. None is needed.
Likes For cxwrench:
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,806
Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1944 Post(s)
Liked 2,164 Times
in
1,323 Posts
I tend to try to figure out work arounds, but I think that there is really no way to keep any sort of seal in place.
The cone would need a groove, like Shimano freehub dust seals, and adding a grooved spacer would increase the OLD.
The only thing that comes to mind are the old Parallax hub seals, but I have no clue on getting them to stay in place.
John
The cone would need a groove, like Shimano freehub dust seals, and adding a grooved spacer would increase the OLD.
The only thing that comes to mind are the old Parallax hub seals, but I have no clue on getting them to stay in place.
John
#9
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
I tend to try to figure out work arounds, but I think that there is really no way to keep any sort of seal in place.
The cone would need a groove, like Shimano freehub dust seals, and adding a grooved spacer would increase the OLD.
The only thing that comes to mind are the old Parallax hub seals, but I have no clue on getting them to stay in place.
John
The cone would need a groove, like Shimano freehub dust seals, and adding a grooved spacer would increase the OLD.
The only thing that comes to mind are the old Parallax hub seals, but I have no clue on getting them to stay in place.
John
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,806
Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1944 Post(s)
Liked 2,164 Times
in
1,323 Posts
I have no clue what will work. But any flexible/crushable material will need to be attached to a washer, maybe a fender washer, so it can be placed between the cone and the locknut and tightened without destroying it.
Now if you were so inclined, and had access to a lathe, you could put a seal groove on the outside of the cones.
None of this is worth the effort, but if you have the time there are worse things someone could do. I’ve seen some BF posts that have much less value than working on a Walmart bike.
John
Now if you were so inclined, and had access to a lathe, you could put a seal groove on the outside of the cones.
None of this is worth the effort, but if you have the time there are worse things someone could do. I’ve seen some BF posts that have much less value than working on a Walmart bike.
John
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Nor-Cal
Posts: 3,767
Bikes: lots
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1958 Post(s)
Liked 2,932 Times
in
1,489 Posts
Likes For cxwrench:
#12
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
Not going to go quite that nuts with it - I anticipate adhering a flat donut/washer made of Shoe Goo or black automotive silicone material to the outer surface of the cone, wide enough to cover the gap between the cone and hub and have it spin over the edge of the hub riding on a coating of clear grease. I imagine it won't provide quite as good a seal against contamination as a proper boot but it should keep out a lot of potential contamination. There'll be a small amount of friction against the lip of the hub, I figure in about 50 - 75 years it might cause noticeable wear - lol.
#13
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,987
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6193 Post(s)
Liked 4,809 Times
in
3,317 Posts
Even the cheap Schwinn bikes I got back in the 60's and 70's didn't have dust covers on the hubs or on the one-piece Ashtabula crank. As a kid, I rode the snot out of them for many a mile in dirt, sand, and all kinds of filth. I never had to replace any bearings or races on them. All I did was regularly clean and grease the wheel hubs. And every great now and then clean and lube the crank.
#15
Half way there
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,957
Bikes: Many, and the list changes frequently
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 986 Post(s)
Liked 880 Times
in
527 Posts
Yes, I agree. Most of my vintage bikes do not have rubber seals on the hubs and that has no affect on their performance over tens of thousands of miles. If you decide to go ahead with the DIY fabrication, consider doing only one side of the hub so in a year or so you can compare 'sealed' vs. unsealed wear.
#16
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
I tend to try to figure out work arounds, but I think that there is really no way to keep any sort of seal in place.
The cone would need a groove, like Shimano freehub dust seals, and adding a grooved spacer would increase the OLD.
The only thing that comes to mind are the old Parallax hub seals, but I have no clue on getting them to stay in place.
John
The cone would need a groove, like Shimano freehub dust seals, and adding a grooved spacer would increase the OLD.
The only thing that comes to mind are the old Parallax hub seals, but I have no clue on getting them to stay in place.
John
I imagine with more obsessive attention to detail they could be made more "factory" in appearance.
Likes For MyRedTrek:
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,806
Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1944 Post(s)
Liked 2,164 Times
in
1,323 Posts
They actually look decent. How well they hold up or do their job, is not a concern since you are passing the bike along.
Regardless, it looks like a fun project. Good job.
John
Regardless, it looks like a fun project. Good job.
John
Likes For 70sSanO:
#18
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 244
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 38 Times
in
27 Posts
Thanks - since they're made of silicone rubber and there's no friction unless they encounter some trauma I would expect them to outlive the bike's owner by several centuries - lol.
#19
Sr Member on Sr bikes
I’ve made simple replacement dust covers out of sturdy, pliable plastic…like the plastic used for some ice cream tubs for example. You can cut them in one of two ways. Either precisely so that it fits snug in the cup and spins around the cone, or vise-versa so that it fits snug on the cone and spins in the cup. They worked fine, and lasted a long time.
Dan
Dan
Likes For _ForceD_: