Shimano RS10 wheel wear

[ipcookson]

Morning all, looking for a second opinion on my wheels.

Just had the freehub and bearings replaced by LBS, and noticed after riding there was a lot of play in it. Took it back and he gladly adjusted it, but said that it could be the axle that's knackered hence why the play developed after a ride.

While he said it could be serviced, he said the wheels have taken a battering and possibly need replacing. As they're less than 2 years old, I'm a bit surprised, although they have done around 75 miles a week through this winter.

Question is, is it likely they just need replacing, or will a service breathe enough life into them?

Cheers.

[Brucey]

normally a new set of ball bearings and some fresh grease is enough to make a hub like that work OK. A hub like that needs to be very worn before the main bearings would go out of adjustment (through yet further 'normal' wear) in a single ride. It is much more probable that something has moved in the hub. Candidates include

1) - that the freehub body settled on its mountings (eg because there was grease in the interface to the hub)
2) - that the RH cup precessed and tightened itself
3) - that the LH cone was not not tightened against the locknut fully and has moved
4) - that there was corrosion on the bearing races and this has worn away
5) that there was some kind of catastrophic error in hub reassembly, and you now have a hub full of shrapnel

Note that
1) raises the possibility that the hollow bolt is no longer tight and that the freehub body is loose. If the wheel is ridden like that the hub will knacker itself
2) unusual but possible
3) raises the possibility that the RH cone and locknut are not tight either. If they move, the hub will wreck itself
4) they should have cleaned it off
5) as 2)

Note that the freehub bearings rarely have perfect adjustment when new; a little free play is usually evident.

It ain't rocket science to service these hubs; all you need is some cone spanners and a 10mm allen key. I strongly advise you to learn how to do it for yourself, and while you are at it you can lubricate the freehub body properly (something neither shimano nor a typical LBS do IME). Clue; if you can hear the pawls ticking noisily then there is no added lube in the freehub body and one winter will usually be enough to ruin it.

The correct bearing adjustment is to have a little free play in the hub bearings that just disappears as the QR is used to tighten the wheel in the frame. No free play when the wheel is out of the frame means that the bearings are set too tight, and will be grinding themselves to atoms.

Your hubs have done maybe 7500 miles. They may be already badly worn, through bad set-up and neglect, but if correctly lubricated and adjusted from new they can do 30000 miles and still be like new inside.

cheers

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Why did you take your bike to LBS?
Because of a fault or LBS spotted something?

Its possible the axel bearings are stuffed through winter if water has got in.
Front wheel or just rear?

But I would of expected the LBS to service the whole rear hub if they had to replace freehub.
You say bearings have all ready been replaced in your opening post, any LBS worth their salt would advise best way forward............a new wheel or replace whole hub might well have been cheaper.
Axel does not normally wear at all, you say axel in your post?

What model is your hub / wheel?

[ipcookson]

Thanks Bruce for your detailed reply. Very useful info. I did think I should be getting more mileage out of them than I have done, but may due to poor preventative maintenance on my part.

To "natural ankling" - I took it in initially because I'd replaced the rear cassette but was couldn't there was some play in the cassette, despite the fact I'd assembled it correctly, and I'm not as familiar with servicing hubs.

Just the rear wheel and one set of bearings was replaced by the LBS. LBS said the axle might be worn, which may be due to winter weather, if other parts are also knackered.

In terms of best way forward I think he's just a decent chap - he has offered to service it and not charge any labour, as he said the same as you, that possibly should have serviced the whole hub. BUT he said the wheel has been battered (potholes/weather etc), so I think is saying it might need a new wheel anyway.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I would only add-
Get a cheap / another set of wheels for commuting / a cheap hack bike.
Cheap bike for commuting and keep the other for sunday.........a cheap well looked after bike does not have to be rubbish even if it looks so or last years last decades model.

Oh and start to do your own repairs, plenty of advise on Youtube / here in these posts..............

[Brucey]

just to add, ~7500 miles shouldn't be enough to see off a hub unless it is badly neglected, but it may well be enough to wear the braking surfaces on the rim.

Maybe you have done so already, but it would be a good idea to assess the remaining wear life in the rim (by measuring the braking surface thickness) before deciding to put a lot of effort into this wheel. IME it is not economically viable to buy a replacement shimano rim and to build it, not for this wheelset.

cheers

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yes, assess, your LBS mate will give you prices If you know him / like him.
There are sometimes second hand wheels to be had cheap, people change them like their underwear
Front wheel is not so heavily technical / otherwords less to go wrong, so you may just be looking for rear wheel.