back wheel wobbling

[iZaP]

So the bike my neighbours gave away to me is an oldie MTB, nothing special.

The back wheel has started wobbling, I think it might be due to lost/crushed bearings maybe? Or is it the end of the wheel?

I don't want to start taking it apart before I know what to do.

any ideas?

 

[guitarpete247]

You'll need to take it a apart at some stage.
Does the spindle (axle) move from side to side more than the front?
If you do the job yourself you'll need a pair of cone spanners. Do you know anyone you can borrow some from? LBS might be a little expensive for a freebie bike unless it's a classic.
This is a good site to get any maintainance guides. I've always removed the cone from the non-drive side so I didn't have to remove the freewheel cassette.
What make is the Bike?

 

[iZaP]

I don't mind taking it apart and I'm comfortable with fixing it myself.

Yeah, the spindle moves a bit, and that's what creates the wobble, my back breaks are barely working due to wheel contacting the brake pads constantly :|

Dunno if I should try to fix it at all, since I'm leaving for holidays in less than three weeks time, and after the holidays, I'll be buying a road bike.

 

[Landslide]

Aye, fix it. It's a quick enough job. If you don't the hub may collapse whist you're riding it and then you'll be cursing your inaction as you lug it home!

 

[guitarpete247]

Yeah fix it. It can always be your number 2 pootling bike.

 

[battered]

Absolutely agree, fix it. It's a decent shopping/commuting/pub bike and we all need one of those. I hate leaving a valuable bike locked to a railing in Leeds, whereas the hack is no problem.

Pull the bearing to bits, clean and check the cones, if good then new balls and grease, done. Takes half an hour if you know what you are about, twice that if you've not done it before and are working it out as you go.

 

[iZaP]

Took everything apart, the bearings were intact, put everything back together, and there was no wobbling left :| maybe it just was a bit loose? :|

 

[battered]

Perhaps so. Winner! You are now the proud owner of a hack that you can take to the shops, the pub, and all the rest without worrying. It's good.!

 

[iZaP]

Perhaps so. Winner! You are now the proud owner of a hack that you can take to the shops, the pub, and all the rest without worrying. It's good.!

Yep, the front tyre had a puncture, changed the inner tube, but I've noticed that the front tyre now wobbles a bit, but its not like the back wheel wobble, it seems that the axle might be bent? is that possible?

 

[swee'pea99]

What you had was simply a little looseness in the cone. Next time it happens, just lossen off the QR, tighten it up with your fingers, then do up the QR again. You'll be good for weeks/months. (For a 'proper fix' you need cone spanners, but I've never got round to getting any. I've been doing it as above for about 7 or 8 years now...probably have to tighten up once or twice a year. Takes 30 secs.) PS Bent axles are *very* rare.

 

[iZaP]

Alright, thanks for re-assuring that it's not a bent axle. I managed to take the back wheel apart without using cone spanners, so it's possible. I'll try to do the same with the front wheel as well.

 

[battered]

The test for bearing play is to turn the bike upside down and then waggle the wheel rim side to side (the way it should *not* move). If it moves you can find out where and fix it. If the bearing is tight enough then you may have a buckled rim, which is less straightforward. Alternatively the tyre may have a kink (rare, but possible) I've had this and it makes the whole bike shake as you roll along.

 

[beanzontoast]

I've just done the bearings on my mtb back wheel today. Only started off changing the cassette, but thought I'd dismantle and regrease the bearings, check the cones etc at the same time. Quite a satisfying hour and a half and running as sweet as can be now.

 

[Rip Van]

Yep, the front tyre had a puncture, changed the inner tube, but I've noticed that the front tyre now wobbles a bit, but its not like the back wheel wobble, it seems that the axle might be bent? is that possible?

If the wobble's up and down and only appeared after refitting the tyre make sure the tyre's properly seated first.