Campagnolo Khamsin wheels...lateral play

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
Been very happy with these wheels...back has done 18,000km, front has done 12,000km (it was a warranty replacement)

Noticed some lateral play in both the front and back. Probably about 2-3mm. It's going into the LBS next week for them to look at.

Given the wheel type, is it possible to suggest whether they just need tightening up (nice and cheap) or new wheels as the bearings are knackered...or something inbetween? LBS will investigate but would be good to know the likely outcomes
 

kipster

Guru
Location
Hampshire
They have sealed cartridge bearings which are easily replaceable. If the bearings still feel ok, you can adjust the play by losening the collar bolt a bit (the small Allen key bit) and tightening up the collar on the hub. If the beatings feel rough replace them. With the right tools it's a quick job.

I think (but please double check, the number will be on the seal of the existing bearings) they are 6903-2rs bearings.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
nickyboy

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
They have sealed cartridge bearings which are easily replaceable. If the bearings still feel ok, you can adjust the play by losening the collar bolt a bit (the small Allen key bit) and tightening up the collar on the hub. If the beatings feel rough replace them. With the right tools it's a quick job.

I think (but please double check, the number will be on the seal of the existing bearings) they are 6903-2rs bearings.

Thanks very much. Those bearings (or if not that spec then similar) are inexpensive. I don't have the tools for this and have never changed hub bearings so I'll get the LBS to do it. I was a bit worried when they were saying it might be a new set of wheels .... I think this was on the basis that they were loose rather than cartridge but it's good to get some input from the CC experts
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
It's actually quite easy to change cartridge bearings. You remove the collar/locking nuts from one side, and tap the axel out, bringing one side of the bearings out. Plenty on you tube for each wheel type.
 

dim

Guest
Location
Cambridge UK
I also have the Campagnolo Khamsin wheels on my S-works .... I will be upgrading next year but will stick with Campagnolo as my groupset is Campagnolo Chorus

I may buy the Campagnolo Bullet wheelset ....

I'd love Bora and have seen some 2nd hand in good condition for good prices, but I'm worried about full carbon wheels such as the Bora, as people say when it's rainy and wet conditions, the brakes dont work well
 

Viking

Senior Member
I had a small amount of play on my fairly new rear Fulcrum Quattro. Adjusting the collar removed the play and they've been fine since. The Allen bolt is small and it is easy to round it if the Allen key isn't a good fit.
 
It depends which version of the Khamsin you have.
Some have a steel axle and no adjusting collars, these were discontinued in model year 2013 and later ones have adjusting collars and alloy axles.

Either way, if you have play which can't be taken up by the adjusters (if present) then new bearings for sure.

Our advice is - and I am ready to be slagged off here as having an interest in saying this - which is fine, I'm used to it & it doesn't change the truth of what I say - Campagnolo bearings rather than generic bearings are the safest bet. Generic bearings are generally made (with varying degrees of accuracy) to the ISO bearing dimension standards whereas Campagnolo specify their own dimenional tolerances to their bearing suppliers - we have seen generics that were a very loose fit in the hub recesses, as well as some that were so tight that with the axles fitted, they turned in "steps" - all cartridge bearings are not created equal.

Other things to be careful of - lateral play aside, in some cases, roughness in the rear bearings is not the hub bearings at all, it can be the cassette body bearings - they are two totally separate systems, the wheel bearings are load bearing and the cassette body bearings are not (unlike in a genuine Shimano hub - Shiamano clones do it all sorts of strange ways). Cassette body bearings can be changed but in older cassette bodies it's tricky as the inner bearing is retained by a c-clip (not a circlip) that needs to be removed to get the bearing out - and it's not easy without the right tools & technique.

Make sure the shop has the right presses to do the job - yes, I know you *can* use a drift and a hammer, or two old bearings on top of the new ones - but in general it's a lot harder to get the bearings in dead square (which they need to be) and if they tilt badly off line during fitting they can end up messing up the bearing locations so you'll never get them in dead right again (seen that far too often) ... better that they are squeezed in with a press and the correct collars.
 

kipster

Guru
Location
Hampshire
It depends which version of the Khamsin you have.
Some have a steel axle and no adjusting collars, these were discontinued in model year 2013 and later ones have adjusting collars and alloy axles.

Either way, if you have play which can't be taken up by the adjusters (if present) then new bearings for sure.

Our advice is - and I am ready to be slagged off here as having an interest in saying this - which is fine, I'm used to it & it doesn't change the truth of what I say - Campagnolo bearings rather than generic bearings are the safest bet. Generic bearings are generally made (with varying degrees of accuracy) to the ISO bearing dimension standards whereas Campagnolo specify their own dimenional tolerances to their bearing suppliers - we have seen generics that were a very loose fit in the hub recesses, as well as some that were so tight that with the axles fitted, they turned in "steps" - all cartridge bearings are not created equal.

Other things to be careful of - lateral play aside, in some cases, roughness in the rear bearings is not the hub bearings at all, it can be the cassette body bearings - they are two totally separate systems, the wheel bearings are load bearing and the cassette body bearings are not (unlike in a genuine Shimano hub - Shiamano clones do it all sorts of strange ways). Cassette body bearings can be changed but in older cassette bodies it's tricky as the inner bearing is retained by a c-clip (not a circlip) that needs to be removed to get the bearing out - and it's not easy without the right tools & technique.

Make sure the shop has the right presses to do the job - yes, I know you *can* use a drift and a hammer, or two old bearings on top of the new ones - but in general it's a lot harder to get the bearings in dead square (which they need to be) and if they tilt badly off line during fitting they can end up messing up the bearing locations so you'll never get them in dead right again (seen that far too often) ... better that they are squeezed in with a press and the correct collars.

Good advice there Graeme_FK, particularly the last paragraph, i'm sure i've damaged the hub of my scirocco front wheel ever so slightly at some point by being a bit ham fisted with bearing replacement. They are still servicable, but seem to use bearings up a little bit quicker, although that could be the fact it only really gets used in the autumn and winter months in all weathers. You can never beat the proper tools, although it is sometimes hard to find a LBS with the right tools, there are usually garages that can help out for the fluttering of a five pound note.
 
Avoid generic bearings like the plague, SKF should be fine though.
Please see my comments on ISO. SKF are very good and are accurate to the ISO but one should not assume that any maker uses the ISO standard, unless the bearing carries the ISO code ... and then the standard of application is very variable. SKF, EZO and some others are very good indeed, some generics are appalling.
 
Top Bottom