Cone replacement

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stalagmike

Enormous member
Location
Milton Keynes
I just serviced the hubs on my Triban. Bearing races appeared fine, and so were the bearings themselves but the cones were marked up quite a bit ( not sure how this is possible) Is it worth replacing the cones or should I just keep packing new grease in every now and again to keep the wheels going until I can save up for a new set? I've put 2.5k miles on the wheels since I got the bike, so I'm pretty sure the braking surface will be worn out soon anyway! Thoughts welcome...
 
Location
Loch side.
I'm not sure what marked up means, but if they are rough, it usually means poor adjustment. Good quality cones last a very long time and are replaceable, if it is Shimano or Campag. Campag even supplies new cups.
Replace them and adjust them so that wheel clamp force brings the adjustment to the right pressure.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
the cones were marked up quite a bit
By this, do you mean that the (shiny) surface of the cones had markings all round that might be tiny hierogliphics? What make/model are the hubs? As has been said, cones are replaceable (and I've just replaced one cone (left side) on my rear hub FH-4600).
As for how long your wheels will last otherwise, it will depend on how much wet and sandy (type) and braking riding you do. Fwiw my rear rim has done at least 30,000km and the front one has done 18,000+km, so 2,500 miles seems just a start for yours (at least as far as the rims are concerned).
 
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stalagmike

stalagmike

Enormous member
Location
Milton Keynes
I should have taken a picture to show the damage to the cones, but I think what Biggs and yellow saddle have said makes sense to me. I'll aim to get the adjustment bang on and keep up the maintenance through winter, then maybe get some nice new wheels in the spring.
 
If the worn track has pitts in then it won't spin freely and adjustment is harder.
Getting the right cone can be hard, sometimes I discard the rubber seal to make the wrong cone fit. For winter utility bikes I like to pack in plenty of grease to keep crudd out.
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
They often improve with new balls and adjustment. The pitting will never fill in but can smooth off a bit depending on how hard the steel is. They'll always rumble, though. I have a Campag Record track hub that's improved a lot with a couple of ball changes and a few hundred miles.
 
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