How often (in miles) would you expect to have to tighten rear axle cup and cone bearings.

[raleighnut]

My hubs (front or rear) never go out of adjustment, I only have to reset them when I've stripped em to clean/regrease.

 

[Lovacott]

As per all other comments: 5000 miles or more, but that's for a service.
I'd suggest that the OP is not tightening the locknuts correctly on the cones.
Being a freewheel it's even more straightforward.

I can't rule that out for the first service I did, but this has happened a few times in a row and I am locking the nut up really tight.

I've got them set really sweetly now so I'll have to make a note of how long it is until they need adjusting again.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I've had a rear hub do exactly this, and it wasn't because the locknuts weren't locked.
I've no real proof what the cause was, as eventually the rim wore out anyway and I binned the lot, but I *think* it was down to the aftermarket ball bearings I used

Not just no 'real' proof; no proof at all.
Perhaps, in support of your 'thoughts', you could suggest how the use of low quality (ball) bearings might result in the cones unscrewing themselves, locked in position as you have said they were by properly tightened (to the cones) locknuts? Did one side or both sides loosen?

 

[faster]

Not just no 'real' proof; no proof at all.
Perhaps, in support of your 'thoughts', you could suggest how the use of low quality (ball) bearings might result in the cones unscrewing themselves, locked in position as you have said they were by properly tightened (to the cones) locknuts? Did one side or both sides loosen?

If you insist - yes no proof at all. Thanks for calling me out on this.

I thought that I'd done a good job of caveating what I had written - certainly better than most on here! Please be sure to have proof of anything you write on this forum in future .

In support of my 'thoughts', I doubt that the use of low quality (ball) bearings would ever result in the cones unscrewing themselves when sufficiently locked against the locknuts. They didn't in my case - I marked them. They didn't move, yet I was still getting play at the wheel.

In support of your 'thoughts', your argument appears to rely on loosening cones being the only possible cause of play developing in the hub.

Have you got any proof of this?

 

[Ajax Bay]

In support of your 'thoughts', your argument appears to rely on loosening cones being the only possible cause of play developing in the hub. Have you got any proof of this?

I noted your caveats but have difficulty with your alternative that 'it's the bearings what done it'.
Proof: General Theory of Relativity (adapted). I have discarded the ideas that the axles will slowly stretch under tension, or that the hub itself will narrow with use, or that the (ball) bearings will wear with use. The only way longitudinal play can develop in a hub is if the cones move away from one another. If the cones are both securely locked this cannot happen.
If there are no other reasonable causes, loosening cones as the cause of play developing in the hub needs no 'proof', I think.

 

[Grant Fondo]

The USA built Sun rims and Acera X hubs on Cannondale M500 MTB have never been touched! I bought the bike in 1995, so thousands of miles, they still roll great and true.

 

[faster]

I have discarded the ideas that the axles will slowly stretch under tension, or that the hub itself will narrow with use, or that the (ball) bearings will wear with use. The only way longitudinal play can develop in a hub is if the cones move away from one another.

You've discarded the idea that (ball) bearings will wear with use?

I believe ball bearings, cones and cups will all wear with use - potentially heavily if the balls are of mismatched sizes due to being of a poor grade. Wear in any of these parts will result in play developing in the hub.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[I like Skol]

I'm pretty sure ball bearings don't really 'wear' as such, unless run dry or allowed to corrode in use (both prevented by adequate clean grease). Most of any perceived wear will occur in the cups and cones before the ball bearings. When ball bearings typically fail it is actually catastrophic and chunks start breaking off due to the mode of destruction.

 

[matticus]

Taking a helicopter view: it's a lot easier to replace the balls. So it would make sense for them to wear before the cups-n-cones.

But in reality, I don't know if that is how bike hubs are specced.

 

[Lovacott]

I'm pretty sure ball bearings don't really 'wear' as such, unless run dry or allowed to corrode in use (both prevented by adequate clean grease). Most of any perceived wear will occur in the cups and cones before the ball bearings. When ball bearings typically fail it is actually catastrophic and chunks start breaking off due to the mode of destruction.

I replaced the cones and axle last time around so I can only assume there is a cup issue or maybe a slight alignment issue in the hub?

It's only a Halfords cheapie bike so the engineering quality will not exactly be high spec.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Taking a helicopter view: it's a lot easier to replace the balls. So it would make sense for them to wear before the cups-n-cones.

A set of 9/11 balls is so cheap it's easy/cheap to replace them in an annual hub service. The surface hardness of the metal in the cups/cones and bearings is by design similar, otherwise one will wear the softer surface.

 

[classic33]

I replaced the cones and axle last time around so I can only assume there is a cup issue or maybe a slight alignment issue in the hub?

It's only a Halfords cheapie bike so the engineering quality will not exactly be high spec.

What did the cones look like, and was the right sizes used when you replaced everything?

 

[Lovacott]

What did the cones look like, and was the right sizes used when you replaced everything?

They were a like for like replacement with the originals but the drive side cone had some uneven wear.

I'm assuming that this is because with a freewheel, the bearings are not evenly spaced between the dropouts which puts a greater load on the drive side?

It's quite possible that the drive side cup has uneven wear as well.

It's running fine at the moment but if it plays up again I'll bite the bullet and go for a new wheel.

 

[classic33]

Previous axle bent?

If there's damage to the cup, you'll risk transferring the damage to the new setup.

 

[Lovacott]

Previous axle bent?
If there's damage to the cup, you'll risk transferring the damage to the new setup.

Not bent once extracted, but I wonder if it was bent whilst under load?

I cant do anything about cup damage other than change out the wheel so I'll see how I get on with it and if it gives me trouble, a new wheel it is.