Servicing my cycle on the weekend

[iendicott]

As I am handy with a spanner / hammer I am going to service my hybrid myself.

Can someone confirm that the following is OK to do on the wheels ?

Front Wheel - Remove font undo cones drop out bearings, clean out hub and bearings with white spirit to get rid of grease, reapply new Lithium grease and insert bearings, tighten cones back up refit.

Rear Wheel - Remove font undo cones drop out bearings, take off back cassette form hub, soak in whitespirt and clean with small brush, dry cassette and spray with GT85 spray, clean out hub and bearings with white spirit to get rid of grease, reapply new Lithium grease and insert bearings, tighten cones back up. attach cassette to rear wheel, insert back in bike.

Thanks Ivan

 

[ianrauk]

Jobs a goddun mate. I only undo one side of the cones then pull the complete axle out. That way you will only need to adjust the one side when refitting
Just make sure you give the bearings a liberal amount of grease. I mean a lot. Completely cover the bearings when putting back together.

I don't usually GT85/wd40 The cassette after a white spirit bath, Just make sure it's dry thoroughly. The lube from your chain will be sufficient imo to re-lubricate the cassette.

I learnt how to do it from here

 

[iendicott]

Hi Ianrauk,

Cheers, Sorry forgot to mention I only undo 1 side of the cone as it helps with what you have described. I use Castrol LM (Lithium) grease with is specifcally for bearings so this should be OK.

Good point about the GT85 on the cassette but the reason I mentioned this was with a whitespirit bath you will clean out any lubricant inside the cassette so I spray it inside as well where the ratchet is. Is there any thing better to use to lube the inside of the cassette ?

 

[ianrauk]

The cassette is just a load of metal cogs. It doesn't need any lube inside.
It only needs lube where the cogs meet the chain.

Unless of course you mean inside the hub body.

Hi Ianrauk,

Cheers, Sorry forgot to mention I only undo 1 side of the cone as it helps with what you have described. I use Castrol LM (Lithium) grease with is specifcally for bearings so this should be OK.

Good point about the GT85 on the cassette but the reason I mentioned this was with a whitespirit bath you will clean out any lubricant inside the cassette so I spray it inside as well where the ratchet is. Is there any thing better to use to lube the inside of the cassette ?

 

[accountantpete]

Dead easy - the only tricky bit is tightening the cones back up. If you over-tighten the wheel will turn as though there is a spoonful of grit in the bearings and if you under-tighten then the wheel will move on the axle.

Best bet is to tighten the cones so that the wheel revolves freely and there is just a tiny bit of play in the wheel. Then when you put the wheel on the bike and tighten the QR the play should disappear.

If you are really enthusiastic you could replace the bearings while you are at it - Grade 10 is probably the best other than Ceramic bearings.

 

[yashicamat]

I note that WD40 is mentioned alongside GT85 above . . . just to note that they are very different products; WD40 is a water displacer whenas GT85 actually has a PFTE content and will add some lubrication to parts, although isn't heavy duty enough for chains really. Good for pivots etc. on the mech though.

 

[gbb]

Hi Ianrauk,

Cheers, Sorry forgot to mention I only undo 1 side of the cone as it helps with what you have described. I use Castrol LM (Lithium) grease with is specifcally for bearings so this should be OK.

Good point about the GT85 on the cassette but the reason I mentioned this was with a whitespirit bath you will clean out any lubricant inside the cassette so I spray it inside as well where the ratchet is. Is there any thing better to use to lube the inside of the cassette ?

Have you got a freewheel ? The ratchets in the sprocket cluster ?
If you have, personally, i wouldnt wash out the lubricant with white spirit, GT85 etc etc...you'll struggle to get any meaningful amount of lubricant back in.
They can be stripped, cleaned and lubed, but its not easy.

 

[iendicott]

Yer I have a freewheel cassette and I have been told best not to open it up as it is sprung loaded, I suspect something like a wax oil would penetrate into the cassette inner workings.

Good idea about changing the bearings, this was mentioned on a ride out the other day about if one of the bearings shattered it would damage the hub and a new one would be required, the next bike I am getting will have sealed bearings in the wheels so this will be a thing of the past.

As yashicamat mentioned I too have heard the same about WD40, it's more of a solvent rather than a lubricant, that's why I use GT85 on the chain but I will have to rethink if this is not that good either, my LBS should be able to advise me on what produce I should use on the chain.

GT85 is good for cables though isn't it as the PTFE will help lubricate outter part as well ?

Thanks for the advice everyone and keep it coming.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

Yer I have a freewheel cassette and I have been told best not to open it up as it is sprung loaded,

Don't soak it, just brush it clean on the outside and between the cogs. Washing the lube out would be a bad thing.

 

[gbb]

Yer I have a freewheel cassette and I have been told best not to open it up as it is sprung loaded, I suspect something like a wax oil would penetrate into the cassette inner workings.

Good idea about changing the bearings, this was mentioned on a ride out the other day about if one of the bearings shattered it would damage the hub and a new one would be required, the next bike I am getting will have sealed bearings in the wheels so this will be a thing of the past.

As yashicamat mentioned I too have heard the same about WD40, it's more of a solvent rather than a lubricant, that's why I use GT85 on the chain but I will have to rethink if this is not that good either, my LBS should be able to advise me on what produce I should use on the chain.

GT85 is good for cables though isn't it as the PTFE will help lubricate outter part as well ?

Thanks for the advice everyone and keep it coming.

They're pitifully simple inside, just a ring of tiny ball bearings around the inside, maybe a shim and three individual pawls (ratchets) and theyre held in place with a single slightly springy ring. I used to strip them when i was 13...the hard bit is getting the lockring off.
In 40 years of cycling, ive only ever had one fail on me.

IIRC, if i was lubing one i'd lay the wheel flat and dribble some oil into the joint on the back of the freewheel, and let it run in.

 

[iendicott]

IIRC, if i was lubing one i'd lay the wheel flat and dribble some oil into the joint on the back of the freewheel, and let it run in.

Cheers actually that's what I did, I cleaned with white spirit, left dry and then lubricated with a cycle synethic oil gear oil, this worked a treat.

Basically had front and rear wheels off, cleaned inspected and regreased. Had front swinger off, cleaned, oiled. Rear derailleur cogs out, cleaned regreased and then oiled derailleur. Cables off squirted GT85 spray down each one. Seat post out, cleaned, smear of grease to stop it seazing. Front suspesion apart, cleaned, regreased.

Then finally lightly sprayed GT85 over the rear derailleur and front swinger to waterproof.

The only annoying bit was after putting the bike back together in the tray of whitespirit I heard something rattling round, turns out to be a bearing from the front wheel so had to drop out the front wheel again and insert the bearing back in

Bike looks like new now.