Front hub question

[Rebel_56]

i payed to have a 70 year old wheel set over hauled and I should've known better. The guy put two different size bearings in the front hub and the axel sits loose and winds itself tight to the point that it won't move. I've pulled all the bearings out my question is how tight do I pack the bearings? Do they need to be loose or touching each other. Please forgive my lack of knowledge out of all the bikes I've owned this is the only one with loose bearings and not an actual bearing case. Thanks in advance

 

[RustySprockets]

Loose bearings are not packed tightly into the cup...there will always be a space between the first and last ball inserted. The gap will appear to be anywhere from one half to one full ball in size. A bed of grease will hold them in place while you re-assemble.

 

[Rebel_56]

Loose bearings are not packed tightly into the cup...there will always be a space between the first and last ball inserted. The gap will appear to be anywhere from one half to one full ball in size. A bed of grease will hold them in place while you re-assemble.

Awesome that's what I needed to know. Dumb question I know but thankyou!!!

 

[RustySprockets]

Not at all...you're very welcome. And your question isn't dumb in the least. Riding an overcrowded vintage hub to destruction because you're too proud to ask for help...THAT's dumb.

You might even consider setting the adjustment the tiniest bit on the loose side, because things get a wee bit tighter once the hub is clamped in the fork. Some mechanics swear by this.

 

[Bendix]

FWIW I've always found quick release axles to tighten slightly, nutted to loosen slightly when installed.

You'll find out easy enough!

 

[user 15387]

Some front hubs actually have a fixed cone on one side to prevent self-tightening. This cone is tightened down all the way and all the adjustment is done on the non-drive side cone. Many English bicycles have these. Many American front hubs are "neutral" in that both cones adjust and neither is bottomed out. In those cases, you use careful adjustment and properly set bearings, along with tension from the fork blade dropouts to keep them in place.

Rusty is correct- you want all bearings the same size, with a space. If you pack them completely tight, the hub will actually bind up and not run correctly. It's counter intuitive at first, but you need that space in the mix.

 

[Bicycle808]

If you're having trouble keeping your bearing adjustment on-fleek while installing the wheels, you can slide your cone wrench on the cone and keep it stationary as you tighten down the axle bolt. This isn't usually necessary, but I've done it on some bikes with a "haunted" hub that like to come out of adjustment when you tighten the axle down on the frame or fork....