Nexus locked up, 3 spd, cb.

[mikeeebikey]

I recently bought myself a set of wheels with the Shimano Nexus 3-speed hub. I put about 20 miles around the house on it, decided it was going to be acceptable for me. first time I rode to work it seized up, Locked completely solid!
so I carry my bike a mile and a half home...
disassembling the hub as I loosen the cones it frees up.?????
being a lazy old man I tighten the cones back up and put back on the bike! It works perfectly no problem at all.
when I first rode it I noticed in third it didn't have the Shimano chick chick as I coasted, now it does....
anyone else have a nexus do this to them?

 

[user 135]

Was the brake arm connected? That will definitely tighten up the cones to cause locking up.

 

[mikeeebikey]

break arm was locked down, adjusted it perfectly before I started a ride.
As I backed off he cones I tried turning the wheel and low and behold it started to turn, by turning it back and forth something clicked, and it loosened up just like loose cones...
I tighten them up and adjusted them, reinstall the wheel and it works perfectly!

 

[Bicycle808]

It sounds like it may've just been tight. It also sounds like maybe you never actually had 3rd gear until you got the adjustment right? I could be wrong, but combine the lack of clicking when the shifter read "3", combined with the failure, and the fact that tight cones had caused the binding kind of points to that being the issue...

At any rate, good on you for solving the problem! I've worked on those hubs a couple of times, but I've never owned one. I just have a soft spot for the Sturmey-Archers...

 

[mikeeebikey]

I had all 3 gears! Third is always the weak one so I had given it, "the test." My legs are the tester.
I haven't found alot of nice on the internet about these hubs...
So today, I am heading over to Big Daddy's to relieve him of a sturmey I have been eyeballing, imagine his suprise when he reads this!

 

[Bicycle808]

Yeah, a lot of ppl love the Nexus 3 speeds, but it seems like those hubs have their fans as well as their detractors. A lot of complaints about them online. I like the Sturmey b/c you can get all the parts and they're just built more for the type of ppl who like to take their hubs apart. I've tuned some Mexus hubs, but I've never had one open and I always got a sense that Shimano didn't really want ppl crackin' em open.