Are these hubs salvageable?

aaronarthur · May 12, 2010

Hey all, I'm at a point where I'm debating what to do here and could use some advice. In the end I'm looking to end up with all my parts fairly shiny/clean as I'm having the frame/forks powdercoated. Shiny frame needs shiny parts.

I'm not concerned with staying original on this project. The rims still have some shine under the funk, but the spokes are shot. So my question for you is, do you think these hubs are salvageable, or are they long gone? Should I go through the effort of cleaning them up and having the wheels re-laced? Or should I just get rid of them and buy a shiny new wheelset? Thoughts? If I do go with the new wheelset, are these original wheels worth a couple bucks? Or are they just done?

rico · May 12, 2010

Re: Are these hubs worth saving?

i will just keep them for part's you never know when you will need some :!:

Sinner4 · May 12, 2010

You could have them media blasted and see how bad the damage is. If not too bad, send them to the chromer or powder coater, But it might be cheaper to get a new set and use those for parts.

NLCTVWguy · May 16, 2010

With a lot of work and a wire wheel you could probably get these hubs into shape enough to take a coat of paint and maybe look ok.

They'll never look good in chrome again, even if you had them replated.

A Bendix RB 2 or 70 hub is an easy one to find in good shape for $20 or less. A Schwinn front hub or a modern hub with the same spoke count, likewise is not hard to locate on Ebay or here in good shape for $10 or less. If you value your time at all, it would make sense to rebuild the wheels with nicer hubs and new spokes.

Note that modern spokes are tpyically designed for smaller holes in the hub flanges- match them up closely when fitting new spokes to vintage hubs. Good luck!

--Rob