Fixing A Wobbling Rear Wheel Hub
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- čas přidán 11. 02. 2016
- I noticed a weird eccentric wobble on the rear hub of a bike I was working on. I disassembled the hub to discover that someone had overhauled it and installed too many bearings. A rear hub typically has nine 1/4" bearings on each side. This had ten on each side. So I cleaned everything and put it back together with the proper number of new bearings. This eliminated big wobble in the hub. There was still a slight bit of wobble in the freewheel, but this is not uncommon due the manufacturing process of the hubs.
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I watched all your video's and taken apart all my bikes.... now i realize i just like the videos... and i have a huge mess of parts in my tiny apartment.
+Ted Byun You need to put them back together!
Lol funny
sell them
Same here !
So help me Lord .
Thanks to this video, while it wasn't directly what my problem was, it helped me solve it.
My rear wheel was wobbling in the frame and I have a quick release. I thought the quick release was a bit slack so, I tightened it a little, no joy.
I then proceeded to take apart my hub, which is where your clear and detailed instructions helped me. I realised my cone was a little loose and just needed to be moved along the axle a little. So, I took two spanners (wrenches), one for the cone, one for the locknut and loosened them. I moved the cone along the axle a little, tightened the locknut, put it back together and then back in the frame.
I got a slight wobble but I realised I was on the right track and proceeded with the same steps. A little more along the axle and hey, not a single bit of wobble or play.
Your video saved me a good £50 in a bike shop repair so, thank you very, very much for your exceptional tutorial.
I know this was old but I know where that wobble is. It is about the uneven force exerted to the pawls by the spring. One is stronger than the other side so it tends to wobble. And this usually happens with thread types sprockets. I opened one and eventually eliminate wobbling. Just sharing :)
How?
i have had that apart and know there are 2 spring loaded tabs that i can see are always either dragging making that sound or engaged while pedaling, so youre saying one spring is stronger and that makes it wobble? i cant envision that and i dont think RJ will have a perfectly true wheel unless he gets a new one.
Unless it's the spoke tension. It's possible that the entire hub housing is at a slight angle because of incorrect spoke tension, which would create a wobble.
thank you, mine has also this problem, will repair asap when my tool arrives and take this into account upon checking, been looking all around the net for what cause this problem.
It’s fun to watch the stroboscopic affect as he spins the freewheel at around 0:40. Some gears appear to rotate clockwise while others appear to rotate counterclockwise.
I always use a similar size closed wrench over the dust cap to tap it back in evenly. As for the wobble, it's the off-centered free wheel configuration, compared to the more balnaced free-hub/cassette combination. That usually wears out the hub shell unevenly. Always love watching your videos, RJ, in fact, you're my bike mentor. Thanks
I will no longer try to fix wobble with an extra ball bearing. Great teaching and awesome contributions of knowledge and experience in comments. Definitely subscribing.
I enjoyed watching this video I've my grandsons rear wheel to sort out as he has wobble side to side, it's been a good 30 plus years since I've done this so very nice to watch and refresh my mind again many thanks
This video has been incredibly helpful for me to replace a completely broken axle. I've been learning so much from the other videos as well and it's so damn handy and satisfying to be able to fix at least on of my commuting vehicles :D
The freewheel hub mount treads are not centered properly this is very common on cheaper freewheel mount type hub wheels. Good video. I have some wheels with barely any wobble, but some wheels that wobble the same freewheel it is due to cheaply made wheel hubs.
Danfuerth Gillis can you still ride the bikes or is this a “must fix” problem??
@@rasheemmcdowell4144 it's not recommended to ride since it will cause permanent damage
an answer! great to know
rasheem mcdowell Of course you can ride the bike without any issues as it does not affect shifting, the only issue is when you are freewheeling the free wheel will look like its wobbling ( messes with your mind). My main cheap road bike is still using the original wobbling freewheel mount with no issues for years now. Nothing wrong with this but like I said it does mess with your mind seeing crooked like freewheeling it 😂
Absolutely agree.
I saw it also here:
czcams.com/video/6C9_dvfQNP8/video.html
Exactly my problem on an ancient Huffy. Thanks! Also your video on cassette vs. freewheel was the best on the topic.
Awesome video. I have found that the wobble seems to be related to the hub threading. Doesn't seem to affect the shifting much. It is annoying though when you think of the money you spend on a bike only to get something like that.
man, i wish you'd live in my neighbourhood! great videos!
That's suggestive!
Thank you for the video. I couldn't setup the cone, spacer and the nut lock properly for 3 days until I came across your video. Really appreciate all the details.
When I look up bike videos/instructionals I always make sure to look for yours first, thank you for being the best out there
I love all your videos ! Really great shots of the jobs you do ! Great stuff
No one explained the way you did! I was tiered and frustrated to get wobble out of rear wheel- your video made it happened in 20 mins ! thanks
Yes!! I've been searching for video of how to fix my wobbling bike!! Thank you!!
I'm really enjoying watch your videos, I was inspired to go out and get a couple of damaged old Raleigh's. I'm in the process of cleaning them up and getting some new parts for them.
Hey RJ your video tutorials are the best! the explanation, the camera angles and the tips helped me a lot on trouble shooting my own bike thanks a lot!
Excellent video narration with great editing to give the important points without wasted time. Primo. You've given me the confidence to get rid of my wobble, saving me money at the bike shop and time without my bike. Thank you for this. 🙂
Great Job Mr. Ur videos are invaluable support for me ! Ur showing all step by step and explaining everything. This channel is awesome. Recently I bought very old race bike and this channel is ultra helpful to maintenance this bike in shape. Keep doing this pls :) Greetings from Poland.
Thanks for you videos,believe me they are a great help,and I have learn a lot about working on bikes,I really needed this video.I got a loose hub,that wobbles.I will fix it.Thanks again.I try and watch all your videos.I have really learned alot.
So glad i found your channel, I plan on repairing an older ish schwinn my family has had for years. and the back tire/free wheel wobbles, so I'm going to buy the tools I need to take the free wheel off and see if I have the same problem. thanks for uploading such a detailed video that's very straight forward and to the point,
Great videos as always. Thank you for the uploads.
Great video! Thank you. Not everyone can make good videos. Like the guy said below about his apt full of bike parts. Great camera work and voice/sound.
Hey, RJ, thanks for the great video. I had the same wheel with the same problem (except, proper amount of bearings) that wobble is caused by slightly bent axle on the drive side (under the freewheel). Found that with help of a lot of eyeballing and measurements. When I replaced the axle and the freewheel that was not originaly there, wobble was gone completely. Also, this will cause faster freewheel failure in a long run.
Wrong. A freewheel will ALWAYS wobble.
your a class act!, another great video for a true expert with an exceptional presentation style
Thank you for the video. My kids are old enough to ride their bikes now and I wanted to impress them by fixing the wobble.
This was a unique case. I am guess yours is something different. Maybe rim needs trued, or loose hub?
This is so satisfying to watch!
Good observation seeing the extra bearings great video thumbs up again
Wow - awesome job! Step-by-step process! Thank you for the explanation!
While you didn't fix the problem it is always good to see how something is took apart and put back together. As this is something that is what seems like it would happen in reality and not just one of the videos where the issues would be totally fixed or a brand new wheel like a polished videos as I think 90 percent of people don't have to bikes that's are over a grand , nice vid mate
I don't know if this did solve my problem but when i went back to my bike and decided to tighten The Other side first it made the wobble go away :o so thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you. Your video helped me repair my rear wheel.
You are an amazing instructor!
Thank you for this wonderful video. I just getting started working on bicycles.
Perfect video
Been looking for that.
Thank you
Definitely interesting! As so many have said... you’re great! Videos are excellent to watch, great simple explanations, great camera angles and lighting, voice is clear with no marbles (or bearings) in the mouth!, and you clearly have great understanding, experience, and care for the subject at hand. Great confidence in your approach that inspires others to not be afraid! Now... all that being said... what tools should I start with to service my ‘88 Schwinn tempo? I’m thinking about the bottom bracket first... the bike doesn’t really show any problems but I’m the original owner and I can’t tell you the last time it was really serviced... it has the Shimano 105 cranks and 105 everything else too lol... thank you for any advice!
Buy tools as you need them. Here are some of the tools I have collected over the years. czcams.com/video/KBvUIQSmkcA/video.html
RJ, your videos are still internet gold for those who can search/read, act AND then repeat if necessary.
Sheldon Brown's static web pages got me started on basic Bike DIY & simplification some years pre-YT; I still now trawl through your video archives again based upon 'old quality' bike parts I pick up and want to service & re-use.
Yeap. The two sources you mention are the most exhaustive for sure. Park Tool youtube channel has good tutorials on mounting/adjusting (rim) brakes.
*You are the best RJ the bike man*
RJ great video. Thank you.
Your videos are outstanding! Thank you!
Thank you so much!! On it now. I have subscribed as you make SO much sense!!
Nice info and great video....
An inexpensively manufactured and poorly machined wheel at the outset I'd venture. The tendency to crowd the bearing number is quite common and probably is what exacerbated the poor wheel concentricity and parallelism to begin with. Your efforts did mitigate the wobble considerably, but the damage was already done by your predecessors overzealous and misguided attempt at over-bearing the race. Great video, as always and your camera work is impeccable. Good job.
Big Fan
Mike Kirwan (Kenmore, WA)
It was NOT a good job, because the wheel still wobbled.
In Bikes I have fixed the cheaper the hub, the more wobble there is in the freewheel. I assume it has something to do with the level of attention to detail when manufacturing it.
Very good video. Thanks for sharing. One tip: you can use a piece of wood over the dust cap before hammering.
Totally agree with you. One should NEVER hammer directly on ANY kind of seal/dust cover. The chances of denting/bending the seal/cover are too great. Those dust covers are VERY flimsy,
The extra 5mm of free axle length on the drive side is to allow for the thickness of the claw type of rear derailer. For a frame with a hanger, of course, the free axle lengths would be the same.
I guess he doesn't know..
Very important info. Thanks!
Very helpful!! Thanks
Good catch!
My bike does the exact same thing and I’m glad I can tell now that it’s probably gonna be a bearing issue. Or even a thread issue. Unfortunately I don’t have any of the tools to do it myself at home. Back to my local bike shop
Mine's got the same problem thanks for sharing!!!
Great video God Bless
Whether bicycle or boat trailer etc.., I tap dust caps in with a piece of equal or near equal diameter thick walled PVC pipe, so that the cap doesn't tilt and pressure is equal for each tap all the way around.
Thanks for the info. The voice in my head kept saying turn the hammer around and tap with the handle.
Very useful video
still helpful .. Thank you !
watching carefully and thanks
at the end of your video, it still wobbles but thank you for your sharing.
The wobble is from the threads on the hub. It's not machined perfectly straight thus the freewheel screws on a bit crooked.
Naa man.. Look 0:34 it clearly shows that there are to many bearings in there. Although i think there is that low qulity hub efect also. Both of those things made it look so bad.. u could eaven see the wheel itself wobling around.
but clearly after the issue of having too many bearings was resolved, it still had a wobble, which makes Dennis' comment most likely accurate.
The eccentric wobble is gone after fixing the bearings. Then it was just the freewheel wobbling.
The bearings will not fix the wobble. It may improve a little but is not the answer to the problem.
Axle isn t straight!!!
It must have been in the axle. My bike is doing the wobble and after removing the axle I saw it has worn threads as if it was striped. This might have been causing the nuts to come loose. I am attempting to replace the axle and barring's with new parts. Trying to remove the LOCK RING on my freewheel is proving most difficult. ( the whole bloody thing is stuck)
anyway, Once I have completed my repairs I will share the highlights of my efforts to the problems of WHEELWOBBLE. Thanks for a great informative video.
Thank you!
New subs here shoutout from philippines :) your channel is a big help keep going mate
0:05 vs 10:53 so much smooth!
Great videos bro.
You helped me so much!!
Socket for cog removal? Good video 👍🏽
this video was helpful, thank you, I have the same problem with my back wheel, and my front wheel is also messed up, would there be a way I can send you a video to show you what's wrong?
It's bad machining of the wheel hub that is the cause of the wobble. The freewheel is normally machined true, but the wheel hub sometimes on cheaper makes, has not been placed in the lathe machine correctly.
Freewheel threads on almost any hub are never perfect.
On a quick release rear axle how much space would you recommend to leave on the drive side lock nut ?
I have this exact problem. I’ll see if I can fix it
I have the same wobble in a vintage bike after repairing other damage to the drive side- bent axle, crunched derailleur- looks like the cup on that side is not in straight. Haven't been able to straighten it out yet.
Can i suggest a thor nylon soft faced hammer when hammering dust caps or anything similar it would do less damage.
Good point👍. How about a sock hammer lol or any cloth over the head has worked well for me.
or just a rubber mallet
It’s bike repair, not cardiac surgery. It’s fine to be a bit careless, it will do.
@@mariamartins367 not on a $7,000 bike
Been there .. Measuring both sides before proceeding is essential.
our saucers wobble too.
Ive been looking for a solution for my bike, there seems to be a wobbly back tire and i never noticed it until one of my friends had mentioned it to me, so this video might come in super handy, i have all the tools at my place to fix this problem, so im going to attempt it at home before taking it into any professional.
Make sure it is the hub wobbling and not just the rim out of true.
thank you :) you helped me :)
What grease should I use for all bearing? Like pedals and hubs. What grease you use?
most of the time i have found it to be a slightly bent axle. but all the cheapn wheels seem to have some form of wobble
that's video JR!
Very helpful ty
شكرا جزيلا🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Wow thanks so much your video but not easy for me ^^
Profi Mester. 🚲🚲🚲🚲
You just seem dope so ima sub.
I was just regreasing my hubs today. On my front wheel one side had 9 bearings and the other side had 10. I got the hub cleaned nice and greased, I put 9 bearings in one side then decided to go out on my porch and put the rest of the bearings in outside, i then proceeded to knock over the cup that had the ball bearings in it and lost 3. I checked Home depot and they had the right size 3/16 but they were charging $1.25 for one ball bearing. I then called Wheel and Sprocket and the service guy told me to head over and he would just give me some ball bearings. I successfully got the bearings reinstalled and put 10 on each side, my wheels feel so much more smoother now considering I've had the bike for about 3yrs and ride it year round including in the snow and slush during winter. (Also I wish i had known that the dust cover was removable, lol, i had to clean the race out with a bunch of q-tips. Well now i know.)
I have the exact same wobble. Overhaul didnt correct issue and its still too much as I use the bike on a smart trainer. Is the bearing race cup typically replaceable? I think Ive narrowed it down to that. The cone was worn badly asymmetrically so it had to be replaced too. Great channel. Thanks.
Very good instructional video to overhaul a hub sometimes when the wheel is wibbly wobbly sometimes the mechanics they will reuse the old ball bearings but the smart thing to do when you overhaul any kind of Hub or bottom bracket or headset always replace with new ball bearings never reused the old ball bearings even if the old ball bearings were nice and shiny and clean if you were to look at the old ball bearings under a microscope you will see that the ball bearings are no longer perfectly round due to the pressure points making contact with metal to metal ball bearings take on the shape of an egg just saying.
Ball bearings are cheap. And as you say, you can't tell how worn they are without expensive equipment.
The rear wheel/hub ends up wobbly on all of the 20+ bikes I've had but nothing ever fixes it permanently except buying an expensive (£200+) rear wheelchair
Do you recommend chrome plated steel bearings or stainless steel bearings and what is the difference, I simply do not know. Thanks and great video as they all are very informative
I buy grade 25 bearings hardened steel bearings.
wen i put back dust cap i use straight piece of wood to tap in the place :)
i just cleaned my bike. removed the quick release rear wheel and half the spindle just fell out of the wheel. guess ive been riding like that for a while
I was just going to post a link to my video on replacing a bent axle, but I see your comment over there. So you found it.
Hey RJ, they didn't try, they did! If I didn't see it I wouldn't have believed it! :)
BTW RJ, after watching this put new rear cassett in mine been bad for over year, adjusted nothing, so far so good!
Hey, RJ - thanks for another great video! Can you tell me the make/model of your vice and the max jaw width of it? I've found a similar item in the UK but it comes in three possible max jaw widths (61, 84, 86mm).(I don't think your vice is on the 'Tools' page on your website) Thanks!
It's a drill press vise. www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-jaw-capacity-drill-press-vise-30999.html
What happens if the race surface area is worn? can you replace this? or do you need to buy another hub/wheel? Having said that this is a great video and very helpful !!
i have the same problem tnx for the info
Lots of new department store bikes comes with a wobble, even lower trim bikes made by recognized companies. Theyre not nearly as noticeable though so aside from bearing issues I think cheap hubs are also to blame.
What did you use to clean everything? I've heard of using WD-40, is that good for the parts, or is there some type of solvent made to clean old grease off of bike parts?
Can you please name the tools you used in this video? Thanks.