Loading…
5
Appreciation post: the old guy at Bay Area Bikes who changed how I set cone nuts
I used to crank cone nuts down tight and then back off a hair, figured that was close enough for a shop tune. Last month a retired mechanic named Ray watched me do it on a rear hub at Bay Area Bikes in Oakland and just said 'you're preloading the bearing, not setting it.' He showed me his method: snug the cone, feel for that tiny bit of play at the rim, then lock the jam nut while holding the cone steady with a 17mm. My repacks have felt smoother ever since, and I've stopped getting the 'it still grinds' comebacks. Anyone else have an old timer hand them a trick like that?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
joseph5291mo ago
The part about holding the cone steady while you snug the jam nut is what gets people. If the cone spins even a little when you lock it down, you just killed the adjustment you spent five minutes getting right. I keep a cone wrench on the flat and tighten the jam nut slow, then check the axle in my fingers before it ever goes back in the frame. If you feel any rough spot at all, back it off and start over, it never smooths itself out once it's locked.
2