BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I wouldn't reuse the spokes, nor build it myself unless it was a spare. Definitely learn how to build one, but don't risk your only wheel.

Sealed hubs are awesome, unsealed hubs aren't horrible though (and the bearings are cheaper, you'll just get dirtier if you do your own overhauls).

In reality, I'm about to lose a hub too, and I'll probably be riding it the day it seizes. I'll probably crash, and get hurt. Just sayin... In fact, my entire drive train is shot. So, I'm looking for a cheap fixie while I figure out my next plan.

Is it your cross check? I have a good hub/spokes, but trashed rim. Mine says FH-M590 though.

Even if you get the same hub, there is always a possibility that the dimensions have changed over the years, no?

yeah, cross-check. i think i'm just gonna put it back together so i don't have to figure out what to do tonight. maybe i'll buy a wheel and rebuild this one as a spare in which case i'll buy your hub if you have no plans for it.

i should have quit while i was ahead - i started off planning to do just the front one because i thought i heard some noise coming from it. there were no problems there as far as i could tell so i repacked it, then decided to finally put the fenders i had lying around on. so, i took off the rear wheel and noticed it was notchy as hell so i took it apart too. now it's 8:30 and my bike is broken. well, i guess it was already broken and i just didn't know it.

The deore hubs are nice hubs if you maintain the bearings and clean things before they get pitted. Cartridge bearings are nice if you like to ride things until the bearings are toast because you get to replace the races every time you do the bearings. If you get the same FH-530 hub the spokes will be the same. I would not reuse spokes either. They have a limited life span.

You could try the toothpaste trick. Repack your hub with tooth paste and ride it for a week. It is supposed to smooth the pitting out. After a week, repack with new balls and grease. I have never done it, only heard about it.

the bike is ~2 years old and i had the wheel rebuilt (with new spokes because it was a different rim) last summer after i destroyed the rim on a pothole. should i still not re-use the spokes?

since we're on the topic, how often do you guys repack your hubs? i don't ride this bike in the snow but it does see some rain. do you replace the bearings every time or only if there's pitting?

I've posted photos on here with severly pitted cones and I don't imagine my cups are in supurb condition either. You can probably get 1000's of miles on the hub without too much of a difference. For example, you didn't even seem to know they were pitted until you unpacked the hub.

I usually recomend a yearly teardown of hubs. Use new bearings every time (they only cost about $.05ea).

The spokes are probaly fine, mainly because it was rebuilt and quality spokes were probably used.

I think a yearly overhaul is a minimum... Then again, I ride through muck and grime on the regular.

"You can probably get 1000's of miles on the hub without too much of a difference."

That's really going to depend on the bike, rider, terrain, conditions, on and on... I don't know much about those hubs though.

OK, I put it back together, then realized I screwed up by not getting the drive side locknut tight, so i took it apart again and did it right.

My error was not realizing you could remove/install the cassette lockring with the cone locknut in place. Once I realized that was possible the whole thing made a lot more sense, and i felt like an idiot for doing what I did. I knew in the back of my mind it was wrong but... oh well, at least I realized it before I rode anywhere. But, that is a good clue for what may have gone wrong in the first place because that locknut was loose when i took it apart initially. Not sure how it got that way, it wasn't my doing.

It's funny, I feel like I knew more about bike maintenance 15 years ago; it's slowly coming back to me though. I guess I should do the hubs on my MTB now, since it's the one that gets all the snow and salt and whatnot.

Thanks for all the help! I'm planning to keep riding it although I'll have to keep a better eye on it in case it gets really bad. Maybe I'll build a new wheel in the meantime.

bummer salty, I can relate. I feel like the vast majority of people get away with never servicing their hubs but people who are somewhat attentive to their bike's needs get stuck with pitted cups!

"People who are somewhat attentive to their bike's needs..." tend to put a lot more miles on their bikes too. :p

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/reusing-spokes.html

Rule of thumb is re-using spokes is ok when replacing the rim, but not recommended when replacing the hub. The theory is that re-seating the spokes in a new hub flange causes stress at their weakest point, the j-bend. If you do re-use the spokes, make sure to keep track of not only which spokes are on the drive side and non-drive side, but also which ones are on the inside of the flange and outside of the flange. There is a slight difference in angle that causes the head of the spoke to bend a little more or less. Lace them the same way on the new wheel.

@headloss touché