rear bearing

Karletto

hi
i broke 5th cog; when i got all apart i found out that a ball in the bearing is missing; did i lost it? () how much torque to reinstall the axle?

lp

garage sale GT

You can get new single bearing balls at most hardware stores but I would get new cones and bearings from a seller like Niagaracycle.com. If you have some freewheel bike it will almost certainly be standard except for maybe the dust caps on the axle cones, which can be tapped off gently and changed out.

Roll the axle across a smooth tabletop. I bet you it's bent and wobbly.

You don't torque cone nuts down. you tighten the cone by hand against the bearing balls and maybe back off a few degrees, then tighten the locknut against the cone while holding the cone still with a special, thin wrench. The idea is to take out all the play but not tighten it any further.

Some people think you should give the cone a very slight preload; maybe 10 degrees after it touches the balls.

I also find it's necessary to readjust a few times in the first few miles as the cones break in. Cheap ones will not have a smooth finish and you will lose the initial adjustment as the cones break in.

Maybe get a book from the library or go to parktool.com for more info.

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Karletto

the cogs are not screwed on the axle (thay have special grooves; with plastic rings for cogs to be apart); the red bolt tights 5 cogs as a unit (the bolt is screwed in the 4th cog); new cog (5th) has the right diameter/ number of teeths but has no hole for that bolt; what will happen without that bolt?

Karletto

done

garage sale GT

I didn't know you had a cassette hub. the red bolt just holds the cogs and plastic spacers together before you install them. I don't think you need it.

Of course if your cassette is falling apart you maybe ought to just get a new one. Does the chain skip when you mash the pedals?

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