That meant that I wouldn't be sinking money into a project that may or may not turn out to be what I want. Not just in terms of the wheels, but in terms of the bike overall, which if you are not familiar with that, you can read about the bike here.
I don't know how the bike will ride at all. I have no idea how it will fit me in a fine-tuned sense, which is what I'd want if I'm going to keep it around. And in my mind, I have nothing to lose but some time and a tiny amount of investment. See, if I build this up, and I don't like it, I will donate it to the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective and we can then just roll it out on the floor for a very low price. At worst, it will get someone some reliable transportation.
My hope is that this Dorado Sherpa will replace my current Schwinn High Sierra bike, and if that Sherpa just turns out to be a home run in terms of fit and function, well I may then invest into a paint job and more. But first things first. The wheels needed addressing.
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| A little finessing with a drift punch and a hammer, and then this happened. |
The bearings were seized up from rust, and I figured if that was the case, well the aluminum of the hub and the steel of the sealed beraing may have bonded together a bit. So, out came my can of Kroil and I squirted a bit around the edges of the bearing where it sat into the aluminum hub shell.
A little careful tapping with a hammer and drift punch then displaced the bearings from their seats in the hub shell. One hurdle jumped! Bearings have been sourced and ordered. Next up, wheels will be assembled, tires mounted, and then I'll build up this beast into a rolling test bed. It won't be pretty, but I'll at least find out where I stand with regard to the direction this project will be going in.
Stay tuned.....
5 comments:
Love that Kroil, Mark. It is the best penetrating oil that I have used in my career fixing things. Have worked in heavy manufacturing/industry since 1986 and haven't found anything that will beat it! Glad to see there are other uses for it then just the really hard-corps, heavy stuff. Incidentally, I used to purchase the stuff in five gallon containers on a regular basis--expensive but worth it.
@Okie Outdoorsman - Thanks! Yes, that is the stuff I use for situations where something is really stuck or very tight. I was introduced to this by a guy that used to be a machinist, so I am very grateful to have come across the product.
I use it sparingly so my can should last quite a while yet!
Greets GT, are all current bicycle thru-axle hubs cartridge bearings? I’m pretty much a QR dinosaur.
@Skidmark - Not all are. Usually the low-end models with off-brand hubs start to see some loose ball bearing set ups and Shimano does not do cartridge style bearings at any level.
Thanks GT, looking at the Shimano design and how bearing adjustment works without a threaded axle.
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