Thread: funny sound ~ rear hub, advice?

Yesterday I started to get a chaffing sound coming from the rear wheel, sounded like the wheel rubbing against the brake pads, but when I looked down, I couldn't quite see the rub. Whenever I got off to check it out by spinning the wheel, there was no sound, things looked fine. SO the problem/sound happens when there's pressure on the wheel.

Took it to a bike shop and the guy thought it could be a problem with a bearing. For anyone with a little knowledge, does this sound like a possibility? Any thoughts on what else could it be (1yr old Mavic cosmos wheelset w/2700mi on them)? If it is a bearing problem, what should be the cost for 1 bearing and labor?

Could just be a loose bearing. Or it could be a broken axle. Take it to Toga, on the west side in the 60's. Probably the best pro-bike shop in Manhattan.

does the noise happen when you are pedaling or just coasting or both?

more noise under more pressure?

does the noise change with speed?

I'd start with repacking the hub and checking the axel. (what the tech said)

Price for a repacking of the hub $20-40 parts??? range huge

D@mn, Viva beat me to it.

I was just about to mention (re)greasing the hub bearings and seeing if the sound persisted.

Ignore it. If it goes away, it wasn't meant to be. If it comes back, it's true love.

Good Luck!

Viva: that sounds extremely similar, i'll look into that.

Mtlion: noise happens both when peddling and coasting. I can't tell if more pressure = more noise, only that no pressure = no noise (...can't put half my weight on it and still roll around). Yes, the noise does change with speed, faster=more often, why i at first thought it was break pads.

plakespear: I took it to larry&jeff's last night where the guy said what he did. I'm an east-sider and I don't really want to ride that far on it if it's a major problem.

is taking the hub apart/repacking something I can teach myself, or is it best left ot the pros? any specialty tools needed?

thanks for all the info, it's much appreciated.

Originally posted by mushmouth
is taking the hub apart/repacking something I can teach myself, or is it best left ot the pros? any specialty tools needed?

Really not that difficult, I'd say try to tackle it yourself. Hubs are pretty simple. The only obstacle is taking it apart (read: tools).

BTW, I'm of the opinion that nothing (suspension parts being the excpetion) on a bike is too tough to figure out. Just judging from many of the bike techs I've come across, I figured how hard can it be?

solution: broken bearing, replaced. $32.00 total.