1991 Campag chorus front wheel cones

[jackg]

Trying to get a new pair of these, one is pitted, the other is not too bad.
Sent one of them to Mercian last week, no response.
JD Whiskers, out of stock.
Campag service centre in Kent, no response.
Deeside and Parker's don't have them. Worth a call though.
Hillary Stone said spares are not held in the UK for the past 30 years for distributor reasons.
He suggested Belgium cycle shops as they hold large quantity of spares for Campag and Shimano, even STI levers.
In Ghent and somewhere else.

Get them from the States easily.,
Product code is CH004

Any one got any ideas.

[Jezrant]

http://www.campyoldy.co.uk/
Nigel may be able to help.

[Mick F]

Sent one of them to Mercian last week, no response.
....... Product code is CH004 ........

......Any one got any ideas.

Have you actually telephoned Mercian?
They are very helpful and knowledgeable, and I'd be very surprised if they didn't have them in stock.

This hub design is classic Campag, and the bits must be available.

[jackg]

I emailed Nigel yesterday, awaiting his response.

I have not spoken to the Campag man at Mercian, who only works on Thursday and Friday, but when I phoned on Thursday I was assured that he would phone back the same day, which he did not.

Looks like ordering from the states is the current option.
http://smartbikeparts.com/search_details.php?itm=HU9790
Cheapest I have found plus $15 shipping.

There was an ebay seller selling some in early August but no response from him yet either, probably on a beach somewhere.

[Mick F]

Hi Jack,
When I've bought Campag spares from Mercian, I just spoke to the chap that answered the phone. I gave him the info and he went upstairs to the store and came back with the bits. He took my card number and posted the bits off same day. I've done this a few times over the years.

I wasn't aware that there was a "Campag Man". I live and learn!

I suggest you phone again, because $15 shipping from USA seems a bit steep.

Also, if the cones are gone, why don't you replace the cups too whilst you're in there. They come out easily if you're gentle with a small hammer and a flat bladed screwdriver. I made a rod with a suitable hook on the end to make it easier. The problem is, the hub body is narrow and it's difficult to get the screwdriver to mate up with the inner flange of the cup. Perseverance will do it but be gentle with the hammer and tap all round the periphery to get it out evenly. Once the first one's out, the other one is very easy.

To get the new ones in, use a block of wood to tap them in. Again, do it gently and when it's flush with the body, use a suitable socket and drive the cup home.

I refurbished my old Record hubs a couple of times over the years, so was a dab hand at it. I've since sold the hubs.

[jackg]

I was not aware that there was a Campag man either, my experience mirrors yours, it could be the holiday season?
Only one cone is pitted the other is marked but fine, the cups are fine as well.
This is the first time I have stripped the front hub after 20 years and the grease was solid, the rear is fine and I had regreased the rear hub a few times, so poor maintenance is the reason.
I had a look at the prices for the cups and the front ones are only $6 but the rear are $30 ish. Surprised at the difference.

[jackg]

I ordered the parts from smartbikeparts in Chicago. Takes 7-10 days for delivery,
Mercian still have one cone so I can't use my bike.
Out off interest I measured all the ball bearings to see how consistent they are.
From the rear hub LHS: 0.248"Ø
Nominal is 1/4" or 0.250"Ø
RHS: 0.2165"Ø
Nominal is 7/32" or 0.2185"Ø
Front hub both sides: 0.185"Ø
Nominal is 3/16" or 0.1875"Ø
Makes me wonder if these are metric balls or imperial.
They may wear but not uniformly as they are here.
6.3mm=0.248"
5.5mm= 0.2165"
4.7mm=0.185"

I have some 3/16" balls from simply bearings which measure 0.1855"Ø so the sizes given are nominal.

[Mick F]

I can't remember the spec for the balls in those hubs, but from what I can remember, I bought them as Imperial. The rear balls were bigger than the front balls, but that's about my limit of memory!

Sounds like you need a full set front and rear. Never replace individual balls or a part set - always fit a complete set from a matched packet of the same lot.

I've looked on the Campag site, but those hubs aren't listed in the on-line instruction manuals, nearest is the Pista (almost identical design) but the ball sizes aren't given.

[Jezrant]

sorry you didn't have any luck with campyoldy.
I've also used these guys in the past:
http://www.thethirdhand.com
might be helpful for someone else.
strange you couldn't find the cones in the UK.
btw, campy bearings were always given in imperial.

edited to sound less pompous

[jackg]

Thanks Jezrant that shop is worth knowing about.
And thanks for your comments Mick. The curious thing is that the 3/16" new balls, grade 10 measured the same as the existing ones. So a nominal size or my verniers under read.
I got the worn cone back from Mercian so at least I can use it till the new ones arrive. I ordered some cups as well.

[jackg]

I bought some cups at the same time and they arrived so I cracked on with it.
I struggled to find out how to remove the cups on the net but I cracked it after a while.

So to change the cups and cones you need to:
Remove the wheel from the hub
Remove the Q/R
Undo the cone nuts to extract the axle.
Lever the grease seal off with a screwdriver
Remove the ball bearings.
To remove the old cups.

The problem is how to remove the cups from the hub.
The inner diameter of the cup is slightly smaller than the axle hole in the hub so using a screwdriver did not allow any purchase of the screwdriver blade onto the cup.
You need something slightly offset. I tried a few things before I found something which worked. I thought of a washer or a coin, then I found an allen screw with a raised lip on it, looks like a caliper securing screw or for the seat post.
I also had a 5.5mm diameter aluminium rod which I think came from a stack of filing intrays, it is one of four rods which supports one tray above another.
The rod fitted into the screw and I then had a lip to engage with the edge of the cup, all I needed then was a hammer and a wooden surface to rest the hub on.

I gave the rod a fair belt to get the cup moving, when it did it was quite easy and out it popped. The cup comes out so far and then the edge of it is flush with the edge of the hub so I could not drive it out further with the hub on the chopping board. so I held the wheel with two fingers and the rod and allen screw with my finger and thumb and then hit the end of the rod with the hammer to get the cup out of the hub. The other side is the same.

Cleaned the old grease off the hub and tapped the new cup into place, gently easing it down evenly. As the cup is recessed in the hub I used the old cup inverted as a drift to get the new cup home. You get a change in tone when the new cup is home an echo sound rather than a thud so I stopped at this point. The old cup does get stuck in the hub but I knocked it out with the rod and allen screw. The other side is the same.

That was the hard part, then I reassembled the grease and new balls into one cup and replaced the grease seal/cover. and the same with the other side.
Screwed the new cones onto the hub and spaced the axle evenly so an equal amount protrudes on each side before adjusting cones to a slight loose fit before assembling and checking on the forks.

Spin the wheel to test for any vibration or friction, but there was none.
So job completed and I will check the hub bearings in a few months.

Some pics here:
http://imageshack.us/g/21/p1000466j.jpg/
Not in order.
1. New cup fitted with old cup used as a drift.
2. Bearings greased ready for the grease seal to be fitted.
3. Fitted cup
4. Cleaned hub waiting the cup
5. Cleaned hub in the sink.
6. Rod and allen screw and cups and cone

And here is a tool to remove the cups if you have a spare £25:
http://www.dotbike.com/p/8164

[Mick F]

.... I made a rod with a suitable hook on the end to make it easier. The problem is, the hub body is narrow and it's difficult to get the screwdriver to mate up with the inner flange of the cup.

I still have my rod with a hook!

Well done, Jack, you got there!

[Jaq]

Hola. Though the bearing hunt seems over, I thought I'd chime in with a couple other US suppliers. I recently had to replace the cups & cones in my '95 rear record hub. Most of the stuff I grabbed off ebay (from the UK, thanks much (I'm in California)), but the following two suppliers had all the parts as well, and for not much more:

http://www.bikeman.com/Campagnolo_Cones.html

http://www.ochsnerusa-store.com/

There's also a shop called Yellowjersey.com, and they had everything, but they were rather expensive.

Hasta!