Wheel Build with Chain Reaction

[DarkNewt]

Hi,

always had good things to say about chain reaction, however I just had a set of wheels built with them. I had to order the front dynamo hub from Rose Bikes and when the wheels turned up:

front dynamo hub is juddering like the hub is to tight, slackened off the non power connector side and all I can feel is the power connector side is stiff and juddery. Then I thought ahh well I can fit the rear wheel stick with my old front one till it is sorted. I then noticed the hub they had specified is not centrelock compatible despite their advice to go with centerlock and me ordering 2 new centerlock discs... Awaiting their response...

Anyhow, as this is my first dyanmo hub, am I being stupid are the dynamo hubs stiff/juddery??? can't imagine they are but stranger things and all that. Any advice would be apreciated.

[iandriver]

Shimano dynohubs (no experience of other brands) do judder to the point of a regular almost rapid clicking when you spin the wheels in your hand and hold the axle. That's normal. Many of us find it disconcerting when we first get our hands on one.

[DarkNewt]

Hiya,

thanks for the reply, im still not fully convinced this feels like it is actually grinding/noisy.

[fatboy]

It may be grinding if you have loosened it off too much, stuff inside can rub on the internals. They do judder like crazy when turning the Axle by hand.

[Brucey]

most likely it is exactly as fatboy describes. If there is the slightest slack in the bearings, the stator is pulled to one side and it will rub on the magnets.

However there is another possibility which is that one of the balls has become dislodged on the RHS bearing. If there isn't a 2mm gap between the power connector and the RHS bearing seal, then it is quite likely that this is exactly what has happened. I've seen this happen a few times with several different models of shimano hub generator,( and a few other models of shimano front hub too).

BTW when the hub is set up, it is very difficult to gauge when the bearings are set correctly, because of the (normal for a dynohub) 'notchy' feel. Pretty much the only way you can infer that the adjustment is correct is to set the bearings very slightly loose, then adjust the cone a fraction tighter, and snug everything down again. A QR hub should be a fraction loose until the QR is fully tightened.

cheers

[DarkNewt]

Hiya,

wierd, i have rebuilt loads of hubs and what your saying may be true as the other side is smooth. I am still unhappy about the rear wheel coming with a bolt on disc when I had asked for centerlock rotors, still I want to give chain reaction the opportunity to do something as they have generally been great. I am going to take the front wheel to someone who has experience with these hubs and get them to check it out and compare it I am so hoping you are right

[Brucey]

do you have a gap as I describe or not?

If a ball comes dislodged, it usually pushes the seal outwards.

Which model hub do you have?

cheers

[DarkNewt]

Hiya,

its: Front Hub SHIMANO Deore XT DH-T785-1D Disc hub dynamo

anyone in Birmingham/West mids got one i can compare with

[DarkNewt]

The seal isn't pushed out, however the feeling is similar to a very worn hub overtightened so i slackenedoff the non connector side and that had no effect if anything it felt tighter to turn.

[DarkNewt]

@ all those who helped above

it appears that really is how much resistance so thankyou for all your help! The other problem with my wheel build is I specified centrelock rotors and they fitted a rear hub with bolt on .... the best they are offering is a bolt on disc as a freebie ... considering my options as not happy with it.

[Psamathe]

@ all those who helped above

it appears that really is how much resistance so thankyou for all your help! The other problem with my wheel build is I specified centrelock rotors and they fitted a rear hub with bolt on .... the best they are offering is a bolt on disc as a freebie ... considering my options as not happy with it.

I have no idea about the impacts of the difference, but I would have thought that if they failed to supply what you ordered then they either have to refund you or supply what you ordered. So if you specified a rim with pink stripes and they supplied one without pink stripes then it's a refund or supply the correct item.

Ian

[Brucey]

@ all those who helped above

it appears that really is how much resistance so thankyou for all your help! The other problem with my wheel build is I specified centrelock rotors and they fitted a rear hub with bolt on .... the best they are offering is a bolt on disc as a freebie ... considering my options as not happy with it.

I'd be annoyed by that too, (and agree that they should be bound to supply what you asked for) but is there any special reason for wanting centrelock ones?

cheers

[DarkNewt]

Hiya,

no special reason other than the dynamo hub i got was centerlock, so would like the rear one to match. That may be fussy but i have built my bike up and the only bit I had put together by someone else isn't quite right.. and as they say no one else may notice the imperfection but I will know it's there.

[Brucey]

one solution would be to get something like Shimano SM-RTAD05 converter (cost about £9) for the front hub which would allow a six-bolt rotor on both wheels. I think there is a bit more choice in six-bolt rotors, (and if you prang one you are more likely to be able to walk into any shop and buy another) but tbh centrelock and six-bolt are both good systems. What you can't do is convert from six bolt to centrelock, obviously.

cheers

[DarkNewt]

After elevating my case to Customer Service they have agreed to take the wheel back and rebuild with a Hub supplied by me. However I am waiting for them to agree to refund me the cost of the original hub, they are getting back to me.

If they do this then I will be fairly happy, I don't mind when things go wrong as long as they are put right and in some ways if this gets fully sorted it will enhance them in my eyes as a trustworthy company that puts their mistakes right.