Can I adjust (tighten) front hub on Sherpa?

[strictnaturist]

Dear all, Following a three week pounding tour of Iceland. My front Deore hub is very slack , with a noticeable wheel movement by hand.
Can I adjust (tighten this hub) or is it a case of new bearings?
thank you, in advance 
SN

[Danneaux]

I'd sure give adjustment a go, after first disassembling to see what's going on inside.

If the cones or races are pitted, that's one thing (they can be replaced with ones from Wheels Mfg, for example). It may just be that new ball-bearings and some grease will do.

Take a look; you'll be no worse off and might get away with just routine maintenance.

All the best,

Dan. (...who has fingers crossed for your good luck)

[strictnaturist]

Thanks Dan, For some reason, I was under the impression that they were of a sealed bearing hub, where i was informed that new bearings would be required. I thought all new bikes ran on these and the cones were a thing of the past/ budget.
With two ring spanners, I gave it a wee tighten, and it seems a lot better. Will look in there and grease them up when feeling more confident 
I take it then that the Sherpa Deore bearings are of the cup n cone family?
If thats all it takes a Sherpa to ride on 700 KM of the harshest roads I have ever seen.I take my hat off to it!
best wishes
SN

[Danneaux]

Hi SN!

Yes, standard cup-and-cone bearings, but with wiper seals in the dustcap, so you should be good to go.

When it comes time to tighten the cones, don't forget the quick-release can compress things a bit, so adjust the cones and locknuts with that in mind. A quick rule of thumb for the ideal is no lateral sideplay when mounted in the bike, but with free-enough running so the rim slug or tube valve can spin the wheel due to gravity. I adjust my hubs using some spare dropouts to check.

This should help:
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/hub-overhaul-and-adjustment
http://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/hubs.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

If thats all it takes a Sherpa to ride on 700 KM of the harshest roads I have ever seen.I take my hat off to it!

Me, too!

All the best,

Dan.

[strictnaturist]

brilliant, looking good so far

[mickeg]

A lot of Shimano front hubs are delivered without much grease in them.  I have added grease to a couple of brand new hubs on some of my bikes.

[Danneaux]

A lot of Shimano front hubs are delivered without much grease in them.

Boy was that ever true historically -- and still is! I have a new-in-package 2012 Deore front hub on my workbench. I just checked, and there is only the thinnest skim of grease atop the ball races to protect against corrosion in shipping and storage...and none in-between as you'd wish for actual operation.

Best,

Dan.