Drive Side 'play'

[thomast]

Hi,

I am currently in India having completed one year of a multi year round the world cycle expedition. I have just noticed slight ‘give’ or ‘play' in the drive side of my Rohloff. My partner also has a rohloff and there is no play or give on his. When I remove the wheel and twiddle the component numbered 15 on the attached diagram there is a small amount of play. There is no play on the non-drive side and no play when twiddling the sprocket.  Is this something I can continue cycling with or does anybody have any advice as to how I can remedy the problem?

Thank you,

Thomas

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Hi,

The SPEEDHUB does not use traditional cone nuts to adjust bearing play because these increase bearing wear. They do this because they constantly apply force to the bearings by pushing the inner bearing race out of line with the outer race. Instead each SPEEDHUB bearing is individually tested before fitting them to ensure the minimum amount of play possible in each unit. The play is the normal production tolerance required to enable the bearing to actually spin.

Over time the grease that is packed into the bearings by the manufacturer, is rinsed out and replaced by SPEEDHUB oil. This oil is thinner and therefore the bearings will finally show the full amount of play they were manufactured with. This play is amplified through the size of the wheel an can result in 2-3mm of lateral play at the rim. This is within the tolerances permitted for the SPEEDHUB construction. If bearing play can only be felt by doing this, then the bearings are fine.

The hubcap side bearing is fixed and should not indicate any play whatsoever. It should not be possible to move the hub side-to-side by pushing directly on the shell. If the hub can move by doing this, then the bearings should be inspected for possible wear/damage by an authorised service agent.

One hub may show more or less 'play' than the other because the bearing seats on the rohloff components all have production tolerances as do the bearings themselves. These tolerances together with the time it takes for grease to be replaced by oil can cause each hub to act differently at different times. The SPEEDHUB is not a mass produced product.

If the hub is showing movement outside of the factory tolerances then my first port of call would be Rohloff (service@rohloff.de) to see if they can advise you of the nearest service partner or arrange for the hub to be returned to the factory.

Hope this helps, Dave Whittle

[thomast]

Hi Dave,

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. The 'play' is exactly as you describe with 1-2mm of lateral play at the rim and no play when pushing on the shell. Thanks so much for clarifying as we are just about to set off on the Manali-Leh highway and it was a slight concern going into such a remote and rugged part of the world.

Our Thorn bikes are holding up superbly in the Indian himalayas, the toughest roads we have encountered on the expedition to date.

Keep up the great work,

Thomas

[John Saxby]

Wow!  Safe journey, Thomas!  Makes my meander through the wine country of Prince Edward County next week, with my daughter, seem pretty benign.  I'll raise a glass or two to you both -- several times, I expect  :-)