Rear wheel bearings corroded

Carnmore

I had a new back wheel supplied and fitted about a year ago and it started making a clacking noise recently.

Quando hub (with cup and cone bearings-I think).

Beretta rim and spokes.

Took it back to the same bike shop and they said the bearings had rusted so they replaced and greased them. 

I’ve never carried out any maintenance on bearings before and haven’t had any issues until this now. 

I don’t use a pressure washer on the bike or ride in constantly wet conditions. 

I thought the bike shop would have carried out the repair under warranty as the bearings should have lasted much longer than they did and obviously the hub was faulty. 

However, they’re trying to charge £35 for the repair (wheel cost £85). 

I think they should cover the repair and even it was older and/or wear and tear it’s not worth repairing at that cost/replacement ratio.

Would appreciate some advice on this.

nicksnikita

What mileage has the wheel covered approximately?

Has it been used on or off road or both?

Has it been ridden much in the wet?

Did the shop replace the freehub or the freehub bearings or just the wheel bearings?

Is the bike stored indoors or outdoors?

Carnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276074#Comment_121276074

About 3000 miles.

On Road only.

Occasionally ridden in the wet.

The free hub bearings were replaced.

nicksnikita

Ok I’d say 3k miles without any maintenance would be in the acceptable lifespan of bearings in that type of hub; albeit on the lower end of mileage expectancy.

Its a relatively cheap hub/wheel. I wouldn’t say it was obviously faulty.

So whether or not the shop will service the hub under warranty is a conversation you will have to have with them.

Maybe others have different opinions?

easygoing39

Its a cheap hub,wouldnt have great sealing of the bearings and in my opinion you did well to get 3,000 miles out of it without any preventive maintance.My roadbike hubs have sealed bearing and only used in the summer.I check them at the start of May and again at the start of August just to be safe.

JMcL

I had something similar happen to my headset recently. Again no pressure washer (well, on the frame/wheels at the softest setting but kept away from headset/BB/hubs) but I had about 5 weeks where I wasn't on the "good" bike for various reasons, and when I went to take it out there was a dried rusty substance coming out of the bottom of the headset and I could barely turn the steerer. I was scratching my head, but discussing it with the LBS we eventually put it down to the fact I'd brought the bike home on the rack on a wet night having cycled to Kilkenny. Water had probably worked its way in and because the bike unusually sat untouched, didn't work its way back out leading to rusty bearings.

The moral of the story - in my case anyway - get out and ride the bike

8valve

Quando would be a low-end manufacturer of hubs; the hubs will come with enough grease to cover your bearings and keep them lubricated for general use for up to a year's worth of general bike use, which would be a few hundred miles for the average, occasional, leisure cyclist. Hub bearings are a service part.

If you are doing 3000 miles a year, you have two options;

1. service your hubs every 6 months and fill them with grease till it oozes out when you are refitting cones/locknut (I do this to ensure the cup/cone area is PACKED with grease; if it's full of grease, there's no room for water ingress), or
2. invest in wheels with sealed bearing hubs.

Same goes for headsets with loose bearings/bearing races; fill 'em with grease so it comes out around the circumference when being tightened up - a space packed with good quality grease leaves no room for water ingress.