Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

The conical wedge might have worn out.

Try swapping that out first?

Honestly it’s amazing in there, the possibilities are endless ;D

Yeah.

I almost feel like rifling/gouging the stem outer and steerer inside might help just to make the interference a bit rougher.

Or bodge a starnut down there in the mix somehow

The conical wedge might have worn out.

Try swapping that out first?

That is a very logical suggestion, thanks B

Have you tried grip paste?

Also a good shout. I was actually thinking about thread glue

The conical wedge might have worn out

If it doesn't pull through, it's doing its job. Cone type stems do rely on the shaft being quite close in diameter to the steerer bore, if it fitted with powder coat in the bore then it's a bit loose now.

I was actually thinking about thread glue

Bearing fitting grade Loctite will do wonders, as long as you don't mind having to get the hot air gun out when it needs dismantling.

I'd be tempted to try extra slots before anything else, it will make the contact pressure more uniform and spread it over a greater area. Think expanding mandrel, but with all the slots at the same end rather than alternating

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It could be worn enough to no longer splay the split ends of the stem. It probably didn't pull through as there are notches on either side which sits in the splits to prevent rotations when being tighten up.

Have happened when I was wrenching in the workshop.

Any tips how to stop straight-pull spokes from coming loose (at least I assume this is what’s happening)?

Brand new prime attacquer wheels, rim brake. Been for a few rides, every time I get home to realise a 5mm buckle and several very loose/rotated non-drive spokes. Non drive spokes are crossed but not interlaced - could that be a build error?

Straight pull and/or radial?

The wheels are probably machine built so I’d be surprised if there had been any sort of lubrication applied to the spokes threads. Similarly though, doubt there would have been any type of threadlock applied.

The spoke tension might just be a bit low?

I’ve never used spoke freeze or similar myself so not sure how successful a post build application would be but if you were going to add a turn or two of tension to each spoke as well then that movement might help draw the product down into the threads?

Straight pull, 2- cross, bladed spokes. Drive is interlaced, non-drive isn’t. I might try interlacing and a bit of thread-lock. I’m a somewhat experienced wheel builder but only really done j-bend builds and I can’t see any reason not to interlace (potential creaking?)

My steerer has a ridge around the top, is it worth filling off?

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I also picked up a set of those wheels in the Wiggle going bust sales a few months ago. Terrible spoke tension, they constantly need truing!

Dang. I’ve just been working on it - detensioned the non-drive to interlace them and (with very even drive-side tension) the rim is all over the place.

I did my best getting it straight but I think I’ll end up re-rimming with a stiffer rim.

Shame. They felt quite nice to ride…

I’ll caveat this, obligatory I’m an idiot that should only ride fixed. But what the f am doing wrong here, I’ve got to dial the high limit screw all the way out to get into the smallest cog and can’t dial the low limit screw in far enough to stop it over shifting into the spokes. I’m using a friction shifter at the other end.

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Missing a locknut or similar on the wheel?

Arh shit, No, but the wheel was quite in the drop outs straight.

Idiot !

Thank you!

But what the f am doing wrong

Is your hanger straight? Is it thinner than the derailleur is expecting? I fixed the latter on one of my bikes with a spacer between the B-Pivot and the hanger, chainring spacers are the right size.

Or, if it all basically works apart from the low limit issue, just get a longer low limit screw🙂

Thanks, it was much more straightforward than that. It wasn’t helped by me total mixing up which is the high and which is the low limit screw.

Why can’t they put H and L on them anymore, like the old days

Hi all, can anyone help with old BB bearings? How do I know if they need replacing (figure since it’s stripped down I might as well - and it’s from an old crappy eBay purchase) and how do I know what size. Spindle/axle is marked 70 = W =115

Thanks for any help!

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Bearings are cheap enough to replace every time you take it apart.
You can ditch the retainer and add a couple more.

Weldtite to ok caged bearings. I guess the 70 is the shell width so Italian and the 115 the axle length. ?

Spindle/axle is marked 70 = W =115

Those aren't the marks I'd worry about, your real problem is the pitting on the races.

70 would be an Italian BB, so check what you've actually got, and then sling a BB-UN300 in there assuming it's actually just an Italian axle in a BSC BB. If it really is Italian, VP make a beater grade 70×115 Italian cartridge BB, or you might get lucky and find a NOS BB-UN55 in that size.

68mm bottom bracket, MTB cranks. Any reason why I can’t move both spacers to the non drive side?
(Road levers and a MTB side pull front derailleur aren’t shifting reliably to the big ring)