Wheel bearing problems...

[breamster]

My 10 year old hard tail has recently been brought out of semi-retirement.

The front wheel bearings where very bad. Regreased and all ok.

The back ones were also very bad. I have just removed the cassette and regressed them and they are still very bad.

All bearing surface were cleaned and spotless. Bearings had no obvious signs of pitting.

Should I replace the bearings? Are the hubs worn out?

Am I being a muppet?

Prior to its semi retirement the bike was used quite heavily and I don't recall the hubs ever being serviced!!

[deadtom]

breamster said:

Should I replace the bearings? Are the hubs worn out?

Am I being a muppet?

yes, yes and not necessarily.

As you have found out, bearings that can look alright to the naked eye can still be a bit past it.

[Nighthawk]

what type of bearings are they?

I take it you've tried to adjust them if they have cones ?

[yellowjack]

If'n they're cup and cone bearings, then you may need to replace the cone nuts. Which in practice usually means a new axle. I recently replaced both axles and all the ball bearings on my MTB for £18 from my LBS. Online is probably cheaper, but an online retailer isn't going to look at your old axle and open a packet to put a calliper on the new one to ensure it's the right one for the job. Swapping them out, though, is an absolute doddle