Friday, May 11, 2012

Coaster Hub Clean-up

I love coaster brakes. They allow for a completely silent ride, and for a beautiful streamlined look. Also, they last forever with virtually zero maintenance. Read the post"coaster brakes rule".

Here is a single speed Bendix coaster hub I bought on Ebay. It's really grimy, and not very pretty to look at. I'd better clean it up and tune it before I mount it on a wheel:


Take is apart, keeping the parts in order for easy reassembly, and clean with a small wire brush, steel wool and a rag. Remove all the old grease. Polish those parts until they look as new as possible:


Grease it back up. I like to use high temperature truck grease; it allows for a smooth silent functioning of the hub:


Put it back together, adjusting the pressure on the bearings so that it runs smoothly, but doesn't jiggle. Make sure the axle is centered:


Here is where this one's going:

Next: a little lesson on wheel building...

Ain't complete without a bell...

A bicycle bell is a cool, useful piece of equipment, and it's required by NY state law. I always try to find good looking old ones with a nice sound.