I replaced the rear hub wheel bearings on the Merckx today. \u00a0Knocking the old bearings out was easy enough and I managed not to lose the spacer between the bearings.<\/p>\n
The new bearings are in the freezer, ever so slightly reducing the outside diameter. \u00a0I warmed up the hub with a heat gun, the intent being to slightly increase the ID where the bearings sit. \u00a0Installed the bearings, using a socket that was slightly smaller in diameter than the bearing, but large enough to contact the outer race. \u00a0I even remembered to put the spacer in the hub before installing the second bearing. \u00a0Bearings are done and the slight play I noticed earlier is gone.<\/p>\n
While the tires were off, I put the wheels in the truing stand and checked them out. \u00a0The rear wheel is good, but the front needed a tweak or two. \u00a0All nice and true now.<\/p>\n
I replaced the 25mm Michelin Pro4 tires, as they measure 28mm on the Boyd rims. \u00a0There was very little clearance with these tires on the Merckx frame, so a single broken spoke would have probably rendered the bike unrideable. \u00a0The new tires went on easily and measure 24mm, so there is at least a reasonable amount of clearance.<\/p>\n
The tires ride well, and the Merckx seems to have picked up the performance a notch or two. \u00a0Not bad for a few minutes of work. \u00a0Looking forward to the next longish ride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I replaced the rear hub wheel bearings on the Merckx today. \u00a0Knocking the old bearings out was easy enough and I managed not to lose the spacer between the bearings. The new bearings are in the freezer, ever so slightly reducing the outside diameter. \u00a0I warmed up the hub with a heat gun, the intent … <\/p>\n