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Step 7Troubleshooting
To make sure that you have done this job correctly, get your hands on a long-shank flat-blade screwdriver. With the bike inverted, spin the wheel at a high speed, and then plant the blade of the screwdriver on the axle nut. Now plant your ear on the handle of the screwdriver, to use it as a stethoscope. A mild low rumble is acceptable, but any "sharp" noises indicate severe binding and/or damaged parts. A "sandy" sound indicates dryness and/or contamination. A prominent growl indicates bearings just a *wee* bit too tight. An ideal is a "whisking" sound, but rare if ever observed in tapered ball bearings ever. Only sealed-cartridge bearings are so silky smooth.
The ideal threshold for tapered-ball bearings such as those for bicycle hubs overall is just a *hint* tighter than the threshold of freeplay to pre-load the bearings for varying stresses so that they wear properly. There are two bicycle axle gauges, and the larger the better. If the rear axle is thicker than the front, your front axle is in danger of breakage due to some moron's idea of lowering manufacturing costs. If they match with a silver color, they are soft steel and are probably already sprung and bending your dropouts further. Investing in "black steel" or Chro-Mo axles will save you troubles from warped/bent axles and are far more resistant to becoming "sprung" than the soft-steel versions on cheaper hubs. I have landed a jump from over 50 feet high without damaging the axle at all. No comment on the frame or the wheel though.....
Misaligned dropouts almost always lead to sprung axles, and in turn bearing failures, so look for a future instructable on frame alignment by me, coming soon. I do not recommend attempting to straighten them on your own because there is a specific method involved to minimize weakening them. A broken dropout while riding can ruin your day in ways you can't imagine, so don't even attempt it without the assistance of a qualified bike-builder. Furthermore, over-correcting when cold-bending metals weakens them twice as much for every bend you make.
The ideal threshold for tapered-ball bearings such as those for bicycle hubs overall is just a *hint* tighter than the threshold of freeplay to pre-load the bearings for varying stresses so that they wear properly. There are two bicycle axle gauges, and the larger the better. If the rear axle is thicker than the front, your front axle is in danger of breakage due to some moron's idea of lowering manufacturing costs. If they match with a silver color, they are soft steel and are probably already sprung and bending your dropouts further. Investing in "black steel" or Chro-Mo axles will save you troubles from warped/bent axles and are far more resistant to becoming "sprung" than the soft-steel versions on cheaper hubs. I have landed a jump from over 50 feet high without damaging the axle at all. No comment on the frame or the wheel though.....
Misaligned dropouts almost always lead to sprung axles, and in turn bearing failures, so look for a future instructable on frame alignment by me, coming soon. I do not recommend attempting to straighten them on your own because there is a specific method involved to minimize weakening them. A broken dropout while riding can ruin your day in ways you can't imagine, so don't even attempt it without the assistance of a qualified bike-builder. Furthermore, over-correcting when cold-bending metals weakens them twice as much for every bend you make.
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