Wobbly freewheel after rear axle overhaul (vid included)

[mjohnab]

Someone gave me a 1980ish Sekai Sprint in decent shape. It was rusty and needed tuning up, but otherwise, all original parts in working order. Using the excellent videos on this site, I've been tuning up the bike. I completed the work today, but I'm having an issue with the freewheel/rear axle, as seen in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2gGiHNBYu8

When I pedal with my hands with bike suspended, it kinda feels 'bumpy'. Also, I hear these low to moderate knocking sounds coming from the rear axle. The freewheel wobbles about 2 mm side to side. The freewheel is not loose, you can only see the wobble while pedaling. Also, there is grease coming out the other end of the axle. The wheel itself wobbles about 2 mm or so also.

Hoping that the wheel wouldn't fall off or anything, I took it out for a slow test run. I can hear the knocking coming from the back and the ride feels a bit rougher than before.

I'm guessing that I didn't tighten the bearing cone tightly enough. I finger tightened it, then loosened just enough so that the wheel could turn freely. I wanted to get some advice from this board before I took everything off again

Thank you.

[Surly LHT]

I would take it back off and clean it again.You need very little play at all. Looks like you put to much grease in it and you did not tighten the bearing cone tightly enough. After you get this part fix you need to check your wheels to see how true they are. If you feel you don't know how to do this then I would take it to your LBS it want cost that much for them to help you. Good luck and let us know what happens next.

[trevgbb]

It is not unusual for a fw to run out of true, most people don't see it until they carry some work on the hub, etc, as in your case. It can be due to several factors, the thread on the hub, the thread on the fw or the fw itself, especially cheap ones, if everything is tight, little can be done about it except replace, and even then you may not solve it.

This does not usually apply to freehubs.

But, having carried out repair on your hub, it is VERY important to lock up the cone and locknut on the drive side VERY TIGHT, if left loose the cone will screw itself into the hub and destroy it, so you need to get the rh drive side set up properly and then carry out any adjustments on the lh side and then lock this up too, never ride with these loose.

You need to do this before you ride again or a new wheel will be required.

[Bill]

Also want to add it could be a bent axle. Worth looking at that too. Nice clean vintage bike too .