I was hearing some irregular 'tink tink clink clink' noises from my front Ultegra hub, so decided it was time for an overhaul. I flushed everything out with WD-40, wiped it all down, and cleaned the ball bearings. Repacked with grease and put back together. Now, not only do I hear the soft 'tink tink clink clink' irregular noises, I hear some grinding as well. Did I get some grit in there while overhauling? How clean do I have to be with the races and bearings - pre-surgury clean? What about this mystery 'tink tink clink clink' sound?
I was hearing some irregular 'tink tink clink clink' noises from my front Ultegra hub, so decided it was time for an overhaul. I flushed everything out with WD-40, wiped it all down, and cleaned the ball bearings. Repacked with grease and put back together. Now, not only do I hear the soft 'tink tink clink clink' irregular noises, I hear some grinding as well. Did I get some grit in there while overhauling? How clean do I have to be with the races and bearings - pre-surgury clean? What about this mystery 'tink tink clink clink' sound?
Well that tink-tink might or might not be from the hub bearings (could be many things) but it sounds like you committed the sin of bearing re-use. When you suspect a bearing noise problem, start with new bearings and carefully inspect cups & cones for any pits or excessive/uneven wear.
If the noise is coming from the wheel (maybe true, maybe not) I would start by oiling all spoke nipples, rim ferrules, and spoke crossings, and if the wheel is less than perfectly tight, correct that (perhaps by doing some rounding).
