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what is the average amount of pre load supposed to be on the front and rear wheels?? mountain bike. i know that if you leave just enough to barely feel movement in the wheel, then tighten wheel, seems like i'm constantly having to re adjust. if i put any load on it just past the no play area, it feels kinda ruff...but when i squeeze both ends manually like i'm installing it, it gets smooth...is the rufness correct before preload after tightening wheel?

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    Are you talking about adjusting cones on your hubs, or your quick-release skewer, or what? Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 20:27
  • they are quick release, but no i'm talking about the cones.
    – user18765
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 20:55
  • As always - Sheldon Brown has the answer. sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html
    – mattnz
    Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 22:13

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Bearing adjustment is part science and part art. It is based on a sense of feel from trial and error. It should feel smooth when spun, with the least amount of play. If it feels rough it is too tight or dirty. I had the most difficulty with tightening the jam nut after I made the adjustment. It seemed that the cone always got too tight while I was locking everything in place. You may find it easier to have a helper hold a wrench on one side while you hold the other cone and tighten the jam nut.

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    Yeah, the hard part is that tightening the lock nut causes the adjustment to change, so it must initially be set to compensate for that. Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 23:59

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