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After the crash I straightened back wheel, and cleaned and lubricated the chain, but now spinning the wheel causes sound as if there is something wrong with bearings.

Here is the video: https://streamable.com/fhb81d.

My bicycle model is Trek Domane AL2. What might be wrong with the bicycle? Should I try to disassemble the bearings and regrease them?

Not holding qr spindle spinning the unmounted wheel in the air: https://streamable.com/gnew8e

Holding qr spindle and putting wheel on a glass table which amplifies the sound: https://streamable.com/keu4xj

Holding qr spindle and holding wheel in the air: https://streamable.com/keu4xj

QR skewer removed and holding the wheel in the air: https://streamable.com/42vtit

Edit 1
Went to bicycle shop. Confirmed that degreaser got into the bearings.

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  • 3
    It does sound like something is not right but the free hub noise is masking any bearing noise. Post a video of the wheel being driven by the chain
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Oct 25, 2020 at 14:29
  • If you think it is the bearings, you can take the rear wheel out of the bike, and turn the axle by hand. You can even hold the wheel around the axle, and spin it while holding it up. If the bearings are rough, you will feel the roughness as the axle turns. If this is a new bike, it doesn’t seem likely the bearings are bad, however.
    – Weiwen Ng
    Oct 25, 2020 at 14:32
  • Thanks! Bicycle is pretty new but it had a crash after which I straightened the back wheel and changed the oils. I will remove the wheel and check for noises. Thanks again!
    – Žilvinas Rudžionis
    Oct 25, 2020 at 15:53
  • I’@ŽilvinasRudžionis I'm really curious about what you mean by ‘change the oil’. Do you mean cleaning and re-lubricating the chain?
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Oct 25, 2020 at 16:38
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    I'm not 100% sure of the noise that you're concerned about (laptop speakers aren't great) however in your first video I note that the clear plastic chain/spoke guard is warped, possibly as a result of a still bent spoke or simple leftover from your crash. When the freehub is freewheeling is the guard rubbing on the largest rear cog?
    – Lamar Latrell
    Oct 26, 2020 at 3:54

1 Answer 1

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If the wheel was impacted enough to require truing it’s plausible the hub was damaged. The axle might have been bent, bearings damaged or the freehub mechanism.

You can easily check for bearing problems. Take the wheel out, turn the axle manually. Feel for play or roughness in the bearings as the axle turns.

Hold the axle ends and spin the wheel, check for clicking or grinding noises. Hold the cassette and spin the wheel backwards, check for clicking coming from the freehub mechanism.

The nuts on the axle indicate you may have a cup and cone style hub which can be disassembled. I’d hesitate to disassemble a rear hub though as the bearing arrangements can be complicated.

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  • I added a video where I am spinning the removed wheel. Maybe you could take a look ? Thanks!
    – Žilvinas Rudžionis
    Oct 25, 2020 at 16:24
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    @ŽilvinasRudžionis Argenti, in the video (i.e. the second video) the wheel is spinning on the qr spindle in your hands, the bearings are not turning. try again
    – Swifty
    Oct 25, 2020 at 17:43
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    @Swifty good catch
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Oct 25, 2020 at 17:47
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    @ŽilvinasRudžionis take the QR skewer out, I think it's just complicating your attempts at diagnosis. When in the frame the axle and skewer do not rotate or move against one another
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Oct 26, 2020 at 21:48
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    @ArgentiApparatus removed QR skewer and added a new video: streamable.com/42vtit
    – Žilvinas Rudžionis
    Oct 26, 2020 at 22:12

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