My back wheel moves left to right and vice versa even though the nuts are tight to the frame and it isn't buckled. i know this has something to do with the bearings but cannot remember how to fix it. help!

mike murphy, February 2006

this could be down to many things from the wheel bolts being loose, the cones being loose, or the bearings collapsing in the hub. i wouldn't reccomend tightening any bolts first, i would remove the wheel and check if any of the inner bolts (cones) are loose, if they are not then it will be a problem with the bearings inside and tightening the bolts will end up making the problem worse in the long run.
i would remove all bolts and washers from one side and remove spindle to check bearings and replace if required.
If the bearings inside are very damaged, or you have ridden the bike whilst the wheel has been loose for a length of time, the the inside of the hubs may well be worn and nothing short of replacing the hub or wheel will solve the problem.

shane, January 2008

Bearing in mind to do that you'll need specialist tools ie comb spanner

Damien, April 2007

if not you have snapped your axle so you nedd to buy a new one

m-n-e, August 2006

If it is the type I am familiar with you need to tighten what I believe is called the combs. If you back off the outer nuts that hold the wheel to the frame, there is another nut on the axel on the inside of the frame If you get ahold of them on both sides of the wheel you can tighten these before tightening those again on the outside of the frame. Be careful to not tighten them too tight because they adjust the pressure on the ball bearings and too tight can make the wheel bind up.

Jim, March 2006