ballsy nankai freecoaster mod

[Furball]

does this work on profile shell?

Sure.

[robpossible]

Anyone have size and ball number for the techno lite with a 9t driver?

[Furball]

Anyone have size and ball number for the techno lite with a 9t driver?

You'll need 14 5/32" balls for the driver, and 30 (15 per side) 7/32" balls for the hub shell.

http://flatlandfuel.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1558

^^Call them if you can't find what you're looking for!

[robpossible]

Thanks!

[Furball]

Thanks!

Anytime, bro!

[Ultraman Zoffy]

well in case your still wondering, it doesnt work with the nankai shell. It just feels like crap. I'd rather see if I can work on a project where I machine a new shell and make it entirely sealed.

This was pretty much the same result I got from this mod... anyone know in what situations this mod won't work? Mine just kept seizing up...

[Furball]

well in case your still wondering, it doesnt work with the nankai shell. It just feels like crap. I'd rather see if I can work on a project where I machine a new shell and make it entirely sealed.

This was pretty much the same result I got from this mod... anyone know in what situations this mod won't work? Mine just kept seizing up...

This mod works with:

-Any loose ball American BB and one-piece cranks
-Any loose ball front and rear hub
-Any loose ball headset (1" threaded and 1-1/8" threadless)

I've done this mod myself with the steel Techno Lite shell, the aluminum Nankai shell, and with the Profile shell. I've never had a single problem with these Nankais ever. They worked flawlessly!

[Ken NJ]

will this mod work with the quamen decoration cap?  i have one of those on mines..  i have the old regular nankai and i put the ti axle and quamen decoration cap on it.. 

[flatlandpercy]

Alloy Nankai Bamboo Freecoaster,

7/32" balls, 15 per side, so 30 total
1/8" balls (9 tooth driver), 19 total

[MAYTRICKS]

So I have a Nankai on the way and really wanted to buy higher grade bearings to run loose but, after some research am doubting this mod is worth the extra time, money, and work. I have yet to find any hard evidence loose balls run smoother than caged. From my finding it's all he said she said. The debate is in whether there is more friction caused by the tin caged bearings found in Nankai hubs or loose ball bearings which have the freedom to rub against one another resulting is more friction. It seems possible to me that people that have done this mod feel it makes the hub feel smoother simply because they are installing new bearings. I'm weary of experimenting here with my own hub since it's new. Does anyone know where I can find hard evidence loose is better than caged? Or can anyone assure me this mod is worth the effort from their own experience? My worries are that I'll prematurely wear the hub down due to the added friction of running loose bearings that could possible be harder than the ones originally found in the Nankai hubs. Does anyone know what grade bearings come stock on Nankai hubs?

[Ken NJ]

it's not worth it.. with proper adjustment it will run perfectly fine with the cages.  i pulled apart my favorite wheel to do this mod and it's still f'd. i'm going to get cages and put those on now..

[MAYTRICKS]

it's not worth it.. with proper adjustment it will run perfectly fine with the cages.  i pulled apart my favorite wheel to do this mod and it's still f'd. i'm going to get cages and put those on now..

How was the hub running before you tried the mod?

[robpossible]

Cages and balls will ware. You can tell by taking your hub apart one day and all your balls fall out of their cages. Using a ballsy mod will distribute the load more evenly but it is a bitch to do on the non-drive side; or at least to me it is. I've had balls sneak out of their races and into the hub shell from that side(not a good thing...). I don't think it really rolls much, if any, better, overall. I do it on my driver and drive side bearing though. Not at all hard on that side and you don't have much to loose, and since most of the load is on the drive side, maybe your hub/ bearings will last longer. Like Furball said above, it works on pretty much all models of Nankai and stuff that is unsealed. As far as making it smoother, no, get a sealed coaster if you want smooth, or get a Nankai if you want it to last.

[Ken NJ]

It was running perfectly but I put the ti axle on it and figured why not try the mod while it's apart.. I used the balls from my old cages, which were apparently worn because the balls came right out with them, and bought new ones from fuel..

[MAYTRICKS]

So I took the original caged bearings out of my week old Nankai hub and went loose-ball. I wouldn't say loose-ball is smoother. I carefully adjusted the hub when I first got it and when I swapped the bearings just the same and didn't notice my wheel rolling anymore than it was before or feeling smoother. Perhaps this is due to the Park grease being thicker than the original grease that came in the hub. In any case I didn't expect much. I will say that my rear wheel feels more solid when I pedal. Aside from that the only other advantage I see in going loose-ball is that you can easily find high grade loose ball bearings opposed to lesser quality caged ball-bearings commonly found at local bike shops which will wear down faster causing your Nankai to feel rough. I have a friend who never changed his bearings and just kept re-greasing them and now his Nankai feels sh*tty. I doubt it will ever be the same, even with new bearings. So there is my experience with this "mod".