Had the exact thing happen to my ZIPP 404s at IMLP. My front hub started making noise about mile 60. I thought I was headed for a mechanical of some sort. My LBS owner immediately suspected water damage and was able to fix it. I'm not sure what he did though.

He also said that most of the bikes that came back from LP had a good amount of water and sand/dirt in the botom bracket and frame. My bike is in right now getting 'drained'.

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Ross Hoopingarner

Replace the bearings. Somewhere on this wonderful website, there is an article on how to do it.

You have probably unloaded (not sure of proper term) the bearings when you removed the nuts, meaning the resistance placed by the nuts is gone. I used to run my C-Record hubs without dustcaps for less friction. Ofcourse it got expensive replacing bearings (@ .25 a pop) after each race.

hoop... luckily there's a drainage hole at the base of the bottom bracket for drainage... what a mess though. i'm sure it needs an overhaul after that race.

bunnyman... i'll do a search on the site for the bearing replacement, but why would sealed bearings start seizing up when they were 'loaded'? only when those nuts were removed did the bearing movement feel smooth and not grinding.

You probably took off the resistance of the bolts. But they definitely need to be replaced from the sounds of things. You really can't rebuld sealed bearings, they only get replaced. The whole bike could use a rebuild the way it sounds...

Sealed bearings only have so much grease. If there was a torrential downpour, no seal can keep water out of it unless there is an extra sealing mechanism. I am certain that some guys even need new headset bearings, as well as bottom brakets, and the like.

Sealed bearings are sealed against dust, not water. The seals on the bearings that we use on the H3s are good, but are not good enough to keep out an extended downpour and/or stream crossings. I am sure that you could find sealed cartidges that were waterproof, but I would guess that you would not want them on your bike. Most seals add a very small amount of drag to the bearing, it is the price you pay for having the seals as opposed to replacing the bearing every time you race (see previouns post). Waterproof seals would add a significant amount of drag, maybe even enough to feel while you were riding.
Ball bearings all work the same way, whether they are sealed cartridges or loose balls. The balls roll around on the races, there is an inner and an outer. When you tighten your cones (races) and outer locknuts, you are pressing the balls onto the inner race, and loading up the bearing. The correct adjustment lets the balls just rest on the inner race, they should not be forced hard onto it.
When your bearings got soaked in the rain, one of two things happened. Either the water broke down the grease (grease is just oil and a thickening agent), or some dirt came in with the water. Either way, there is something in the bearings that was not there originally. Whichever it is, it is trying to roll around with the balls. With the axle in the wheel and adjusted, the balls are trying to rest on the inner race along with the foriegn substance. The two will not coexist happily, and a crunchy bearing is the result. When you remove the axle, all the load is gone from the bearing. There is just enough play in the bearing that it can spin freely in this state, but as soon as you adjust it , the free play is gone.

Hope I was not too long winded, Andy at Hed.

bearings are about $5 each, if your local shop does not have any we have boxes of them, just call.

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Andy Tetmeyer (I work at HED)

andy,

good to hear from you. i see you are still as helpful as the time i needed a hed deep hub flange replaced. thank for the valuable feedback. i think i'll give you guys a call to track these down as there isn't an LBS that's close to me. i'd also like to get some guidance as to how to tap out the bearings and the appropriate amount of torque i should put on those cones to get the pressure right.

thanks for the help...

eric

Thanks for eloquently splaining it for me. As you saw with my nearly half-inch off wheel that I said was acceptable, you helped explain the loaded bearing thing and why extra seals are not any good. Thanks for helping me be a bit more eloquent.