Loop (Eldorado) Rear Hub Cracks !?!?!

[jas67]

My Eldorado's rear hub has many cracks in it that start at the corners of the triangular areas where the spokes attach.
Of course, I don't really have any way of determining how deep they go.

Do I need to replace this hub?



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[Antietam Classic Cycle]

The first time I pulled a wheel on my '69 Ambo I freaked out thinking that those were cracks too. But, I had it checked (zyglo tested IIRC) and it turns out they're only marks left during casting and not cracks.

[rodekyll]

Be sure they are cracks.  Scrub the hub and check visually.  Sometimes those tracks are just that -- tracks of contaminated fluid running down the surface.  Depending on what the contamination is, they can discolor or etch metal surfaces to look like cracks.  Also, you may learn something with the redneck magnaflux test:  Whack the hub with a wrench or other fairly massive metal object.  If it resonates it's good.  If it goes *thunk* it's cracked.  YMMV if the spokes are still in place.

[jas67]

This is a late '74, disc brake, Eldo, so, maybe they changed get hubs late in production.

I'm going to get it checked with magnaflux.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

This is a late '74, disc brake, Eldo, so, maybe they changed get hubs late in production.

I'm going to get it checked with magnaflux.

Rear hubs were the same on all Loops.

[jas67]

I just got a chance to get back out to the shop and investigate.  I cleaned up, and now can definitely that the "cracks" are just raised metal that flowed into cracks in the casting mold.

The hub is the same as what Les P posted, just not nice and shiny clean.

[ray bear]

The hubs on my V7 sport and Eldorado all look the same, and there may be some fine cracks but most were what appeared to be casting marks, If they were going to break it would have happened many years ago, Put them back on the bike and keep riding and check them again in another 10 years or so.  Bill

[normzone]

Also, you may learn something with the redneck magnaflux test:  Whack the hub with a wrench or other fairly massive metal object.  If it resonates it's good.  If it goes *thunk* it's cracked.  YMMV if the spokes are still in place.

I believe that would actually be the " redneck sonic inspection ". Redneck magnaflux would involve a magnet or other form of magnetic field.

I must have inspected a mile of welds in the eighties. Dye penetrant, and magnetic field indicator used to find welds polished into invisibility so they could be inspected after years in the field. Gahh, makes me ill to think about it. Great tool for the job, but messy.

[Don G]

You would have to use dye and a black light on aluminum, magnaflux only works on ferrous metals .  DonG