Help, I've lost my cup and cone mojo

Back in the day I could never afford anything new (nothing's really changes there), so I had to make do with what I could afford which often meant repair. I used to be a dab hand at most things, but most of the wheels I've serviced in the last 10 years or so have been presses in sealed bearings which I've now become pretty good at sorting on various wheels, even the pita ones with checkups buried deep within.

Lately I've been getting down and dirty with cup and cone on both new and old wheels but I'm never completely satisfied with the end result. Maybe I'm a perfectionist or more likely, I've lost the nack of servicing this type of hub.

Can anyone jog my memory and educate me on how this should be done properly. I've got some new xtr wheels I need to play with and a set of wheels on the way that I'd like to service as well and both are cup and cone.

Cheers

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Have you tried youtube?

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http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

But if things are worn enough, perfect adjustment is not possible.

Are you talking about M900 XTR ?
Disassemby wont be a to you, right? Make sure not to loose any bearing balls. Open the counternut on one side, unscrew the cone, remove the axle. The black plastic end caps can be screwed out, too. If you remove them, clening the inside ist much more easy. I use an old caliper for this.
The reassemble smear a good amout of grease (that non freezing stuff you would put into automotive knuckles I often use) onto the cups so the balls are stuck in place when pressed into the grease. Then put the end caps on and the axle in.

Now comes the complicated part. You need to adust the cones so the leave just a little bit of play when the hub is not fixed inside the frame. But this play should be nearly eliminated by closing the fast releases. A (very) little amount of play is very important so the cones dont get worn/pitted fast. A bit too much play is less bad than overtightened. Its rather tideous work to get that right. And you need some washers to put on the hub axle to simulate the frame when you close the qr. to test the play...

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Maybe it's not my mojo then, just my patience at the final fettling. I'm sure it will all come flooding back.

For info it's the m970 hubs and a set of 'insane' hubs which are 24 inch wheels and I can't find much info on them.

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just that post above.

Only other advice would be to fix the other side down so it doesn't spin when you are adjusting.
Either in a vice setup, one side of a fork, or a spanner in the nut and between your legs.
It make fine adjustment much easier.