Can replacing the bearings on a hub untrue a wheel? Backstory: I've never paid so much attention to my bike.

I recently bought the wrench that allows me to take my axle off, so that's what I did.  After cleaning the parts/bearings and replacing the grease, I put it back together.  I put the wheel back on the bike, and spin it to make sure everything works.

The wheel spins, but there is an amount of untrueness that I wasn't aware of before.  I know that I put all of the bearings in, and the nuts are as even as I can tell by looking.  They might be a little tight, as I'm hearing a bit of clicking.

So, is it possible that the changes I made untrued the wheel, or is it most likely that the wheel was already untrue, and I'm just noticing it now?

(is it "untrue", or "untru")
No you can't affect true.

The hard part of doing cone and cup loose bearings is setting the cones just right - not loose - not tight. Usually takes a couple of tries.

There are a few things you (or the guy before you, or the factory) can get wrong.


wrong number of bearings
different number each side
wrong size


There seem to be some people/bike mechanics who believe fewer bearings =  less friction, and the deliberately leave one or two balls out. Personally I think it is total voodoo b.s. , but surprisingly common in these parts. 

I put the wheel over a shallow tin/box when I open up the bearings to catch them as they come out so I know how many there were, and what condition (pitting)

I recommend replacing ALL the balls any time you clean them, as they are just so cheap. When you pass a bearing shop get a bagful of 1/4" (rear) and 3/16" (front) balls.

Balls fail first, then the cone, and rarely the cups.