By BikeRadar (/author/bikeradar/)

N
NEEW
WSS
September 11, 2016 5:00am GMT

How to service the hubs on your bike

Service your wheel bearings for a smoother ride

Regular servicing can extend the life of your hubs (BikeRadar)

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Hub reviews (/gear/category/components/hubs/)

How to overhaul your freehub (/gear/article/workshop-how-to-overhaul-your-freehub-23757/)

There are two types of bearings commonly seen in hubs, sealed (cartridge) bearings and non-sealed (cup and cone
or loose) bearings.

Regular servicing can extend their life, although they will eventually wear out to the point that they need to be
replaced.

How to service your bike's hubs

Cup and cone hubs

You will need:

 Tools required for standard hub servicing

Cone spanners - usually 15 and 17mm

Grease
A magnetic hex screwdriver or pick
A chainwhip and chain removal tool
Adjustable spanner
Degreaser
Paper cloth or clean rags

How To Service Hub Bearings

 Find out how to service cup and cone hubs in our walkthrough video

Step 1: We are using a rear wheel (/gear/category/components/wheel-sets/), but the procedure is the same for a
front. For the rear, rst remove the cassette from the freehub body (https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=opommURFB4o).

Undo the lock nut on the non-driveside by using a cone spanner to hold the cone and another to undo the nut.
Remove the locking nut and spacer by hand.

Undo the locknuts on the non-driveside

Its a good idea to take note of the order in which the locking nut and any spacers are removed to ease re-assembly
later

Hold the lock nut on the drive side with one spanner, then undo the non-driveside cone with the other and wind it
off by hand. You should now be able to remove the axle from the hub.

Step 2: Carefully remove the bearings from the race - a magnetic screwdriver will help you to lift the bearings out.
 Remove the bearings, and clean them using degreaser and paper cloth

Youll now need to clean the bearings. Use a degreaser and some paper cloth, making sure you fully clean away all
the old grease before proceeding.

Take a close look at the bearings, the cups (which is pressed into the hub) and the cones. If theres sign of wear on
them, they'll need replacing.

Note: The cups in Shimano (/tags/shimano/), and many other clone hubs, are non-replaceable. If they have worn
out, you will have to rebuild a new hub into your wheel.

Step 3: Take some grease and apply a healthy dose to the bearing race in the hub. You can now place the bearings
into the grease which will help hold them in place. Again, a magnetic screwdriver makes this job much easier.
 Apply grease to the bearing race, then return the bearings to the hub

When all of the bearings are in place, you can then ret the axle and gently turn it to ensure they are installed
correctly. Remove the axle then repeat the process on the other side.

Step 4: Now return the axle to the freehub side. Press it against the bearings and rotate it to check its seated
correctly. Ret the cone to the non drive side of the axle and tighten it until contacts the bearings. It doesnt need to
be very tight - nger-tight will do.

You can then spin the axle to make sure it rotates cleanly. Give the axle a little wiggle to ensure you have eliminated
any play.

You may need to adjust the tightness of the cone to stop any play or drag - if its too tight the hub will not spin
freely and conversely if its too loose there will be play in the axle. This step take a little trial and error, but don't rush
it as a poorly adjusted hub is likely to cause issues in the future.

Return the other nuts, spacers and seals to the non drive side of the axle, referring to your notes of which order
they were removed in.

Then while holding the cone in place, use the other spanner to tighten it against the locking nut. Its important to
check the axle still rotates freely at this point as its very easy to tighten the cone also during this procedure.

Step 5: Finally, ret the cassette to the freehub body, replace the quick release skewer and return to the bike.

Cartridge bearing hubs

Tools required

Multi-sized cone spanners: 13, 14, 15 and 16mm

Open-ended 15mm spanner
5mm Allen keys
Solid rear axle
Nylon mallet
Small screwdriver
Bearing grease
Special tools or alloy tube to press the bearings
 Removing the dust caps may require a fair bit of force, so always use an allen key with a fresh head

Step 1: The axle of your hub will likely have at least one end with a removable dropout guide or locknut which youll
need to take off. In most cases, this can be done by inserting a 5mm Allen key at both ends and turning anti-
clockwise. You might have to put some muscle into it, so use a little cheater bar or a long allen key for this.

Keep track of any washers and their positions between the spacers and axle. The silver spacer doubles as both a
dust cap and decorative element in most hubs. It might take some strength to pry off as it will likely be held in by a
rubber O-ring between it and a groove on the axle.

Alternatively, some hubs (eg. Mavic (/tags/mavic/)) have a threaded cap to allow for bearing adjustment, so just
unscrew these rst.

Always support the hub when removing bearings

Step 2: In order to remove the bearings, youll rst need to support the hub in such a way that you wont damage it.
For example, you could use a delrin tube of the sort you can pick up from Hope
(http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/hope-nylon-wheel-hub-support-bush/rp-prod8031).

Youll need to strike a few sharp blows to get the bearings out, so a rubber mallet probably wont do; a resin mallet
or a hardwood block with a lump hammer are much better at delivering the force necessary to dislodge it.

An old solid axle makes an excellent bearing drift

Step 3: The next operation removes the bearing which is left behind. Flip the wheel over and position the hub with
the bearing facing down. Make sure the hub is sufciently supported by the flange and theres room for the bearing
to come out.

Carefully position either the axle or a suitable drift tool (an aluminium tube or even an old solid axle with a cone or
nut threaded partially onto it will do) and knock the bearing out with a few sharp blows. Be aware that you might
have to hit it pretty hard if its a tight t.

Clean the whole hub with a suitable degreaser and a rag, including the hub flanges around the spoke anchor
points. Inspect the flanges of the hubs, particularly around the spoke holes for cracks or corrosion. Youll need a
new hub or wheel if cracks are spotted.
 It is worthwhile investing in a small bearing press for jobs like this

Step 4: Spread a light coating of grease on the outside and inside of the new bearings, on the inside of the hub
shell and on the axle. If the grease is too thick between the bearing and the hub, it could prevent it from seating
completely.

The new bearing should only be driven using the outer race of the bearing as striking the inner race is likely to
cause damage to the small ball bearings inside the cartridge.

Use the old bearing or a socket of exactly the same diameter to drive the new bearing in. Keep in mind that the
bearing races are made of hardened steel and are therefore potentially brittle. Wear protective goggles and make
sure the contact area between the drift edge and the outer race edge is maximised by being perfectly aligned.
Youll know the bearing is seated when the blows suddenly rm up.

Step 5: Ret the axle, position the second bearing and then drive it in with a few blows.

Dont allow the bearing to go in askew as attempting to force it in if its badly out of line will only get it jammed and
make it harder to install. It's also likely to create ridges that could prevent it from seating correctly.

Thread the dust caps back on with a little oil, then feel for that well earned, buttery smoothness.

BikeRadar (/author/bikeradar)
Twitter (http://twitter.com/bikeradar)
 This article was published by BikeRadar, the world's leading source of bike reviews, gear reviews, riding advice
and route information

Discipline: Road, Mountain, Urban, Womens

Location: UK, USA, Australia

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