Tutorial - How to fit / change wheel bearings (cartridge bearings)

Excellent tutorial! So good in fact it gave me the confidence to try and replace the bearings in the hubs and freehub of my Fulcrum 7's. They came out with a few well directed welts of a rubber mallet, trouble was getting the new ones back in using a socket as a drift (they don't have a through axle to use as a press). One side was pretty easy but the other side wouldn't go in straight. Tried several times, including the heat the hub freeze the bearings trick. Ended up buggering up a couple of the bearings. Bit the bullet and just ordered these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281368175965?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400806964402?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Given that the LBS quoted about £50-£60 thought it made more sense. Anyhows if anyone wants to come round and use them you can in exchange for a few quid contribution. Be better than f*%$ing up your wheels! Live in Balham. PM me if it would be of use.

I've just done mine. The wheel still seems a little on the rough spinning side. It's not over tightened. Any bright ideas what the issue could be?

Awesome! Never knew it'd be so simple. I just replaced the bearings in a front wheel in well under 30 minutes.

Cheers for the guide!

Great thread. It's helped me change some bearings in the past but now I have a problem....

I've managed to remove all the cone nuts from one side of the axle, but it seems that the nuts on the other side are quite solidly rusted to the axle. I've tried securing the other side back to the frame with the track nut, but it just ends up unwinding the axle when I try to remove the cone nuts from the seized side.

Before I simply buy a new axle assembly, are there any other tips? I've tried a soaking of plus gas on the relevant side.

You could put a couple of nuts on the same side as the stuck cone and tighten them against each other: they'll be secure now and hold the axle still while you work on the cone.

With the axle out of the hub you can try loosening the cone in both directions.

A note of caution: cone spanners aren't intended to take much torque, so be careful you don't end up trashing your cone spanner for the cost of an axle!

I agree with Scilly.Suffolk and would add that a little heat (hot airgun or hair dryer) can work wonders. Don't over do it though. In this case I suspect the metals of the axle and nuts are the same so the effect may not be as good as with different metals. I don't have an airgun or hair dryer so have used hot water before to assist in freeing stuck items. I wouldn't advise using an open flame though.

Thanks both. Will give it another try. Although a new axle is looking mighty appealing...

Even if I was getting the new axle I'd want to get the old one unstuck so I wasn't defeated by it. But that's just me. You could then keep it as a functioning spare.

@jono84 This is the thread I was talking about today.

You can also buy new ceramic / hybrid ceramic bearings on eBay, they are relatively cheap.

IIRC they are 6000 series bearings then 1RS or 2RS depending on the number of Rubber Seals you need.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x26x8-mm-6000-Full-Ceramic-Si3N4-Silicon-Nitride-Ball-Bearing-10-26-8/272031338733

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x26x8-mm-6000-Full-Ceramic-Zirconia-Oxide-ZrO2-Ball-Bearing-10-26-8-/272000583339

This thread is awesome.

While I'm here, I've had a good look online but come up trumps. Where can I get rear axles and cone nuts for a sealed cartridge hub? I'm finding nothing online...

I would think that you don't need cones if you have sealed bearings?

Rear track axle for sealed bearings:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rear-Hub-Axle-Hollow-Sealed-Bearing-MTB-Fixie-Single-Speed-10mm-135mm-116mm-/141876293157

Rear track axle for cone bearings:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Front-or-Rear-solid-chromed-black-spindle-axle-8mm-9-5mm-singlespeed-rear-/360888087872
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cyclo-3-8-Rear-Hub-Axle-Spindle-single-speed-fixie-7497-/170484779745

But then again, if you need that many parts, you might prefer getting a new 'budget' rear hub and take parts from it or even relace the wheel.

Planet X has complete rear track hubs for £9.99 in 32h or 36h:
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HUOOLF/on-one-large-flangetrack-hub

Thanks for this.

i had no idea before today that sealed bearing hubs where even a thing. You know when you investigate a bit of play in a component and open up a whole minefield of possible compatibility issues?
Yeah that.

Still, it's all a learning opportunity right!

Planet X has complete rear track hubs for £9.99 in 32h or 36h:
planetx.co.uk/i/q/HUOOLF/on-o­ne-large-flangetrack-hub

Unfortunately not: despite the photo, if you check the description they only have front hubs.

I only know this because I was after a rear and nearly got suckered.

Also, while I'm here, had a good old clean of my wheel and the bearings had 6000lu tp1 436 stamped on them.
What do I need to search to replace them? Will any 6000 series, single seal bearing work? The ones above look ok, albeit expensive...

I would recommend that you pop them out and check measurements.

Steel 6000-2RS bearings are about £1 each and stainless steel about £2.50 each.

No point going ceramic if it is for a daily ride. And you will need Rubber Seals if it isn't an indoor track wheel as otherwise grit will go into them.

If you are at a loose end, I always have a couple of spare steel 6000-2RS in my parts box...

@Vince, ive popped out a couple of shot bearings out of my on-one/joytech hub yday and in the process of ordering some spares. indeed i now know from the shot ones that the rear takes 6000-2RS.

is that actually the same size for the front too? not possible to check right now and maybe you know it by heart.
(would make sense it isnt because of different axle diameter but one could ask)

If you have a hub with a QR axle and have problems pressing the new bearings in...

A length of threaded rod in 10mm or 9mm, along with a couple of washers, nuts and the old bearings make for an excellent improvised setting tool...

Found this thread on Google. Goldmine. Fixed my rear wheel in a leisurely hour. Used a roll of duct tape instead of blocks of wood to prop the wheel up on. Not sure how tight nuts that go next to the bearings should be... But wheel spins nice and smooth so I'm not too worried. Thanks @Vince!

Not sure how tight nuts that go next to the bearings should be...

Try pulling the wheel from left to right: any play?

No problems @Danners

It is an easy job to do so it would be a shame to spend £20-£30 to get it done in a shop.

I usually tighten the nuts neat the bearings by hand and that's been working fine.

Royce, Royce, Royce, Royce, Royce...... why would you use anything else?

http://www.royceuk.co.uk/Hubs/

@Enigmatic I think you are commenting on the wrong thread.

apologies - although they do use sealed ball races which is what I thought you were discussing. Anyhow, as you were, carry on.

Bit of a dredge, I know...

Is there a bodger's method to remove sealed bearings on something like the novatec d771sb?

Basically it's got replaceable end caps, then a 6902 bearing on each side of a hollow centre that appears to be the same diameter as the inner bit of the bearing, so no obvious way to get purchase on it from the opposite side...

Also, no central axle to use to tap the bearing out from the opposite side, so do I need to actually buy an internal bearing puller?

novatec d771sb

schematics at 0:29 in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNuWQYw7e1A

There is a tube between the 2 bearings that has to be pried gently aside

(ok maybe) ala 5:00 in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1E3AI9QH4E