Replacing cartridge bearing in a rear hub without pricey tools

barrymanilow

Hi,

As in the title ,

How possible is this for the home mechanic ? I see a few youtube videos that show various ways of hammering out the bearings and hammering back in new ones .

I see others with expensive tools specific to the job .

I have a bit of bike sense and do most of the work on my bikes bar headset replacement , but is this a job for the bike shop ?

like to hear from anyone who has tried it .

cdaly_

It really depends on the specific setup. If you can see the edges of the outside of the bearing from both sides then you can tap it out* using a punch or screwdriver. Alternatively, you can make up a 'puller' with a long bolt and a couple of washers and nuts and a bit of creative thinking.

On the other hand, a bearing that is tight on a shaft can be removed by various methods but is far far easier with the dedicated tool (bearing puller).

For fitting the new bearing, a long socket and a hammer are usually sufficient. The socket should be as close a match to the outside of the bearing to insert the bearing into a cup and as close a match to the inside of the bearing to drive it onto a shaft.



* Tap it evenly all around or it will twist and bind making it harder to remove.

07Lapierre

Tapping the bearings out is the easy bit. Getting the new ones in without damaging them is the tricky bit.

My advise is to place the old bearing on top of the new one and tap it back in place. You may need to do this with the axle in place to ensure the bearings go back “square”.

Of course it depends on the type of wheels you have.

Also remember.... some bearings are held in place with a “circlip”, so if you tap the bearing and it doesn’t move... DONT hit it hard as you could damage the hub!

barrymanilow

Ok Got the Bearings out ,

Now how do i go about finding replacements ,

two say GTB 6000RZ

The other GTB 6001 RZ

Neither comes up on a Google ,

Do I measure these with a calipers and go from there ?

Thanks


actually just found some on ebay marked RS rather than RZ , is there a difference ?

07Lapierre

barrymanilow wrote: »

Ok Got the Bearings out ,

Now how do i go about finding replacements ,

two say GTB 6000RZ

The other GTB 6001 RZ

Neither comes up on a Google ,

Do I measure these with a calipers and go from there ?

Thanks


actually just found some on ebay marked RS rather than RZ , is there a difference ?

I get mine here:

http://dicksonbearings.com/

barrymanilow

07Lapierre wrote: »

I get mine here:

http://dicksonbearings.com/

Thanks

barrymanilow

another question , Im used to the cup and cone hubs with the loose bearings and how to tighten them up just right so there is no play but no excessive pressure on the bearings ,

But what is the craic with cartridge bearings ? especially when they still seem to have that cup and cone part on the axle ?

07Lapierre

What wheels do you have?

On My Campagnolo Scirroco wheels, I tighten the Cup/Cone by hand. Its purpose is to stop sideways movement, so it doesn't have to be very tight.

barrymanilow

07Lapierre wrote: »

What wheels do you have?

On My Campagnolo Scirroco wheels, I tighten the Cup/Cone by hand. Its purpose is to stop sideways movement, so it doesn't have to be very tight.

have old mavic crossride 26 inch moutain bike wheels 2007 almost vintage . Yes I dont see any difference in sideways movement from looseish to tightened up so I guess its safe to just go hand tight with the cone against the bearing then turn the cone and the nut behind it against each other tight