Jicafold

So I have this wheel with a Campy hub. Hub could be a bit smoother. Does this hub use cartridge bearings that I can replace? I don't speak Campagnolo.

Litespud

almost certainly not - even my <1-year-old Zondas use loose bearings

Russ Roth

Loose ball, try to get their bearings, campy does use a better quality bearing then the basic stuff you'll get at most shops which does help them spin smoother.

Jicafold

I took it apart. These sure look like cartridge bearings to me. How do you get them out to replace them? And what model hub is this anyway?

davidad

There should be numbers on the dust seals that you can use to order new ones. Looks like they may be 6001 2RS.

Jicafold

Yes. Thank you. It seems the ones in the hub are fine, it's the one in the freehub that is the culprit. What is the proper way to get it out?

Andrew R Stewart 

The few handfuls of freehub body bearings that I have replaced have usually been a very tight press fit. The usual pound them out goes well enough (although I sometimes wonder about the amount of impact force I am using...) with a hammer and punch. But the install is the challenge. Here's heat is your friend. I place the empty, and clean/dry, freehub body in my oven set to about 400*. Let it warm up and then the cold new bearings will pretty much drop in.

I've found that the cartridge type freehub body bearings tend to out last the hub shell's. But nothing lasts forever and freehub bodys are much like pedals and pulleys, they are often never maintained until there's a problem. Andy

davidad

I've not worked on Campy hubs, but I would guess that you can drive them out with a pointed tool and press in new ones.

Jicafold

Thanks for your help Andy. Now to wait for the wife to leave the house so I can use that there oven.

Dave Mayer

OK - sorry I'm late here.

So this is a 8-speed Campy Mirage cassette hub. As with the least expensive Campy offerings, it uses 2 cartridge bearings for the main bearings, instead of the superior cup and cone implementation - as in the premium Campy hubs. All Campy hubs use 2 cart bearings in the freehub; a far less demanding application that only carries a fraction of the load of the 2 main bearings.

BTW: this hub will not accept 9, 10, 11 or 12-speed Campagnolo cassette cogs. The 2 freehub bearings are 6001RS, which means a single rubber seal facing outwards. You take a 6001 2RS bearing, which has 2 seals, and remove one. Or just leave it, as no contamination or water can get at the inners of the cart. 6001 2RS are the most common cart bearings in the bike universe, and can be had for a few bucks each. The grade doesn't matter much, as again, these bearings handle little load.

There is a steel spacer between the 2 carts in the freehub; it can be easily pushed aside. Once it is off to the side, use a medium-sized flat-blade screwdriver to punch the outer cart bearing from the opposite side. The spacer is steel, as is the freehub body, so not much can be damaged here. It doesn't matter if you damage the old cart bearing, as it is soon to be replaced.

Once the outer freehub bearing goes shooting out of the freehub and hides itself into some corner of your workshop, it is time to install the new cart. You can press it in using a bench vice. Use the old cart bearing on the outside to guide it in. Make sure you don't forget the spacer before you press the new cart in.

Before doing any of this, you may want to apply a few drops of penetrating oil on the old cart bearing, in case it is somewhat corroded in place. And apply some grease to the outside of the new cart bearing to ease its entry into the freehub.

I've done this operation several times - uneventfully.

Andrew R Stewart 

Yes, best baked when the partner is away. If you look inside of the freehub body you'll see between the two bearings a sleeve. Usually this sleeve can be pushed off center and allow for a punch (I've used a large Common nail for a punch) to impact one bearing's inner race. By doing this at a few points about the bearing's race it will bit by bit "walk" out of the body. Remember to replace the sleeve as it keeps the bearings from getting axially loaded when in use. Again try to de grease/solvent off the body before heating, it will stink up the place otherwise. Andy

Dave Mayer

Another hint with these hubs: in order to keep the pawls and springs in place while re-inserting the freehub, wrap them with 2 revolutions of dental floss. Then partially insert the freehub until the pawls are partially inside the hub, and carefully unwind the floss. Of course, the freehub pawls and ratchet cavity has to be greased before this - with a modest application of light grease.

Jicafold

Thank you. I pounded out the existing cartridge bearings with a 3/8" socket on a piece of carpet out on the driveway while I watched my neighbor take down his Trump flags. Poor guy. But I was nice and I waved and said Hi. There were 2 cartridge bearings, the spacer and a circlip. I'm sorry, I didn't see what order they came out in? I assume the spacer was between the 2 bearings. Does the circlip go on the hub side of this assembly?

old_dreams

I have just replaced bearings on a Campy 9/10/11 speed freehub but looks same design. Bearing goes in first, then the circlip is fitted to keep that bearing in. Then spacer, then outer bearing.

I found a youtube video where a guy made a little press just from a bolt and some spacers to get the bearings in. Works very well. If I can find the video I'll post a link.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AlOfPzl3CY

Jicafold

Thank you so much. My new bearings are in the mail.

Dave Mayer

There are 2 cart bearings in the Campy freehub; the inner bearing never wears out or gets contaminated. The inner is held in place with a circlip. The outer bearing is always the one that needs replacing, and is simple to punch out and replace, as I described previously.

If you try and push both bearings out from the inside, you'll damage the circlip.

davidad

Next time you buy bearing go to Grainger and order NTN bearings. Best quality and not fakes.

old_dreams

You're very welcome.

In my case I found taking out the circlip a little tricky even with a circlip pliers. It was just a very tight fit. My bearings were fine so I just cleaned and repacked them with a little grease.

Here are another couple of videos that show cleaning and repacking the bearings in a lot of detail. These videos show all the correct tools but I got on fine using the techniques shown in the previous video.

Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJs4G8B8aTk

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tJPNNNr3wg