Fulcrum Racing 5 hubs serviceable?

[guttertrash]

The rear hub on my Racing 5's feel a bit 'gritty' for want of a better word. They are a couple of years old, and have done about 6,000 miles but haven't been serviced at all yet.

Is this something I can do myself, or better for a pro? I believe they are cartridge bearings, and it looks like you may need special tools to be able to do the job of replacing them. If I only want to re-grease, is that something I could do myself?

Cheers!

 

[Kestevan]

AFAIK the bearings are sealed and not user serviceable. When they're stuffed simply replace the cartridge with new ones.

I had my Racing 7s done at the LBS a couple of yrs ago, cost me £20 or thereabouts. My 5s have only done a couple of thousand miles, and are just nicely loosening up

 

[accountantpete]

With the old sealed bearings you can just knock them out as they are not going to be used again. You just need to be careful introducing the new ones - they need to be pressed in with a flat object which contacts the outer and inner steel sections so as not to damage the bearings. A self- made press works well.

 

[guttertrash]

I think I'll let the LBS have a crack at them. It's not very expensive.

Would you expect to need new bearings after covering 6k miles? They haven't been used in particularly bad weather, but the back one in particular just feels rough when holding the wheel in the hands and spinning it.

 

[User6179]

I got bearings for my fulcrum 5s from bearing boys on amazon and I think they were £3.50 each and I think the code was 6005-2rs but i would double check that code.

Never used any special tools ,just tapped them out with a screwdriver and i think i used a bit of wood to tap them back in ,done 5000 miles since and the bearings are still ok, i only hand tighten the cones if you can call them that as i think if you over tighten them it can damage the bearings.

 

[gbb]

If you can, try to get low friction sealed bearings, they'll be something like 6005-2RSL or RSH, they are free'er spinning than standard -2RS. Use a stanley knife blade to flip one of the seals out before fitting (your wheels have a seal on one side of each bearing), this also reduces friction.
With the axle out, a mallet or hammer and a drift will quickly knock the old bearings out, then lay the wheel flat, lay the new bearing in place, lay the old bearing on top of it and use that to hit, rather than the new bearing. You can jar the races quite easily if you're not careful, using the old bearing on top helps avoid that. Make sure after a tap that the new bearing IS going in straight. If its at an angle, stop, tap it out and start again. If you don't, it'll get progressively harder and tighter. NEVER strike the inner ring of a new bearing, always try to strike the outer ring.

DONT forget to put the spacer tube in between the bearings

Alternatively, if you have some 8mm studding, nuts and heavy washers, you can pull them in.

With the rear wheel, take extra note that one side's tube is shorter than the other. Don't re-assemble incorrectly or you'll spend ages trying to figure why the cassettes rubbing on the frame.

 

[guttertrash]

I don't trust myself doing this, and don't want to end up ruining a perfectly good pair of wheels. The LBS has said they will do it for me for £12 per wheel + cost of new bearings if required. Maybe I'll try next time if I don't need new bearings this time around. Thanks for all the advice though - i will make a note

 

[endoman]

I did this myself with the stuff from bearing boys, just note how it all comes out and put the new ones back the same. I did add extra grease to the new cartridges, been perfect ever since. Made a press from some threaded bar, washers and nuts, Few quid from DIY place. I knew nothing about it before I started,
I'd be taking it to Pelican or igloo if in Chesterfield.

 

[guttertrash]

Yeah. They are going to Neil at Pelican

 

[guttertrash]

Got the wheels back today and they are spinning nicely again. Not sure how it happened, but one bearing on the rear was completely seized and rusty, even though it was still packed with grease.

 

[spacecat]

That'll be the freehub side bearing. Water gets past the poor freehub seal and doesn't get chance to dry out

 

[spacecat]

Meant to add be careful when washing it........don't even allow water not under pressure to play on that area........water will get in!