How to maintain road bike hubs?

Your hub may be fitted with either sealed bearings which do not specifically require maintenance but simply need replacing when they are faulty; or cup-and-cone type bearings which, to preserve their excellent characteristics, require regular maintenance – here is how to proceed.

• Time: 1h30
• Level: Difficult
• Tools: Set of cone spanners | Flat spanner (on most hubs, 17 mm) | Cloth | Degreaser | Bearing grease

Steps

1. Hold the hub cone in place using the cone spanner, then loosen the lock nut with the flat spanner.
   
   
2. Unscrew and remove the lock nut, the washer, the spacer and then the cone Probikeshop tip: make sure you note the order and orientation of these components when fitting.
   
   
3. Pull out the now-free axle to remove it from the hub
   Probikeshop tip: be careful, the ball bearings may fall out of the hub at this point.
   
   
4. Remove all the ball bearings from the hub, then clean all the components using a cloth and a degreaser. Take the opportunity to check the condition of all these parts. 
   
   
5. Grease the cups in which the ball bearings sit. 
   
   
6. Replace the ball bearings in the cups. 
   
   
7. Refit the axle followed by the cone, spacer, washer and nut assembly
   Probikeshop tip: make sure the ball bearings stay properly in place as you insert the axle.
   
   
8. Now adjust the play in the axle and the smoothness of the bearing using the cone. Tightening it with the spanner will eliminate the play; loosening it will improve the smoothness. You therefore need to find the correct adjustment so that there is no more play while maintaining good bearing smoothness. 
   
   
9. Once the adjustment is correct, hold the cone in position with the spanner, then tighten the lock nut to secure everything in place.
   
   
10. Check that the adjustment is correct. Repeat step 8 if necessary, having first loosened the lock nut.