Easton Wheels (Velomax hubs) service
 

Hi. I searched and found nothing. I have also posted in the Mechanics section, but I realize that many people who might have knowledge about this don't regularly hang out there.

Question: Can anyone point me to a site that decribes how to service the bearings on a Velomax hub? My LBS says they can't to it, and to send it to Easton, who says they will take 7 weeks to get to it. So I'd like to do it myself if possible.

The backstory:

I bought a used set of Easton Orion IIs, which have the velomax hubs. My bike is Shimano. I also bought a new Dura Ace cassette. The wheels rode great and I loved them for about 100 miles. Then the bike started making a creaking noise that I thought was the BB. Noise was only under load, but didn't require major force, ie, riding slowly up my shallow driveway in first or second gear would do it. I was able to duplicate the sound in the stand by lightly braking the rear wheel. The sound was sort of like a derailleur clicking against a spoke. It occurred 2-3 times per revolution, but this was variable. Replacing the wheel with another made the sound disappear, only to return the minute I put the wheel back on.

Strangely, the noise goes away after the bike has sat a few days, but then when I am several miles into a ride it picks up again and gets louder as the ride goes on. After the ride, if I put it in the stand right away and use the brake, I can get it to clearly repeat the sound, but the next day I can only sometimes get it to make the noise, and then much more quietly.


Thanks,
Matt

If it is the bearings..

Usually the bearings are pressed into the hubs to prevent anyone from messing with them. You need a bearing press which may be specific to the hub. Try calling some other shops in the area and see if they can do it, if they can't then it's off to easton.

It could be the freehub too. A shop can replace that pretty easily.

Also check your spoke tension.

i had two sets of easton vistas that did the exact same thing. my trusted lbs mechanic could never quiet them and neither could i. it would stop after the bike set for awhile but like you said start up again and get louder and louder. my mechanic said it was the freehub internals were just flimsy and delicate. we tried oil, grease, no oil, no grease, new bearings, etc. etc.
i finally ditched both and won't be bothering with any more easton/velomax wheels....

Easton/Velomax has some huge stinking problem that goes beyond hubs. Wheels are backordered for months? I was told today that wheels ordered in May would not be available until end of July, maybe. Nobody will give the retailer a delivery date or an explanation why the delay. Understand it is not just the lower end wheels that are backordered.

I wish someone from Easton had the cuhones to post here what is the problem.

I got my Easton EA90SL's within 1 week of ordering them. Ordered from LBS on 6/14/07 and picked them up on 6/21/07.

In response to your other post I posted a link to Easton's tech web-site where you can select a pdf link for each of their hubs showing how to service them, complete with drawings. What more do you want?

**********???

Bob

You can get the Bearing drifts and bearings direct from Easton if you call them. Reasonably priced too. You need the black for the rear hub and red drift for the front hub.

WHEEL SERVICE
wheelinfo@eastonsports.com
1-800-347-3901
Tech Department (ext. 370)
Adam Marriott (ext. 281)

I've changed the bearings in my Velomax Tempest wheels. I called Velomax and they sent me the bearings, drifts, instructions, etc. Wasn't too expensive I don't think. Don't be cheap and try to change the bearings without their specific drifts. You'll screw up the bearings.

Their website has changed since I did it but try the number above and check out the link below for blown up diagrams.

http://www.eastonbike.com/TECHNICAL/...l_service.html

My bike developed a very similar attitude : after going for 5-8 km, it would begin to "click-click" at every turn of pedals. After changing for another set of pedals, regreasing the bb, changing front wheel, etc, etc, the noise was still there and getting louder and louder... I tried the bike on a trainer : no clicking noise! But to put the bike on the trainer I had to change the rear skewer. I tested the bike on the road with the trainer skewer on the bike : no clicking noise. Then, at this point, I put back the original Mavic Ksyrium skewer and after a while, the noise reappeared!!! So, I changed it again for the trainer skewer ( a cheap 10$ skewer) and again, the noise was gone. So, for my Mavic Ksyrium Elite back wheel, it was the skewer that made the noise, probably coupled with the Mavic bearings. I let the cheap skewer on for more than 1000 km without noise. Maybe, if my post is not to late, you can try another skewer on your rear wheel (a cheap one can do the trick, just to see if the noise goes away).

Hope this might help...

Bearing # easton Circuit velomax hub
 

Bearing # is 6000rs those are a standard bearing # also known as 6000 2rs which = 10x26x8 inside diameter by outside diameter x width 2 RS means two rubber seals to remove the freehub body you need a 12 millimeter Allen wrench not on a socket just a long allen wrench look for a YouTube video under JJJr139

This thread is back from the dead, I doubt anyone is still running these wheels almost 10 years later?

Velomax Orion II wheels
 

I have Velomax Orion II wheels on my backup bike, an aluminum Specialized speed demon. The bike and wheels have about 2000 miles on them. I was checking out the wheels recently. They are still in perfect condition and have never needed truing. They weigh within 50 grams on my new Dura Ace C24s. They are exceptionally well built, speedy and sweet.

have 2 sets of velomax circuits, the older set has a little hop in the back wheel.. but that wheel set has survived 3? bikes.. the newer set is dead center even true.. and great tension.. i will put those wheels up against any sub 400 dollar set.. they may not be super sexy.. but they are solid and kinda lite.. and bomb proof..

Back from the dead and alive and kicking.

I just got a sweet deal on a pair of Velomax Orion II's off EBay in awesome shape except the front hub was noisy and rough. The seller neglected to mention this in the ad (shame, shame!) but rather than create a stink I kept them and serviced the hub. Replaced the rusty bearings, cleaned and lubed everything up and now they spin like buttah and roll forever.

Surprised at just how nice these are. I like the original Velomax rear hub better than the newer Easton stuff, there's no stupid preload adjuster to come loose and wobble around. Just a simple straightforward design that stays straight and true. 24/28 spoke count also makes these pretty stiff and bombproof and at 1477 grams per set they're pretty light even by modern standards.

I was going to ride them a bit and sell them on but I like em enough especially after servicing the hubs that I might just keep em. Great wheelset.

Still there
 

I decided to give my vista's SL from way back new bearings (4 x 6000 rs/2rs) Thinking about servicing the hub myself (6900). This might fail, so I'm already wondering whether I could use a standard Shimano Ultegra (10sp) hub. Easton doesn't seem to offer this kind of historical info.

I need to replace the freehub body on a set of ORION II wheels with Velomax hubs. No indication on the hub as to which specific version of hub this is. R1, R2, R3 etc.
Since its the holiday and I have a bit of time pressure, how can I figure out which series mine is? I saw one site that implied the ORION wheel set had R3 hubs.

I will contact Easton as soon as they are open from the holidays, if I haven't gotten a definitive answer before then.

Thanks

I have a NOS Velomax wheelset with Shimano 10s freehub, designated "J7C31".
No part id designation on the hub. It looks different than the drawing in the Velomax Technical Manual,
"R1 and R2 Rear hub Disassembly / Assembly Rev A"
Easton's website through the main landing page is opaque.

Would like to upgrade to 11s. Any idea on compatible part number?

thanks,

Stuart

Did you ever find out about this? I'm upgrading my bike to 11 speed and have the Easton Circuit wheels. Not sure if there is an 11 speed cassette body that works with them.

I attempted to space back my 11s cassette to 10s, but the first few 100 miles was frustrated by loose lockring and chain noise.
Eventually got it to a passable state but finally bought a pre-built 11s wheel. If you're going out for 65 miles/7k feet you don't want
to think about mechanicals.

Yeah same thing: I learned directly from Easton that there is no 11-speed free hub body available for the wheels. So... I bought a pair of Hunt wheels. They are pretty great.