Originally Posted by MacG
. Without having this cheat method available (if you took both bearings out), you pretty much need a bearing press to safely press bearings into place. It's way too easy to press them in crooked and damage stuff if you don't have any way of holding the bearing exactly perpendicular to the hub shell.
Wow you guys are paranoid. Tolerances on bike parts aren't that exact, and even if they were, none are press fit (i.e. 2.000 in bearing in a 1.998 in hole) where a press would be necessary.
Have you ever seen a hub assembly line? Lots of rubber mallets, very little precision.