I think the time has come to regrease the rear hub on my bike. Maybe even the front hub too. I have never done anything like this before. For those of you who have done this:

- How mechanically inclined do you need to be? Is this a particularly difficult task?
- Are any special tools needed? I would be degreasing an 11 speed Shimano hub
- What grease needs to be used? I have Park grease kicking around here.

Thank you.

It's easier than it used to be and you won't need special tools if you have the newer type of Shimano hub. Park grease is fine. Look up your hub here for instructions. https://si.shimano.com/#/

- In my opinion, this doesn't require a lot of mechanical aptitude. You're basically just unscrewing some parts, then screwing them back together. The only part that requires any finesse is the final adjustment. Do it in small steps, and if it's not right, adjust again, no damage done.
- For tools you'll need a chain whip and Shimano cassette lockring tool to remove the cassette, and some thin cone wrenches the right size for your hub.
- Any thick grease is fine. I haven't used the Park grease but I'm sure it's fine.

Work carefully over a tray or towel to avoid losing any ball bearings, or buy replacements in advance - you don't want to get everything cleaned up and greased only to discover you're short one tiny metal ball.

It's also easier to get the hub preload exactly right if you have an vice and an axle vice, though one can certainly get an ideal adjustment without them.

Park grease, and frankly almost all other grease is fine. If you're going to the trouble of getting in there, I would recommend also replacing the bearings as they're very cheap. Typically this is 1/4 " for the rear and 5/32 for the front.

I like the Phil Wood green grease.

The Ultegra 6800 and newer hubs are slightly different than many of the older hubs. I did one a year or two ago, and it was a little tricky to get the tension just right. But, the locking of the cones was neat.

A couple of notes about Ultegra here.
Ultegra Hub Overhaul Went Bad!

I might actually practice on a more vintage 100% threaded cup and cone setup first. Just so you get the concept down.

Do you have any neighbors that can help you out the first time?

Not too difficult IMO. I just learned how to do it this week. If you've adjusted cup/cone bottom brackets or headsets, the same principles apply.

Just use the grease you have. People like the color of a Phil Wood grease, but I ended up getting some Park Tools for cheaper $$$.

Other than that, you would just need the right sized cone wrenches and maybe a couple of adjustable crescent wrenches to undo a tight locknut. I don't have a set of dedicated cone wrenches, but I had two combination cone wrenches (13-16mm) and it worked fine.

If you have cheaper cone wrenches like me, make sure you try not to round off any cup/cones. Each axle/hub assembly usually uses specific cup/cones/spacers in order to get spacing right. I imagine it would be hard to track down the exact replacements parts if you care about that stuff.

Good luck!

Actually I would not have recommended DIY for the OP if he had the older hubs needing cone wrenches to set. I think that would be ambitious for him and a shop wouldn't charge much.

I've been doing that since I was a teenager. Five decades later, I learned some nice tricks from a pro at a co-op. Here's a demo.

Thank you for all the feedback. I have all of the tools I need except the cone wrench. How do I know what size cone wrench I need? Well that and I do no have a vice or an axel vice. And indofulioh I have never adjusted cup/cone bottom brackets.


[MENTION=179963]cpach[/MENTION] you recommended replacing the bearings. How do I know what size bearings I need? Or how do I know if the bearings need replacing? Or are you recommending replacing them just because I'm already in there?


I am not sure what model the rear hub is. I had the wheels custom built three or four years ago now. I might have the invoice berried away somewhere that lists the individual parts. Finding the invoice though. That could be a challenge.

CliffordK The neighbour that I would normally depend on for this sort of thing moved away about a year ago. There is a fellow down the street though whom is pretty hand with a set of tools. I am sure I could bother him for some tips/advice. Mind you he is a mountain biker, but I am sure the concept behind regreasing a rear hub are the same across road/mountain bikes.

If it is a Shimano hub, model numbers are usually laser etched on the dust caps. At least my hubs have been.

Ball bearings are so cheap that it's pretty much always worth replacing them if you're servicing a cup and cone hub. The hubs, if Shimano, should have their model number printed on them. You can search for their model number on si.shimano.com and you'll get all relevant service documents for that part. The exploded view diagram document will list the bearing sizes used. In most hubs its 1/4" in the rear and 5/32 in the front but Shimano has mixed that up in some more recent hubs. 13 and 15mm are the most common cone wrench sizes. Do you own calipers? Pick some up if you don't, they're cheap and useful. A measurement is worth a thousand internet speculations.

I would turn the bike upside down, slowly turn the wheel, try and feel everything as it turns. Completely smooth everywhere? Take the wheel off, take the skewer off, wipe everything off. Turn the axle with your fingers, feel everything there. All smooth again? You may be able to pop the seals off without taking the axle apart. Turn it, feel that. If it feels all good, I would say that a newish design Shimano hub has such good grease and seals that you don't need to do anything, it's good to go. If you ride dry pavement (you're not spraying mud into everything) hubs can go a long time.

Hozan and Park cone wrenches are easy to find on Ebay, different sizes depending on hub model, front and rears are prob different, new shimano stuff may not even need cone wrenches any more. Don't be surprised if your hub is too tight from the factory, you may need just an adjustment, not a teardown.

Its refreshing to know your going to do this yourself...

Some times when I get into something I have to reassure myself all will be OK. After all, if I can't get it back together right I'll just end up at the shop anyway...

All comes the price of an education...

You'll need a 13 mm cone wrench for the front, 15 mm for the rear for most hubs, and a 17 mm combination wrench for the locknuts. Find the part number and read the manual to be sure. I like to have two each on hand for fine-tuning. You can get one inexpensive wrench with a 13 and a 15 on either end. Get two of those and you'll be set.

If you use the technique in the video I referenced above, you won't need a vise. (Your vices are you own business.)

The bearings don't need replacing if the finish is still good. The bearing preload depends on which axle the hub has. The oversize axles don't compress when the QR is closed and the 10mm axles do and need a little play when adjusted.

I thought Shimano typically used 3/16" bearings in the front hubs?

Thank you.

Front hub ball bearing sizes (Shimano cup and cone):

https://bike.bikegremlin.com/2255/st...ng-ball-sizes/
https://steveukmtb.wordpress.com/shi...-cup-and-cone/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/bearings...f-100/?geoc=NL

The term "hub vice" which has been used is a little misleading. You can find things offered for sale described as a "hub vice" which look as though they grip the axle, so that you can work on the wheel/hub, while it is held in a bench vice (or similar).

In the context of adjusting wheel hubs, what we are really talking about is something that I would call an "axle clamp", because for one thing it's gripping the axle, not the hub shell, and it's clamping the two ends of the axle.

What's the point of all this?

Well, the idea is that if you adjust a cup and cone bearing so it feels nice and "firm", when you have the wheel out of the bike, when you fit it into the drop-outs and tighten up the quick release, that has the effect of compressing the axle slightly, so pushing the cones closer together, so making the bearings tighter. This will wear the bearings faster.

The usual advice is to have the bearings slightly loose when the wheel is out of the dropouts, so it tightens up a little with the QR applied. Which is OK, but ends up being a bit trial and error-ish.

Hence the various "hub vices" that people have invented, but which I think should be called an "axle clamp". The axle clamp replicates the compressive action of the quick release. In fact my version uses the quick release, with the help of a few other bits and pieces. These videos of mine are a bit long, and I'm afraid the volume is low. I'll do better videos once the state of my patio isn't so embarrassing!

Part one:

Part two:

Part three:

Other points to mention:

1. On the rear hub (assuming a standard Shimano C&C derailleur cassette), the drive side cup and cone shouldn't be adjusted. Some people in fact use threadlocker to make sure they don't move. If the drive side cone works loose it can wreck the freehub, apparently. Do the adjustment from the non-drive side - you can still service the drive side, by pulling the axle through.

2. The inside of the freehub needs lubrication. The general feeling is that this needs relatively mobile lubrication. Not WD40, but not axle grease either. Some people use what is referred to as SFG (semi-fluid grease). Remember that the bearings on the inside of the freehub are under very little stress. They are only working as bearings when you freewheel, and aren't taking the weight of the bike and rider. So they don't need thick grease, they actually need thin grease that will move around and keep things lightly lubricated. Thick grease might in fact be a bad thing inside the freehub as it could stop the pawls moving freely. Some experienced bike mechanics actually use SFG for the drive side wheel bearings, on the basis that some of it will make its way into the freehub.

2a. But be careful about SFG, or any other thinner lubricant on the left hand bearings, if you've got disc brakes. You don't want anything oily to make its way on to the rotor.

Thanks everyone. Looks like I have my marching orders. Much appreciated.

I've been using Phil Wood Tenacious Oil for freewheels and freehubs since the late 1980s. It's the magic sauce for this, IMHO.

--Shannon

Personally, I find it very satisfying to overhaul wheel bearings. There's something about assembling it just right so you can feel the slight drag of the grease, but no mechanical binding nor any play in the axel.