I can't figure out the right way to replace bearings of Phill Wood single speed hub. I searched for instructions, but no luck. They are press-fit so I guess I just need to knock to the right way... I'm feeling really dumb saying this, but I don't know which way...Thanks for the help.

When in doubt, return the hub to Phil for service.

A quick Google turned up this page:
https://www.philwood.com/support/partsservice.php
I would guess that you have an FSA (Field Serviceable) hub, so: https://www.philwood.com/philpdfs/FSAinstructions.pdf

Thanks for the responses. My hub is an old freewheel model and is not the FSA hub. And JohnDThmoson was right... it seems that's pretty much the only way to service the hub, which will be $59 + shipping.

Here is what I got from the customer service at Phil Wood:

Most likely you will need a arbor press and tooling to press the bearing out.

If it is a real old hub the bearings can be bonded to the hub shell, which then it would have to be sent in to us for service.
You need a deep throat arbor press to really be able to service the hubs correctly, using a hand press will not alloy you to release the pressure off of the new bearing once pressed in. Also padded tools to support the hub shell. We have our own tooling we made in house for our service department only.

Even you local shop can replace a bearing but you need to re-leave the pressure off of the bearing once pressed in. This is where most shops fail to do, so you will have a little knock in the bearing and they will tell you to just break it in.

Next time I build a wheel, I will make sure the hubs are serviceable...

Really old type would be a steel tube with alloy flanges.. freewheel threads in the steel tube. ..

the axle assembly is pressed in whole (Phil did one for my Bike Garage sale find NOS hubshell)

its end caps were pressed onto a core piece between the bearings .

Was my trusty Touring rear wheel for a decade +... then I built another wheel set with a Bullsye Hubset..

just as serviceable , 2 setscrews back up the hub skewer holding it all together..

I would love to hear from some experienced mechanics on this. I have also emailed Phil Wood regarding bearing replacement and received the exact same response. Are they just saying that to cover themselves or do you actually need a deep thoat arbor press? How common is this for bike shops to be able to replace the bearings in Phil hubs correctly? Is there any way to replace the bearings on Phil Hubs at home on the cheap or is it pretty much what they say?

Any other comments are appreciated. I've never pressed in cartridge bearings on any hub before so I may be a bit naive. It seems there is so little info out there about replacing cartridge bearings in bike hubs, especially Phil Wood.

Cheers!

Rare... Arbor Presses are more a Machine Shop tool. than a Bike shop tool..

just box the wheel up and send it to PW Co and it will come back with the bearings fresh and running like Brand New..


I have a Bullseye Hub , they use a standard 6001 bearing , but the hub was made to be a little less tight a fit, so dropped right in.

I built a Touring wheel set first with a Phil Hubshell , as I described above. toured for years on those wheels . Bullseye was my 2nd set.

resold the 1st ones to someone on the opposite coast, they may still be on the Road..


If it is a Field servicable user removable axle, perhaps just popping the seals out and cleaning and re greasing the bearings in situ,
and putting the seal back in will do.

Im supposing they use a Radial Contact Bearing which runs in thecenter of the Groove .. side loading them is too Tight.

Angular contact bearings have a Right side and a Wrong way to put them in .

a traditional cup and cone hub is an example of an angular principle bearing .

Pressing is a smoothly applied force, as Opposed to Banging things in with a Hammer ..

Any doubts, send it to Phil Wood.