Greetings, all
I just purchased for next top nothing a bike with 9 speed Veloce (circle 1998). I'm not finding much info on the interwebs for this group, especially whether there's anything tricky about repacking the hubs. I've done a lot of work on Shimano, Sountour and Sram, but this is my first foray into Campy. Does anyone know where manuals can be downloaded?

9s Campagnolo Veloce uses a normal, cup-cone freehub utilizing a "4-bearing" axle having two cartridge bearings in the freehub body (not easily removed btw).

Since the 4-bearing freehubs have ratchet teeth in the hubshell, a rebuild entails handling the pawls and springs (with care).
These can thus be fiddly when re-inserting the freehub body into the hubshell cavity. Easy to squash any spring not aligned with it's pawl.

The drive side bearing cone is press-fit onto the axle, Replacements have long since become quite scarce, so be sure that the final axle bearing tension is adjusted with at least a bit of play before being installed to the bike (the axle will compress significantly as the quick release lever is flipped, tightening the bearings).

Note also that the drive side lock nut may have a set screw that holds it's rotational position on the threaded axle.

Thanks so much! I had read that dealing with the bearings was fiddly, and the freehub is even more fiddly. I'm hoping McMaster or Grainger will have the bearings.

Did you determine that any of the bearings were bad? Do not replace any that are not bad. Use only grade 25 for replacements and only if needed.
The cartridge bearings in the freehub body may not be practical to replace.

I picked up the bike only a few days ago. I won't have an opportunity to get at it till next weeke at the soonest. They may be fine. I've had the experience that a rear wheel will feel a bit rumbly when spinning it but will be fine under a load.

To reassemble the freehub, you can bend a thin wire in a circle and use it as a retainer for the pawls, taking it out before the freehub is fully inserted. Even a piece of string will do.

I'm strongly suspecting that the OP's 1998 Veloce doesn't look anything like the fat-barrelled version above.

But, if he's wrong about the date and it does, quite easy to replace the cartridge bearings in the hubshell itself.

Thank you!

I'll take a look at things when I get home, but it's definitely 1998. It's oem on a 1998 Cannondale R600 that has not been altered at all, even down to the original saddle.

Here's the Veloce breakdown from Campagnolo's 1998 Spare parts cat.


I got this little tool with a Campy wheel set years ago. It took me a long time to figure out what it was for. Well, it works great holding the springs and pawls in when reassembling the body to the hub.

This is beautiful. This blow up really helps "explain" what a string or thread would be needed for in reassembly. Looks like a wrap or two around the "base" would be required to keep the springs (and "plugs") in place as the freehub is reinserted onto the axle. And yes, that little doohicky would be even better than thread.

Strange... my Veloce 9sp has the old style hubshell but the newer style axle. I'm not sure about the year though, it could be '99 or '00.

Mine is the same as yours. The most recent exploded diagram (and I found it plus all "small parts" from that year, and the technical manual at retrobike.co.uk in the archive gallery) has the same shell.