So the muppet who installed the bearings on my wheel was very careful to press them in using a vice and socket set and only push the outside of the bearings. Bit of friction at first but assumed this was just tight seals but nope, after a couple rides the bearings are definitely stiff, feel a bit….graunchy too.
So what is it? bearings pressed in a bit too enthusiastically I presume.

Can I fix it? bang the ends of the axle with a mallet to try to work bearings a bit loose? or do I get the LBS to refit some new bearings properly?
DT240 rear hub BTW so can’t remove stardrive ring myself anyway

freehubs fine it’s one or both of the hub bearings that are iffy.

You could try carefully tapping the driveside of the axle to release any tension, that way if the NDS bearing moves too much you can gently tap it back again.

The DT Swiss assembly tools are flat faced and have a 15mm clearance hole on them so when you use them they apply pressure to both the inner race and the outer race equally, and the axle flanges bear on the inner race so it could be possible to overload the bearings by only tapping on the outer race?

http://www.dtswiss.com/getdoc/1219c0b7-776d-46ea-8625-dedf5ec2de19/Datasheet.aspx

Edit:

My experience using the assembly tools is that they only require a quite gentle tap with a rubber mallet and as soon as you feel a resistance you stop. Using a vice would apply much more pressure than that so I guess they have been over tightened

Cheers Jimw, only used the vice to make sure they went in straight wasn’t clamping down much.

My experience using the assembly tools

not this one I take it? 🙂
or are you a bike mechanic?

No, only an amateur mechanic, but I have had a bit of experience over the years. I machined the tools myself from the dimensions on the manual and a brief look at the official ones, apart from the ring nut tool which I bought off ebay for about £18. Cost me about £5 for the alu bar and an hour of my time. As I have two sets of wheels with 240 hubs I thought it was worth it

If you paid a proper shop to do it just go back and see them. Most will not quibble if there is a problem as the bearings are not that much money unless they were ceramic.

LOL he did it himself.

A tap from a hammer may sort it. No point in new bearings, unless this is actually affecting functio? (I bet not)

Oh and seals cannot cause issues pressing in bearings.

The bearings will be screwed. The races would be brinelled if they feel rough after fitting in that manner. The notches in the races will kill the balls in no time.
Not really worth running such a poor bearing in an expensive hub like that.
Just buy some new 6902 bearings and refit them.

Bearings are fubared I bet. I can’t see how pressing them in can have damaged them – they should press in until they come to a stop on a recess? Or are these hubs different to most?

Edit – looking at the diagramme the bearing press in to a stop. I wonder if you damaged the seals pressing them in – using sockets can do as the socket is not completely square at the end – the edge is rounded and thus can press on the seals

TJ roundedged sockets possibly the cause or a little too much pressure on the vice
Kevolution pitted sounds possible feel a little rough and really quite draggy.
have done this a coupke times before no problem, not sure how I managed to screw it up this time.

Just buy some new 6902 bearings and pay a professional to refit them and if he screws it up aswell ask for a refund

FTFY 🙂