Does anyone know how to get Formula hubs apart?

Specifically a DC38 rear hub. Need to put new bearings in but I’m buggered if I can get the thing apart (well, I’m trying not to do anything to rough and break it). Not much help on the Formula website either.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10004&t=12853681

Is this any help?

Not sure. These are QR ones and there appears to be lock rings and stuff, whereas that looks like a thru axle. Still, might be something relevant when I go back out to the garage tomorrow!

With your hubs is the Axle threaded , can you just treat the locknut and cone the same as a loose bearing hub and just unscrew them with a cone spanner ?

Got any pics

Maybe….

One side will undo. Then you knock the axle thru. Then you can undo the other side but putting the axle in a vice grippy thingy. replace bearings or whatever. Then lock off the far side with the bearing on the axle in behind it. Knock the axle back through. Then tighten the side you started at, against the side you did up first.

And the free hub is a shimano style single unit with a shimano style bolt but on an odd size allen key…11? 13?…Not sure….12?

I think…it’s been a while since I did one….. and it may have been a different model to whatever model you have there.

With your hubs is the Axle threaded , can you just treat the locknut and cone the same as a loose bearing hub and just unscrew them with a cone spanner ?

Got any pics

Yes it is threaded, and there is something that looks like a cone spanner is required. Can’t remember the exact configuration off the top of my head, I’ll try and post some pictures tomorrow.

And the free hub is a shimano style single unit with a shimano style bolt but on an odd size allen key…11? 13?…Not sure….12?

This rings a bell too, the need for a big long Allen key. (I tried last year and gave up and took it to the bike shop).

Might try what you’ve suggested re knocking the axle through, but I’ll try and get a picture up first.

Right, yesterday’s suggestions have largely worked. Got one side off then knocked the axle out the other, which took one bearing with it, and drifted the other bearing out. Free hub unbolts with a big Allen key which I have. Just struggling now to get the other bearing off the axle as the luck nuts need 15 and 17mm cone spanners. I have two 15mm ones! Clamping it in a vice didn’t work, it’s all too tight. Anyway, that should be easy enough to get from CRC.

The bearing is labelled KG Z0009. That’s easy enough to find on Google, but I had planned to get new bearings from kaesae / KaTec, and his codes seem to be different – all 6000 or a variation of. Is there a table or something where I can tally these up, they must be pretty common the ones I’ve got I would think.

Calipers and measure the o/d and i/d then call them?

I’ve emailed him with that KG code, so if that’s no use to him I’ll measure it.

Think we’ve got that sorted. Here’s one more thing.

I took it apart because of a judder with the back wheel – when I spin the wheel in the work stand and grab the brake, the wheel judders a lot and makes a horrible noise. Apparently ‘something makes a horrible noise when I’m riding along’ (I’m not allowed to ride it so can’t check that myself but am still expected to know from that description what’s wrong 🙄 ). With the back brake on you can rock the bike back and forward a little which I narrowed down to the hub, and assumed at least one bearing was knackered. On taking it apart, it seems that one bearing (on the right in the picture) is a snug fit in its place – the silver bit, fairly obvious – whereas the other one is loose, whether on the smooth axle or the thread (not sure exactly where it sits once everything is back together). What’s going on there? Crap design or something else?

image by thegreatape[/url], on Flickr

My old Alexrim wheels had some oem Formula hubs and pretty much same as this as I recall when trying to service. The bearings may be worn and loose or seized onto the axle. I recall a hammer involved a fair bit with mine 😀

And yeah, stupid allen key size to remove the freehub. Had to order one individually which wasn’t cheap.

The bearings move fine on the hub, just need a 17mm cone spanner to get the two nuts off the left end and get that bearing off. What seems odd is that inner circumference of the bearing on the left seems a little too loose on the axle. Once I get it off Ill see how they fit swapped around, see where any wear is.

Sorry to resurrect, but any thoughts from anyone on why the left bearing is loose on the axle, or what to do about it? I can’t imagine that there should be anything shim like in there, but at the same time it seems quite a design flaw if it is supposed to just sit slightly loose on the axle?

On taking it apart, it seems that one bearing (on the right in the picture) is a snug fit in its place – the silver bit, fairly obvious – whereas the other one is loose, whether on the smooth axle or the thread (not sure exactly where it sits once everything is back together). What’s going on there? Crap design or something else?

The bearing will sit on a machined area (‘silver bit’) somewhere. There may well have been a ‘silver bit’ for the left bearing just inboard of the thread, but if the bearing has seized then the axle will start spinning inside it(usually making an awful noise). In no time at all, the bearing will wear away the axle. I’ve no idea how your hub is put together, but suspect that something similar to the above has happened, and that you will need a new axle (but don’t take my word for it).

I’ve got it back together and it seems much snugger. Hasn’t solved the judder though. Maybe that’s the spokes flexing or something? and the NDS bearing seal is pish, I reckon there should be a washer or something to make the outside edge of ot butt up against the bearing. Hey ho…

Would that silver bit just wear away, because it’s not inside the old bearing. Although the bike shop have replaced them once as well…

Would that silver bit just wear away

Yes.

(I would expect it to be part of the axle, like the RHS but without the shoulder next to it, rather than a separate piece)

Speaking generally, there shouldn’t be *any* play between the inner race of the bearing and whatever it sits on.

That’s what I would think too – bit pointless otherwise. There’s definitely not a second silver bit, so wearing away must be the answer. I’ll see if I can get a new axle.

It doesn’t look especially promising for getting spares for these hubs. Wonder whether to get a superstar hub and have a go at rebuilding the wheel?