How to remove these hub bearings?

It’s a Race Face AR30 wheel, with a boost Whyte hub. I’ve tried tapping gently from the nds hoping the axle would push the drive side bearing out, but no joy.

Thoughts?

Is there an allen key hole internally in the axle?

I use a Hope hub support and knock the axle and one bearing out with a deadblow hammer (nylon/rubber/plastic soft faced). Bit of wood with a hole in it would be a good DIY substitute.

You do have to use quite a lot of force on some.

If you heat the hub shell with a heat gun/hair dryer/boiling water it will expand the alloy hub more that the steel bearing race and the removal force required will be reduced.

Be careful not to damage the end of the axle, if its a thin wall alloy tube you can deform it. You do get stepped drifts for axle removal.

Tapping wont move it (unless you heat it).

Its a proper whack to drive it out as the bearing is a press fit in the hub shell.

Big hex in one end usually means the axle assembly/end cap will unscrew at one end to remove the axle.

Don’t they have a diagram on their website?

Thanks. No Allen key hole internally. No obvious circlips. Suspect more force required.

Is there a preferable axle end to tap? Would rather tap NDS as less chance of deforming.

There’s a 10mm? hex in the disc side, visible in your picture. I suspect it’s there for a reason!

here’s a 10mm? hex in the disc side

Suspect its to hold the axle while removing the freehub body.

Maybe put the cap back on the drive side to protect it before hitting it.

I agree with stu, big hex in axle allows the free hub side to be unscrewed – its all in the pictures.

If the axle doesn’t slide out as is, that means there are internal shoulders on it and it needs to be drifted out one side or the other – it will bring a bearing with it as it does so.

Soft faced mallet or block of wood to project the axle.

EDIT – in fact looking at the axle size, it looks like it will only drift out on the disc side.

Yes the axle is stepped which is why the axle is used to remove one bearing.

That makes sense. Only suggested as I had some old novatech that disassembled that way. Bitex also unthread for the axle to slide out.

Press it out? bit of stout threaded rod that fits down the middle, some washers, nuts, and a selection of big sockets and maybe rings cut out of sturdy plywood to support the hub shell on the other side.
get it set up correctly and then tighten down the nut.
Problem with hitting it is you could bend or ding it.

Thanks all, success with a modified headset press-like approach!