Overhauling Rear Mini Hubs

Ok, take a hub bearing (E) and a hub shim (G) and slide them on the non-drive side of the centre axle (F).

Slide the axle assembly into the hub shell (I) from the non-drive side.

In order, slide the hub shim (G), a hub bearing (E), 2 driver shims (H), and the driver (J) onto the drive side of the axle, and make sure that you’ve slid everything as far onto the axle and into the hub shell as it will go.

Next, take your 3/8 axle bolts (A), and slide a washer assembly (B) on each of them, and then the non-drive side cone spacer (C) on one, and then the drive side cone spacer (D) on the other. Then, thread them into the axle and start tightening them down.

You might want to tighten one side into a dropout, and then gently tighten the other side down. Keep an eye on the driver, and keep rotating the driver as you’re tightening. Eventually, it will probably stick. Stop tightening the bolts.

What you’ll need to do is use a small screwdriver to compress the driver’s pawls so that you can tighten the bolts all the way and press the bearings all the way in. There are four pawls on the driver. Push down on each one whilst applying pressure on the driver in the direction you’ve been tightening the hub. Again, be patient and gentle at this stage. Push the pawls down, tighten a little, and try to spin the driver. If it spins freely, you’re in business, if it’s stiff or it won’t hardly move, then you’ll need to press the pawls down until you get free rotation out of the driver, and then tighten the bolts some more. You might have to repeat this a couple of times. If you get frustrated, take a break, it’s a two-hundred-pound hub, not a baseball, so you don’t want to throw it. Or damage it by over tightening it and crushing a pawl into the hub shell.

Once you’ve got the driver pressed on correctly, continue to tighten the bolts down until the bearings are pressed in all the way and the hub is back in one piece. Re-install it on your bike, and take a ride on a nice smooth hub. The 14mm axle instructions are, not surprisingly, pretty similar to the 3/8.

A. Locknut (1 or 2) (about a month ago [5/1/7], we began shipping redesigned axles with one normal locknut on the non-drive side, a narrower cone spacer, and a one-piece locknut/spacer on the drive side. If your hub has 2 identical locknuts, a wider cone spacer, and a separate drive-side spacer, then you have the old style.) • B. Cone Spacer• C. 14mm axle• D. Hub Bearings (2) • E. Hub Shims (2) • F. Hub Shell• G. Driver Shims (2) • H. Driver • I. Drive side Locknut/Spacer

Slide a hub shim (E.) and a hub bearing (D.) in that order onto the non-drive side of the axle (C.)

Slide the axle assemble into the non-drive side of the hub shell (F.) and slide the non-drive cone spacer (B.), and then thread the non-drive side locknut (A.) onto the axle.

In this order, slide a hub shim (E.), a hub bearing (D.), the two driver shims (G.), the driver, and then either thread in the drive side lock nut/spacer, or slide on the drive side spacer and thread on the lock nut, as your hub requires.

Snug the locknuts down so they are finger tight against the cone spacer on the non-drive side, and the driver on the drive side. You’re going to need either two wrenches, or a frame dropout, for this next step, because you will slowly tighten each side down, making sure the axle and bearings are straight in the hub, and the bearings are going in smoothly. Again, watch out and make sure that you’re not crushing the driver pawls against the side of the hub. The best way to make sure that you’re not doing this is to rotate the driver as you’re tightening everything down.

You may come to a point where the driver won’t spin - stop tightening, and use a small screwdriver to press the pawls down towards the axle itself, all the while pressing the driver towards the hub body. Once you get the pawls out of the way, continue tightening the locknuts down until the bearings are fully seated, and the driver is back in place.

Make sure that the non-drive side cone spacer is sitting more or less flush with the hub shell. The hub shouldn’t have any side to side play in it, and it should rotate smoothly. If it does not, hit one of the axle ends sharply one time, this will help the bearings to properly sit if they are not already. Remember, if you have any questions, you can call or email us.