How often should I grease and repack my hubs and bottom bracket?

Asked by: Reggie Dowling

A standard like “change your oil every 3000 miles” doesn’t exist as far as I know, although here is a suggested one. I ride about 3,000-4,000 miles a year and my rule of thumb is to do the hubs every 300 – 500 miles or so, and the bottom bracket twice a year.

How often should I repack my bottom bracket?

Around the three month mark is normally enough time, even in the best conditions for dirt to work its way into the small gaps and contact points around the crankset and bottom bracket area. In the summer in SoCal, I probably do it more like every four weeks of solid riding on a bike.

How often should you grease bike hubs?

Clean and lube the chain (every couple of weeks). After every 10-20 hours of riding: check that all components are moving freely but without play. Check brake pads for wear.

How often should you grease bike bearings?

Most people don’t realize this, but your bike needs maintenance. Your axle bearings needs to be cleaned and repacked with grease every 500 miles (100 on a mountain bike). This instructable shows how to repack your axle bearings and install a new freewheel body (if you need one).

Should I grease my bottom bracket?

In the case of the bottom bracket, you will use the grease when you install it, whether it is threaded, press fit or similar, and in the same way when you install or clean the cranks. The point of contact of the cranks with the bottom bracket should be greased too.

How do I know if my hubs need repacking?

The more rain, and or mud that you ride in the more often you will need to repack your grease bearings. When they are freshly packed pay attention to how easily the wheels spin when you hold them off the road or the bike is upside down.

How long should bottom bracket bearings last?

As for a bottom bracket, on the low end, maybe 5000 miles. The basic Shimano one most people use (UN51/55/similar) can reasonably expect 10k+ miles. But sometimes you get unlucky and get a bottom bracket that lasts maybe 500 miles.

How long does bike grease last?

Dry chain lube typically has a lifespan of up to 100 miles. Wax chain lube should be reapplied every 50 to 100 miles. Wet chain lube can last well over 100 miles, and Finish Line’s Ceramic Wet Chain Lube can reportedly last even longer with a limit of 175 miles.

How long do bicycle bearings last?

How Often To Change Bike Wheel Bearings? Bike wheel bearings should be changed every 1 to 2 years, depending on their quality and riding habits. Assuming that they’re well-lubricated and properly maintained when needed, most ball bearing with steel races will stay in working condition for at least three to four years.

Can you put too much grease in a bearing?

Too much grease volume (overgreasing) in a bearing cavity will cause the rotating bearing elements to begin churning the grease, pushing it out of the way, resulting in energy loss and rising temperatures.

Can you put too much grease in a wheel bearing?

Too much grease volume (over greasing) in a bearing cavity will cause the rotating bearing elements to begin roiling the grease, pushing it out of the way, resulting in energy loss and increasing temperatures. This can result in accelerated wear of the rolling elements and then component failure.

Can you over grease a ZERK?

Use Just Enough: Don’t overfill when you grease Zerk fittings. Usually, three or four pumps of grease are enough and over-greasing a joint pushes grease out the aforementioned seals, which attracts dust, sand, and dirt. Contaminated grease can damage moving parts, so avoid having excess squish out the seals.

How often should front wheel bearings be repacked?

Most serviceable wheel bearings need maintenance every 25,000 to 30,000 miles, or during every brake service. But, the average life of a sealed wheel bearing and hub assembly is about 85,000 to 100,000 miles, without the opportunity for a technician to repack the bearings.

What happens if you over tighten wheel bearings?

Over-tightening can damage the lug nuts, wheels and hubs – and worse, result in a wheel-off situation.

When should I repack wheel bearings?

If you only go on a few short trips every year, some specifications recommend repacking your bearings once a year or every 2,000 miles, whichever comes first.

How do you know your bottom bracket needs replacing?

Quote from video: It's usually something that's not just down to noise. So if you can move your crank arm. Again you know slide it side to side and there is actually a bit of play.

How long does bike grease last?

Dry chain lube typically has a lifespan of up to 100 miles. Wax chain lube should be reapplied every 50 to 100 miles. Wet chain lube can last well over 100 miles, and Finish Line’s Ceramic Wet Chain Lube can reportedly last even longer with a limit of 175 miles.

How do you grease a sealed bottom bracket?

Quote from video: Film or grease on this surface. Against that dust.

How often should bike wheel bearings be replaced?

Normally, on a bike not left exposed to the elements 24/7, good-quality bike bearings should last 25-50,000 miles or so.

How long do hub bearings last?

about 85,000 to 100,000 miles

How Long Do Wheel Bearings Last? Although wheel bearings are engineered to last the entire lifespan of your vehicle, they can break and get worn out. Most wheel bearings last about 85,000 to 100,000 miles before they need to be replaced.

Should you replace both wheel hubs at the same time?

1 – If one is bad and one is good, replace the bad one and worry about the “good” one when it goes “bad”. 2 – Considering the age and mileage, if one is bad, the other isn’t far behind. Replace both while you’re at it to save time. Neither is a wrong way to look at it.