Zipp 303 2016 188 Hub Maintenance and Play

Conductor71
Conductor71 Posts: 3
edited August 2016 in Workshop
Hi,

I've started to get a bit of play in my rear 2016 Zipp 303. I like to do most of my own maintenance and on previous wheelsets (Fulcrum & Vision) eradicating play was as simple as a slight tighten of the hub end caps. However the new Zipp 188 hub has end caps that simply press on and cover the axle and press fit bearings. A quick read of Zipp manuals make it seem that both a bearing removal tool and a bearing press will be required to do significant maintenance. They also make it seem that there is no real way to tighten the assembly to remove play.
Has anyone found a way of easily maintaining the hub without specialist tools? And has anyone found a quick and easy way of removing play in the hub? Or is this one for my trusty LBS?

Thanks

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    generally you don't need a bearing removal tool, as if the bearing is shot, you can simply knock it out. You might need a press, but you can build a simple one with a threaded rod. If play is down to the bearing, they should feel very rough when you spin the axle by hand. If unsure what to do, leave it to the LBS
    left the forum March 2023
  • Conductor71
    Conductor71 Posts: 3
    Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that any play could only really be down to play within the bearing. I was getting a rough, gritty spin on the wheel recently so I popped the end caps off and applied some light grease to the outside of the bearings. This seems to have resulted in a very smooth, free running hub. But one that has play in it. Might be one for the LBS indeed.
    Cheers
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    Unless you're doing massive mileage, there shouldn't be any play in a 2016 set of wheels.

    If I were you I would make sure that Zipp treat this as a warranty claim.

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