How to remove the axle
1. Remove the rear wheels.
2. Remove the two circlips from the ends of the axle and remove both rear hubs.
3. Remove the sprocket carrier. If it is tight, you may need to remove the sprocket from the sprocket carrier and remove the large caphead bolt from the sprocket carrier. It is then possible to tap a flat bladed screwdriver into the slot on the sprocket carrier to help open it up slightly, allowing it to slide off the axle.
4. Remove the keyways.
5. For the brake disc, it is the same type of process as the sprocket carrier. However, there is no need to fully remove the bolts holding the brake disc to the carrier — simply loosening them slightly is sufficient. Whilst it can't be removed from the axle yet, it is important to loosen this now to allow the axle to slide out.
6. Remove all the grub screws.
7. It is helpful to first lubricate the axle with a spray such as WD40 or GT85. Next, starting from the brake side, tap the end of the axle with a mallet or hammer, being careful not to damage the edge of the axle. Once the axle keyway has cleared the brake disc carrier, this needs to be removed before the axle can pass through the axle bearings.
8. Sometimes it is helpful if someone pulls and holds the brake pedal to keep the brake on. The final step is to simply tap the axle all the way out — depending on the condition of the axle, it may even be possible to pull it out by hand once it has started sliding.
Important tip: ensure the brake disc does not fall on the floor when the brake is released, as it could be damaged.
How to remove axle bearings
To remove the axle bearings, you will first need to remove the rear axle.
Loosen the bolts in the top of the axle bearing carriers. Then, using one end of the rear axle, insert it back into the bearing so that it doesn't protrude through the other side. Using the rear axle as a lever, turn the axle bearing upwards or downwards until it releases and begins to move within the bearing hanger (an initial noise is common during this part of the process).
The aim is to rotate the bearing 90 degrees in total, so that it is horizontal in the bearing carrier. The rear axle will foul at some stage on the bearing carrier or frame itself, so remove it when this happens and complete the rest by hand. Once in a horizontal position, the bearing should simply slide out of the carrier.
It is good practice to then clean both the bearing and the inside of the bearing carrier, and check both for any signs of damage.
The rear hubs won't slide over the keyway — what do I do?
This could be for two reasons: either the axle keyway is not completely in its groove, or the keyway itself is too thick.
If the keyway is not fully seated, ensure it is fitted level and straight — it may require a light tap from a hammer or mallet to force it all the way into the groove.
If you are sure the keyway is fully inserted into the groove, it could be that the axle keyway is too thick. If you believe this to be the case, it is likely to need filing down to reduce its thickness until the rear hub will fit over it. If you are unsure, contact jake@espireeducation.co.uk for support.
Wheel spacer adjustment
There are only spacers for the front wheels. To adjust the front wheel spacers:
1. Remove the large 22mm nut from the front wheel.
2. Slide the front wheel off the stub axle, taking care not to drop the wheel spacers located on the outer side of the wheel.
3. Remove or add the required spacers to the stub axle, depending on your desired wheel width.
4. Slide the wheel back onto the stub axle.
5. Slide the remaining wheel spacers onto the stub axle, checking to ensure all the bare stub axle spindle is covered by spacers up to the thread.
6. Fit and tighten the nut all the way, then slightly loosen the nut until the wheel spacers can rotate freely, to ensure the wheel bearings don't overheat and get damaged whilst in use (this can happen if the front wheels are fitted too tight).