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Link: Gromada Hub Repair / Disassembly

I recently obtained some Gromada hubs from a former Portland area messenger. He said he knew the Polish man who made them and that he purchased them from him in Dublin last year. They were laced up with DT Comps to Velocity Aero rims, a pretty nice setup. At the price he was asking I could not resist.

The hubs go for around 230 EURO, and I could just tell from the finish and construction that these hubs were a cut above the rest. I have not been disappointed yet, and the only setback has been the lack of information about these hubs online. Understandably few people in the city even know what they are, and less will touch them with tools. But I needed to know. I also needed to change the bearing cartridges.

I emailed “Gromada” and recieved this response:

Hi Max,
Thanks for email
I send you instruction change the bearings.
Best
-Gromada

Replacement of bearings in the hub
Prop the hub against something hard in such a way that it leans against the flange, not a fixing screw. Be careful to use the object with no sharp edges, otherwise the flange may get dented or scratched.
If the hub is fixed/anchored in the wheel, you may put it on your tights/knees. Then you have to unscrew halfway one of the screws ( the one on the top) that fix the hub in the fork. Then –tap the screw with a hammer until the bearing on the other side begins to come out. From the shell/body the whole axle with the bearing will slip out. You have to unscrew halfway the fixing nut/screw on the side of the bearing. Then grip the axle together with the bearing in a vice (the axle should be loose) and by hammering the nut/screw knock  the axle out of the bearing. With a long hard tool knock/tap the other bearing out of the hub body.
These are a standard size bearings so they should be easily available.
The operation of inserting the bearings requires much more precision.
Grease those places of the axle where the bearings are to be inserted. Do the same inside the hub body. Put the axle into the hub body and afterwards place carefully the bearings upon the axle ends. Put the serrated covers on the axle and turn the fixing screws. Between  the cover and the screw place a fork spanner or another tool and slowly screw the hub together as if fixing it in the frame. Be careful to keep the bearings straight, preventing them from going askew. If they have been placed perpendicularly on the axle and screwed slowly, there shouldn’t be any problem.
If you have any doubts, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Best wishes and regards.

Although “Gromada” has some confusing translation issues, I think the guide is pretty clear. However I, of course, recieved this after my impatience kicked in. The second night these hubs were in my possession, my curiousity and the six-pack I drank finally got to me. Luckily, I didn’t harm the hubs and everything came out smoothly.

Check out the photos of the dissasmbled hubs here.

I’ll try to write a photo guide to their repair / dissassembly / reassembly in the next couple of weeks.