Replacing the gear unit

The SPEEDHUB’s 14-speed gear unit comes out of the hub shell as one piece, so it can be replaced without rebuilding the wheel. Beyond that the gearbox must not be dismantled — doing so voids the warranty. We suggest leaving the job to us: book an appointment.

You need: sprocket remover and chain whip, a TX20 key, a plastic mallet, nine drive pins, a new shell gasket and 12.5 ml of Rohloff SPEEDHUB OIL.

Removal

1. Flush and drain the oil (Oil change). Leave the oil drain screw out.

2. Remove the sprocket (Sprocket: turning, replacing, splined) — always secure the remover with the quick release or axle nut, or the driver can be damaged. Take off the sprocket, quick release or axle nuts, and the remover.

3. Unscrew the eight shell screws (M4×10, TX20).

   

4. Pull the gear unit out of the shell. If it sticks, tap the sprocket-side axle end lightly with a plastic mallet. Careful: residual oil can run out. Put the unit aside and wipe the remaining oil out of the shell.

   

Refitting

1. Lightly grease the bearing seat (A) and the driver’s sprocket thread (B).

   

2. Slide the new shell gasket over the cover’s centring collar — lightly greased it goes on more easily — and line up the screw holes.

3. Put the nine drive pins (C) into the recesses (D) with a little grease. They carry the force from the gearbox to the hub shell.

   

4. Holding the unit by the cover flange, push it fully into the shell. It only goes all the way when the pins line up with the shell’s recesses: pressing gently, turn the driver forwards until it slides home.

   

5. Line up the cover and gasket with the shell’s screw holes and tighten the shell screws crosswise (M4×10, TX20, 3 Nm).

6. Screw the sprocket on and tighten it to the stop with the chain whip.

Checks

• Free-running sprocket. Turned backwards, the sprocket should spin with no resistance. The sprocket-side shell bearing is a floating bearing and can be slightly preloaded by the new unit’s length. One firm blow with a plastic mallet on each axle end — once on the sprocket side, once on the axle-ring side — seats it (pictures: Sprocket: turning, replacing, splined).

• Gap between sprocket and shaft seal. At least 0.3 mm must be visible. If it is less, unscrew the sprocket, press the seal fully home with the Rohloff shaft seal tool, and refit the sprocket with a little grease.

  

• Oil. Fill with 12.5 ml of Rohloff SPEEDHUB OIL (Oil change) and refit the drain screw (3 mm Allen, 0.5 Nm).

Caution

Screw the oil drain screw in no further than flush with the shell — deeper, it can cause freewheeling in several gears.