What makes Chris King products "lifetime" items is not just their outstanding durability or lifetime warranty. The primary reason is their design philosophy, which allows them to be disassembled, serviced, and regenerated by your own hands.
Because they can be disassembled, you can grasp their condition and attend to the specific areas that need it, when they need it. As a result, their lifespan is extended, and your attachment to them grows.
In this post, our staff member Dar-chan will perform a full overhaul on a customer's Chris King hub. We will introduce the actual work procedure with photos while explaining the features of Chris King products.
Overhaul Process
1. Pre-disassembly Check
Remove the wheel from the bicycle and rotate the hub axle to check for play (wobble), roughness in rotation, or abnormal noise.
If there is rotational resistance, it is a sign that the preload (bearing adjustment) is too tight or the grease has deteriorated.
2. Hub Disassembly: Removing the Axle and Freehub Body
Except for press-fit bearings, disassembly can be performed with hex or Torx wrenches. Remove the end caps, loosen the adjusting clamp, and pull out the axle. Keep small O-rings and seals arranged in the order they were removed.
3. Removing Bearings with Specialized Tools
Bearings press-fit into the front and rear hub shells are removed using the Hub Service Tool. This is the first highlight. Insert the tool correctly along the jig guide and use a hammer to tap and push the bearing out. Since it is a purpose-built tool, you can remove them without damaging the hub shell or the bearings.
4. Disassembling Sealed Bearings
Even though Chris King uses sealed bearings, they are structured with serviceability in mind. A major feature is that bearings, which are generally considered "disposable," can be regenerated through cleaning and re-greasing.
This "disassembleable and regenerable sealed bearing" is exactly where Chris King's design philosophy is embodied. We will explain this in more detail later.
5. Cleaning and Re-greasing
Each part has a specific position and orientation. Line them up on a tray or rag in the order they were removed to use as a reference for reassembly.
As a basic rule, clean metal parts with degreaser, and wash rubber/seals—which are prone to damage—separately with a neutral detergent (avoid soaking them in solvents for long periods). Use a toothbrush or similar to remove grime and let them dry.
The heart of the hub, the RingDrive (the drive ring and drive shell teeth), should be cleaned thoroughly. When reassembling, apply Ring Drive 2.0 until the "valleys" of the teeth are no longer visible. (Do not mix with other types of grease, as this can cause resistance or abnormal noise.)
For the interior of the bearings, use Silver Grease, which is specifically for bearings. (A good guideline is to fill 1/2 of the circumference for stainless bearings and 1/4 for ceramic bearings.)
6. Re-press and Assembly
Use the specialized tool again to press the bearings back into place.
For the preload adjustment clamp, the basic rule is "tighten until you feel resistance, then back it off slightly." Then secure it with the lock bolt.
Note that when you mount the wheel to the bike using a QR or thru-axle, the axle is slightly compressed and the preload will change. After mounting the wheel, shake it from side to side for a final check to ensure there is no play.
Why Chris King Bearings Are Special
Angular Contact Structure
Unlike typical radial bearings, Chris King uses angular contact bearings. They handle both radial and thrust loads simultaneously, achieving both lateral stiffness and durability. Since the contact surfaces are less likely to shift during hard standing efforts or disc braking, this structure makes it easier to maintain smooth rotation while suppressing the occurrence of play.
A Design Philosophy That Improves with Use
As you ride, the surface of the bearing race becomes polished (burnished), smoothing out microscopic irregularities and reducing friction. The design aims for a "paradox" where units that have been ridden for thousands of kilometers spin more smoothly than brand-new ones.
Because of this property, an initial break-in period occurs. Performing a slight adjustment (re-evaluating the preload) allows the benefits to stay stable for longer.
Maintainability and Sustainability
Since they can be regenerated by cleaning and re-greasing, the basic consumables are only grease (RingDrive/bearing) and minimal seals. A structure based on rebuilding rather than disposal leads not only to cost-effectiveness but also to reduced environmental impact.
The Joy of Nurturing a Lifetime Item
Chris King hubs are not just bicycle parts; they are "tools to be nurtured."
These are rare components whose performance is maintained through annual maintenance, and actually get better and better the more you ride them.
Whether you service them yourself or leave it to a trusted shop, that is up to you.
In your own style, let's make your hub a "thing that spins forever."
Of course, Circles also offers CHRIS KING overhaul services.
