Removing Flanges from 3-Piece Campagnolo Gran Sport, FB Hubs

Ultra Detailed instructions and Photos Courtesy of Dave Hoag.

3-PIECE HUB SURGERY

TOOLS

Big vise: 5-inches wide x 6-inche opening (pix 1 and 2).  Most vises come with knurled, hardened jaws, suitable for rough work.  For bike parts, use soft aluminum or copper jaws.  I made some aluminum jaws at Vo-Tec night school.  You can buy copper guards to place over the knurled jaws.  If you don’t have a vise, you might consider an arbor press.
Saw
Drill
Hole saws, slightly larger than the belled ends of the axle barrel (1 for front hub, 1 for rear)
Sockets, sized to just fit inside axle hole of flanges
Make wooden blocks for pressing out barrel from flanges (pix 3 through 6), one for front hub, one for rear.  Made from 2 x 4’s.  Drill hole just large enough to pass the barrel end.  Saw slot just wide enough to pass barrel.
For late model bombe flanges, cut ¾-inch thick blocks with hole wide enough to cushion the bombe from the flange (pic 8).

1.    To remove flanges, place wooden block with socket and hub in vise jaws, and press out the barrel (pic 7).  Socket will push out the axle as the vise is tightened.

2.    Press first flange on the barrel with vise (lubricate the surfaces with Vaseline first).  If flange is the older flat model, no cushion block is needed.  Use cushion blocks if flange is bombe. 

3.    Align second flange on barrel by hand, ensuring that the spoke holes are perfectly staggered from one flange to the other.  Press on second flange with vise, using cushion blocks if necessary.

4.    Check that spoke holes are staggered.

5.    Roll hub on a table.  If flanges do not roll straight, remove and reinstall.