Caring for your Rohloff hub
The gears of the Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 run in an oil bath, sealed against dirt and moisture. The hub needs very little care; what it does need is described here.
Cleaning
Section titled “Cleaning”- Clean the hub with water only, without pressure, and a mild cleaning agent.
- Never use a pressure washer, a steam cleaner or a hard jet of water. Water can get through the seals into the hub.
- Do not clean the area around the shaft seals with brushes, toothbrushes, pipe cleaners, cotton cloths or rags. This can push dirt particles under the seals, lift the sealing lip and cause more leakage.
- A light film of oil around the shaft seals is completely normal; see Oil traces on my Rohloff hub.
For the rest of the bike, see our general cleaning guide. Around the Rohloff hub’s seals, the rules above take precedence: no brushes there.
What you check yourself
Section titled “What you check yourself”- Shifter play: about 2–5 mm of rotational play at the twist grip. How to adjust it: Twist shifter: play, gear marks and grip rubber.
- Housing cover screws: with a disc brake, make sure before every ride that all housing cover screws are tight.
- Belt: see Belt care and inspection.
- The full list of regular checks is in Riding with your Rohloff.
The service
Section titled “The service”- Oil change: at least once a year or every 5000 km. You can do it yourself or have it done by our workshop; see Rohloff oil change.
- Cable box: the cable box on the hub is removed and cleaned, and the inside of its cable drum is lightly greased. Ask our workshop how often your bike needs this.
- Spoke tension: checked at every service and set to about 1000 N, with the tyre fitted and at operating pressure. On hubs with a disc brake, uneven spoke tension increases the risk of spoke breakage.
- Wear parts: parts such as the sprocket, the shift cables, the grip rubber and the brake disc wear with use and are replaced when they reach their wear limit. What the warranty covers is explained in What does the warranty cover?
Tightening torques
Section titled “Tightening torques”These are Rohloff’s values for the parts on a Booda Rohloff bike. They are meant for your workshop, or for you if you have a torque wrench and the experience to use it.
| Part | Tool | Torque |
|---|---|---|
| A12 axle mounting screws (M7) | 5 mm Allen key | 15–20 Nm, alternately and in stages |
| Quick-release axle (quick-release hubs only) | – | hand-tight, max. 7 Nm |
| Axle plate screws (M4×25) | Torx TX20 | 3 Nm |
| Housing cover screws (M4×10) | Torx TX20 | 3 Nm |
| Cable box cover screws (M4×10) | Torx TX20 | 3 Nm |
| Twist shifter clamp bolts (M3×12) | Torx TX20 | 2 Nm |
| Cable drum screws (M4×4) | 2 mm Allen key | 1.5 Nm |
| Oil drain screw | 3 mm Allen key | 0.5 Nm, never deeper than flush with the housing |
| Brake disc screws (M8×0.75) | 5 mm Allen key | 10 Nm, dry: no grease, no thread-locker |
| Lock ring of the splined carrier | Rohloff lock ring tool | 30 Nm, flush with the carrier, no thread-locker |
Can I clean my Rohloff hub with a pressure washer?
No. A pressure washer, a steam cleaner or a hard jet of water can force water through the seals into the hub. Use only water without pressure and a mild cleaning agent. If you suspect that water has got in, have the oil changed.