There is a way to change these bearings using an automotive style bearing press and several homade tools. Plus two people. Also the axel shaft needs to be pressed both in and out very carefully during dissassembly and reassembly. Reassembly is very hard but patience is a virture. (wheel bearings are worse) Bearings are available at any bearing warhouse. A vice may be better but a bearing press (larger to acomadate frame stays) is more precise. Also you have to have a pipe support or round cylinder that is a few inches high. (cylinder protects rear stays from being bent) Press out axel first this can be done with the press then a deep dish socket or round bar. After that you can remove bearings with either punch or press. Installing bearings are easy with BB on round cylinder or raised block, use a flat piece of metal on top of bearing so entire bearing is being pressed in uniformally. After both sides of bearings are in then the tricky part begins. You need a piece of metal or wood flat with a hole drilled in it in just slightly larger then the axel to support both inner and outer metal bearing edges, place that under the bearing and press axel through. You may have to do one bearing at a time because any side pressure on the bearing makes the bearing hang up. So one bearing press axel in then flip and press in next bearing with flat metal with hole while axel is in place. No matter how careful I have been with this process I have never been happy and just go to KKV and have the master thread me Italian threads now. It is very nice having such a talented frame builder close by.
Mike Larsen
St. Paul, MN
USA