Ideas for a tool for DT Swiss 350 15mm end caps removal?

[musiclover]

Hi,

I have ran into a problem of removing my end caps on a DT Swiss 350 15mm hub.

The design pictured below



They are definitely not removable and not installable by hand!

When I first started digging into a problem DT Swiss recommends putting them into a vice and pulling... Apart from not having the vice, and a set of "soft jaws" I think it is a barbaric way to do it anyway.

Same with a set of big pliers - I even tried that, ended up scratching the hell out of the end caps even through the rag and not removing them!

I managed to do it by pulling it with a plastic tyre lever by inserting it into the small gap between the bearing and the cap (there is a minimal free play there...).

I have since constructed a press to put them back together slowly and evenly.

But I am still scratching my head on how to pull it out gently and evenly!.. Unfortunately, there is a not a lot of space behind it to use pullers.

This could work https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001 ... 2e0eeEEJKx

But it is a bit wasteful to buy a set like that only for that narrow purpose. Any ideas please?..

[F10]

Softjaw vice is totally fine. I trap mine in my wooden workmate. Not barbaric at all - you hardly need any clamping force and as you're applying a uniform pull force it's way better than trying to jam something in a gap and apply a bending moment...

[musiclover]

Softjaw vice is totally fine. I trap mine in my wooden workmate. Not barbaric at all - you hardly need any clamping force and as you're applying a uniform pull force it's way better than trying to jam something in a gap and apply a bending moment...

Uniform force? You can guarantee that your hands pulling the wheel are doing this simultaneously and in one direction, exactly opposite of the vice? With such fine motor skills you probably don't need a torque wrench, you just feel the effort? The vice clamping force is just enough to hold it in place but not enough to deform or otherwise damage the cap in just two pressure points?

Nah, I am not jamming it in a vice and ripping it open like Samson did with the lion...

I agree that my tyre lever method sucks, but I do not want to choose one method that sucks a bit less than the other, just want to do it properly.

Thanks for participation though.

[Cleaner]

You definitely do not need a bearing puller to remove the end caps. When I encounter these that do not pull off by hand I use a wooden or plastic dowel passed through the axle opening to the back side of the cap and lightly tap it with a soft head hammer. This has always worked.

I have also used soft jaw Knipex pliers to remove them.
https://www.amazon.com/Knipex-Tools-Pip ... 4627&psc=1

[ms6073]

I have ran into a problem of removing my end caps on a DT Swiss 350 15mm hub.
The design pictured below

Or you could just lay your hands on the Park Tool AV-5 Axle & Spindle Vise Insert tool. I have this and it has never failed to make short work of removing DT Swiss thru-axle end caps for both 240 and 350 hubs.

[F10]

Softjaw vice is totally fine. I trap mine in my wooden workmate. Not barbaric at all - you hardly need any clamping force and as you're applying a uniform pull force it's way better than trying to jam something in a gap and apply a bending moment...

Uniform force? You can guarantee that your hands pulling the wheel are doing this simultaneously and in one direction, exactly opposite of the vice? With such fine motor skills you probably don't need a torque wrench, you just feel the effort? The vice clamping force is just enough to hold it in place but not enough to deform or otherwise damage the cap in just two pressure points?

Nah, I am not jamming it in a vice and ripping it open like Samson did with the lion...

I agree that my tyre lever method sucks, but I do not want to choose one method that sucks a bit less than the other, just want to do it properly.

Thanks for participation though.

Yeah actually - given the diameter of a 700c wheel you're actually pretty much guaranteed to be pulling it totally axially, otherwise your hands would be wobbling around all over the place.

But listen - sounds like you just need to go your own way on this one. Ignore me, ignore the manufacturer, and keep going with the pliers and tyre levers

[kervelo]

The 350/370 end caps can be removed using the special DT Swiss tool. See the instructions in video:
https://youtu.be/MtVz7yvPdCE

The tool:
https://r2-bike.com/DT-SWISS-Tool-Kit-S ... hubs-15-mm

Does anyone know if there are good 3rd party tool alternatives?

[spartacus]

There's a tool hat's basically a dowel, but I use a vice and soft jaws.

[K4m1k4z3]

The tool:
https://r2-bike.com/DT-SWISS-Tool-Kit-S ... hubs-15-mm

Does anyone know if there are good 3rd party tool alternatives?

UNIOR HUB GENIE
https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1758-4-hub-genie

[kervelo]

UNIOR HUB GENIE
https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1758-4-hub-genie

The Unior tool looks handy, thanks.

Any ideas for a tool reinstalling the caps with the lock rings? Some DT Swiss end caps seem to have lock rings that keep the end caps in place (see the first image in this thread). According to the installation video it seems that it could perhaps be possible to use a socket or similar to push them in.

[RadB]

They aren't really lock rings, they keep the end caps captive. Anything that fits will work, a socket is the most common thing, tap tap tap.

[kervelo]

Thanks for the ideas. I have now changed the end caps of my winter MTB wheels. The original end caps were easy to remove using a 15 mm thru axle, used it just like the special tool is used in the DT Swiss instructions. The new end caps (with the lock rings) were easy to press/tap using a " DIY special tool" made of a suitable sized plastic tube.