Can one go into these bearing places and just ask for a couple of bearings, or will the staff just laugh at you? I always assume you'd need to buy loads for some reason.

Doesn't matter, I've had them order a single bearing for me that they didn't have in stock.

That's good to know thanks.

If you don't have any luck with an 11mm allen key, I've got one and live near Scienceworld. As they are rare, I won't let it out of my sight but you are welcome to use it just to crank the freehub body off.

good luck with that boys. i had to replace a formula freehub once - took putting the allen key (which dunbar cycles has, fyi) in a vice and 3 off us reefing on the wheel to get it to budge

Got freehub off and all bearings extracted thanks to a guy i know with an automotive shop some looked like they were soaking in the ocean rusty and pitted .got it all off with 19 mm and 17mm wrench did not need the 11mm allen .My boy did it all in ten minutes with his snap on bearing puller kit
so bearings are ordered and should cost me 63 bucks for 3 wheels with tax .So happy my wheels will not have lateral play anymore.

BC Bearing Engineers are now part of Motion Industries.

http://www.motionindustries.com/motion3/jsp/mii/LocationsMI.jsp