CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

The not-so-free 'freehub'

(5 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by Mandopicker101
  • Latest reply from Cycle Service
  • This topic is resolved

  1. Mandopicker101
    Member

    Before doing anything potentially harmful, I thought I'd canvass opinion from the CCE hivemind.

    I have a problem with my rear wheel, a Mach 1 CFX that's about 1 year old. I got this purely because LBS swapped my other rear wheel (Mach1 Omega) as a warranty failure. The wheel is fitted with a fairly new 9 speed cassette on it. I cleaned the drivetrain last night and pay it regular attention.

    The problem I'm having is that this morning I don't seem to be able to freewheel. Bike rides smoothly, shifts nicely, no grindy-grindy noises. However, stop pedalling and I'm getting a ton of chain-suck.

    I nipped into a bike shop near work and he reckoned the freehub pawls are clogged with grime etc and blasting it with PTFE lube might work. Otherwise its disassembly time (and as I lack the tools, this might be tricky). He duly squirted a good blast of lube into the cassette and it improved (a little).

    However....having previously read here that PTFE Lubricants = Death (to bicycle parts), I thought that for once it might be worth pausing for thought before doing anything rash.

    Grateful for advice...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. steveo
    Member

    When my trek freehub died I tried using car engine oil to replace the gunk and act as as lube but it did't really work. In the end the LBS ordered me a replacement.

    Shimano Freehubs are cheap and easy to replace so they don't bother with any maintenance regime, I expect most manufacturers have a similar perspective. See if you can get a replacement quickly, might be worth checking if its shimano compatible.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Many winters ago I temporarily rescued a Shimano Deore LX freehub by removing the cassette and gently heating the rotor body (and thus the grease inside) with a blowtorch. But yes, they're relatively easily replaceable if you remove the axle and then remove the 10mm fixing bolt (standard right-hand thread).

    Ease of disassembly is why I like Hope freehubs. Pull off the right-hand axle spacer, and crack the rotor body off the hub body complete with pawls. No tools needed.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. Mandopicker101
    Member

    All - thanks for your advice.

    If not solved, the problem is apparently much lessened.

    I mounted up at lunchtime ready to gingerly ride my new '9-speed fixie'...but the freehub seemed to have regained its liberty again and was behaving. Mostly. By the time I rode home, it was about 90% fine.

    I've just spent half an hour cleaning the rear wheel and cassette, removing a fair old amount of accumulated muck I missed in the gloom last night. It now looks pretty shiny and spins well.

    I'm going to run it by the LBS - failure within a year doesn't seem great.

    Trip to LBS is on the cards as my previous Mach 1 rear wheel had freehub problems...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. Cycle Service
    Member

    Worth noting that if the wheel's been sat inactive for a while it might sort itself out with use. Grease and gunk in the freehub seems to solidify sometimes while it's sat then free off with movement.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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