Freewheel / Hub replacement help please.

big_southern_jesse

Out on the ride on Sunday, I noticed that every now and then the cranks spun smoothly forward whilst pedalling before catching, same as that little bit you get after freewheeling and then starting to pedal. With a bit of careful observation and a mini bike clinic whilst one of the others repaired a puncture, this has been identified as a slipping or worn freewheel.
I've also searched back through this forum, and found it's similar to various other posts. So I've read Park tools and Sheldon, and taken the thing apart ready to have a look whether it just needs a good clean and regrease or a new part.

However, I've got so far along and can now see no way further to take the thing apart.
The bike is a '99 giant ATX 840, entry level type thing, about £450 then. The groupset is a range or shimano and sram, up to 5.0 stuff, but some much more basic. I'm thinking that this is a basic hub and I need to replace the whiole thing, so I'm hoping someone here will prove me wrong. There's a couple of photos which will hopefully show the detail.





Any ideas or suggestions would be fantastic, I'm hoping to be out for a first night ride tomorrow, so got to get it sorted. So suggestions for what to buy for a new replacement would be great too.

Thanks all, Jess.

supersonic

You might be able to replace just the freewheel unit - many are attatched with a 10mm allen bolt - slide it into the body and try and locate it. They can be servicable but its fiddly. What make of hub is it? Looking at Sheldons site, can you identify what sort of free hub it, ie shimano compatible, and a compact or non compact unit? May be as unscrewing and fitting another! 7spd are different form 8/9 too.

big_southern_jesse

Cheers sonic, it's an 8 speed hub. It seems to be perfectly cylindrical through the centre, no hex shape at all. As far as I can tell from Sheldon it is a hyperglide compaxt body.

I'll just have another quick check down in the workshop... - Back in 5!

big_southern_jesse

Okay, numpty boy returns! Clearing away all the muck, and having a check from the reverse side, there is a hex fitting for an allen key. Tried it with a 10mm but was still too small, so willl have to find a larger allen key, or a nomal bolt head to fit. Might be busy with the grinder tomorrow to make the right tool!

. There's been virtually no crap but a little dust in the hub so far, so guess there's even less inside the free wheel. So if it's slipping I imagine that's almost certainly down to wear, which I guess means a replacement. any suggestions? It is a shimano unit.

supersonic

I'm suprised the 10mm doesnt remove it, it being a Shimano. XT freehubs can be got quite cheaply.

big_southern_jesse

supersonic wrote:

I'm suprised the 10mm doesnt remove it, it being a Shimano.

Sorry, silly question, but to what does the 10mm refer to? The size of the allen key used, or the diameter of the bolt that it would fit?

I have an allen key that is 10mm across the faces, so identical size to a 10mm spanner. Is this what you would describe as a 10mm allen key? 'cos that is the one that is too small to do fit. I guess it need to be 12mm across the faces.

Thanks for the help, Jess.

Bikedevil

it'll be 11mm, the only place you'll really get an 11mm hex is online

nicklouse

but as 11mm is the same as 7/16" you can get them anywhere.

big_southern_jesse

Bikedevil wrote:

it'll be 11mm, the only place you'll really get an 11mm hex is online

Probably be easier to make one I think, certainly quicker.

Arse, more to do before I get going again :evil:

big_southern_jesse

Well, the lock ring that holds the sprockets on is shimano, everything else on the hub and freewheel is completely unbranded so no idea where it's from.

It's definitely a 12 mm hex to undo the freewheel. Which are fairly difficult to find.

I'm now worried that a shimano freehub won't fit in it's place when I finally get this one off...

Is this a good time to replace the whole hub, upgrading to one that can take a disc for when I upgrade to a rear disc brake?

I don't see that I should have much problem building a wheel from scratch, any other problems / things to consider if I go down this route?

nicklouse

the lock ring is not relavant to the body or the hub.

and it does not look like a shimano hub. LBS time for identification.

ride_whenever

Just out of interest, reading the comments above, will an xt freehub fit on other shimano hubs? I have deore hubs on my single speed and fairly regularly knacker the freehub due to my manly gearing and huge legs, but the lbs said that the deore freehubs cost the same as a new hub so they usually just re-build the wheel instead. If an xt freehub'll fit that'd be ace.

nicklouse

they rebulid the wheels. great way to get the customer to spend more money than needed. Buy hub and swap the body and the bearinga and cones and axel. easier and cheaper.

XT might might not and is not worth it due to the different bearing finishes.

ride_whenever

I understand, sort of, I know they are ripping me off, but then most of the time i don't pay for the labour with them so it works out nice and cheap anyway. Are you saying I should keep the same hub laced in and swap out the remaining parts?

big_southern_jesse

Okay, next quesion:

How much force should it take to undo this freehub? I've just clamped the allen key to the work bench, and then rotated the wheel, so I had nice controlled grip and some reasonable leverage.

The result: I could feel the wheel twisting in my hands before eventually stripping the corners from the allen key and being left with a section of round bar! :evil:

Any more ideas, or do I just replace the hub? Certainly not going cycling anytime soon....

ride_whenever

New, (and better hub), relaced with better spokes.

Sapim CX-rays would be uber-pimped...

nicklouse

Big Southern Jesse wrote:

Okay, next quesion:

How much force should it take to undo this freehub? I've just clamped the allen key to the work bench, and then rotated the wheel, so I had nice controlled grip and some reasonable leverage.

The result: I could feel the wheel twisting in my hands before eventually stripping the corners from the allen key and being left with a section of round bar! :evil:

Any more ideas, or do I just replace the hub? Certainly not going cycling anytime soon....

Lots of force.

big_southern_jesse

I take it that the inner part unscrews in the conventional direction when viewed from the cassette side of the wheel? Hope so..... :oops:

nicklouse

well it all depends on what the make of the hub is.

Some have other bits that need removing first.

WHAT IS THE HUB?

big_southern_jesse

The hub has absolutely no markings on it. Whole thing dates from 9 years ago now, so guess it's all a bit out of date to find specs on it now.

The hub and rim have no markings, the sprockets have the code "an-ao-15T XD4" on them. Numbers change for number of teeth, and to XD1. The lock ring is shimano.

Thanks for all the help so far, Nick. It's all a bit of a sod now!

nicklouse

ok what was the wheel off?

it may just unscrew from the out side normal thread or there may be a bolt to undo first on the inside again normal thread and then undo the outside.

As you will need to source the correct freebody i would be taking it into the LBS and get them to ID it and order the body in.