Freehub change question

ricktabor1

Ok so this is fairly embarrassing as I asked a question yesterday about changing a 7 speed freewheel to an 8 (the question was successfully answered). However, I removed the cassette tonight only to find that it is a freehub.

The question is this:

I'm doing a build and have an 8 speed cassette and shifters but my wheel is from an old mtb and has a 7 speed freehub. The hub is Shimano FH-HG50. Can i simply buy an 8 speed freehub and replace the old one, or do i have to buy a new hub and rebuild the wheel?

nicklouse

ricktabor1 wrote:

Ok so this is fairly embarrassing as I asked a question yesterday about changing a 7 speed freewheel to an 8 (the question was successfully answered). However, I removed the cassette tonight only to find that it is a freehub.

The question is this:

I'm doing a build and have an 8 speed cassette and shifters but my wheel is from an old mtb and has a 7 speed freehub. The hub is Shimano FH-HG50. Can i simply buy an 8 speed freehub and replace the old one, or do i have to buy a new hub and rebuild the wheel?

please read park tools or sheldon brown pages as you are contradicting your self.

do you have a cassette or do you have a freewheel?

ricktabor1

I may have worded the first part badly. I have a cassette. I have taken the 7 speed cassette off and want to put an 8 speed cassette on.

Can i replace the freehub body with an 8 speed one?

cooldad

http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html

ricktabor1

This is quite frustrating. I know the difference between a freewheel and a freehub.

Having removed the 7 speed cassette, can I remove the freehub body and put a different body on (like the one below)?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-freeh ... 53ee374aa5

The spacing on the wheel is 135mm and is going back onto the original 135mm mtb frame.

nicklouse

have you removed the spacer?

or lets put this a different way. what did the hub come off?

ricktabor1

The hub is still on the wheel that it was originally on, and the wheel (with hub) is going back on the original bike.

I can't fit the 8 speed cassette on to the freehub body that the 7 speed cassette came off. I haven't yet removed the spacer - i was just wondering if it would work ok with a different body before i went ahead and bought one.

nicklouse

ricktabor1 wrote:

The hub is still on the wheel that it was originally on, and the wheel (with hub) is going back on the original bike.

I can't fit the 8 speed cassette on to the freehub body that the 7 speed cassette came off. I haven't yet removed the spacer - i was just wondering if it would work ok with a different body before i went ahead and bought one.

so 7spd cassette with a 4.5mm spacer? it is a 8/9spd hub and body.

ricktabor1

Ok.
Sorry, there is no spacer. It seems to me that the body is only wide enough for a 7 speed cassette. There is space at the back of the freehub body that the cassette doesn't go on to though.

nicklouse

so 7spd no spacer but the OLD is 135mm.

odd

again what bike have the wheel come from?

ricktabor1

The bike is a 1991 Kona Fire Mountain.

I'll take a photo tomorrow and show you. It might be me being totally stupid..... it has been known..... a lot.

Thanks for your help though Nicklouse, i do appreciate your patience.

cooldad

ricktabor1 wrote:

Ok.
Sorry, there is no spacer. It seems to me that the body is only wide enough for a 7 speed cassette. There is space at the back of the freehub body that the cassette doesn't go on to though.

Have you maybe got some of the small cogs out of line so they are not fitting over the splines, making it feel like it's not going all the way on?
Not sure if that makes sense even to me but it's late.

nicklouse

and also check the hub OLD is it really 135mm and not 130mm.

measure the hub not the frame.

in a word anything is possible depending what you want to bend or spend.

ricktabor1

Will do.

I'll get a picture done and measure the OLD