What Freehub will fit?

Spectre

Hey, Just registered and I have a question I hope some of you might be able to help me with.

I have a set of Miche Excite wheels and I need a replacement freehub for them (broken pawl spring and wear on the pawls). I'm not too familiar with these kind of details so I've been a bit stuck as to what freehub body to buy, or even if one is available.

Does anyone here know what types will fit? I've searched all over the net for info but can't find anything.

Thanks,

rolf_f

Surely you just replace the pawls and spring?

eg http://www.camposlorca.com/en/miche-cas ... -4942.html

dgunthor

+1, if the freewheel is fine and it's just the pawls + spring, just replace those

Spectre

Thanks for the replies.

The inside of the freehub body is looking a little worn from improper engagement with the pawls and although it's probably still usable, I'd probably rather replaced the freehub entirely if they are available and not extortionately priced.

rolf_f

Spectre wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

The inside of the freehub body is looking a little worn from improper engagement with the pawls and although it's probably still usable, I'd probably rather replaced the freehub entirely if they are available and not extortionately priced.

Well, to be fair, 4.85 euros and about a minutes work is a big investment if it doesn't work. You're probably much better off playing it safe and just going for a probably unnecessary wheel rebuild!

Spectre

Hi Rolf, Thanks for the reply.

I'm not quite sure I'm fully appreciating your quick witted humour in the intelligent manor in which you posted it,
But to clarify further for your complete understanding, as a qualified motor vehicle technician I tend to be of the opinion that knowingly refitting worn parts when not absolutely necessary would fit comfortably into that category of "botch job", hence my preference for replacing the freehub in its entirety instead of just replacing the pawls.

As I have mentioned previously in this thread, I have visible wear on the inside of the freehub body where it engages with the pawls and although it might still work, I'd rather replace it if the option is there.

I also jealously admire your ability to service and reassemble such a freehub in a single minute!

Thanks for the replies guys. keep 'em coming.

Rolf F wrote:

Spectre wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

The inside of the freehub body is looking a little worn from improper engagement with the pawls and although it's probably still usable, I'd probably rather replaced the freehub entirely if they are available and not extortionately priced.

Well, to be fair, 4.85 euros and about a minutes work is a big investment if it doesn't work. You're probably much better off playing it safe and just going for a probably unnecessary wheel rebuild!

rolf_f

Spectre wrote:

I also jealously admire your ability to service and reassemble such a freehub in a single minute!

As a not at all qualified mechanic I'm pretty slow and cautious in everything I do bike maintenance wise - you won't jealously admire the pace that I do anything like that! But, in my defence, I never said I could service and reassemble a freehub in a minute. I said I could fit a set of pawls and the spring in a minute (unless I dropped one of the pawls and spent 10 minutes trying to find it again).

I admit I'm surprised at this visible wear - there is little visible wear on the freehub ratchet on my Campag wheels after 5 figure mileages (I'm assuming we are talking about the ratchet on the wheelhub body here - ie you have the pawls on the freehub and they engage with the ratchet on the wheelhub?). The point here is that the rims will wear out long before the ratchet will. When the rims wear out, the wheel will be scrap. Your wheels are cheap disposables. If you have to buy a new freehub, a new wheelhub and then rebuild the wheel you are investing a lot of time and money in a very heavy wheelset. I don't know how much the freehub for the Miche wheels is but Campag ones cost £50 at discount rates. Wiggle sell a whole Excite wheelset for less than £100 and that's expensive for a wheelset weighing well over 2kg.

There maybe visible wear but is it visible wear that implies a sudden failure or just visible wear as on a half worn out brake disc? You wouldn't regard not replacing a half worn brake disc as botching surely?

In any case - unless the freehub bearings are knackered, the only problem you have with the freehub is the pawls and spring and that is the one minute job and you have to do that whether or not you have a problem with wear on the ratchet unless you really want to blow a load of money on a new freehub. The ratchet is either a problem or not. If it is a problem, you have to dismantle the wheel, source a new wheelhub and rebuild the wheel. You may need to buy new spokes for this. Or you can just screw the freehub back on and see if it works.

A picture of the wheelhub ratchet would be useful - at least then you get a second opinion on whether the hub has life in it. Also, what is the mileage of the wheelset?

PS I'm sure you are good at your job but 'being a qualified motor vehicle technician' in my experience is absolutely no guarantee of an aversion to doing botch jobs. As I found once when I discovered that my mechanic had presumably found a way of welding filler into my sills.......

Spectre

He sounds like a panel beater/body shop guy/general botch jobber, as no such work would come under my job description and I would avoid using him again.

Taking a photo is a good idea indeed, I'll do that as soon as I can.

To clarify though. This freehub doesn't share the same design as the one you are describing, ie the type with external pawls that inter lock with the ratchet in the wheel hub.

Instead this freehub has the pawls inside it and the ratchet is on the inside wall of the freehub body (Shimano type). This means the entire mechanical working off the freehub can be removed from the hub and replaced cheaply. My problem is identifying which replacement part I need.

Wirral_paul

Crikey - bet you're glad you asked now Spectre!!

Try a local shop to get you one in from Chicken Cycles (the distributor) - looks like a Miche MCSP42 from this.....

As a not at all qualified mechanic either - i'd rather you make your own decision as to whether you spend £20 replacing your freehub rather than writing an essay trying to be a smartar$e

http://www.chickencycles.co.uk/index.php?cat=40&sub=103&ord=1

rolf_f

Spectre wrote:

He sounds like a panel beater/body shop guy/general botch jobber, as no such work would come under my job description and I would avoid using him again.

I think he might be dead now! Not that I killed him or anything much as I might have been tempted to at the time!

If you can get the freehub for cheap then under the circumstances, if the wheel is otherwise in good shape then it's probably worth a shot. Miche may charge less than Campag - but effectively, if you could only buy them singly, your wheel is only worth £50 or so new so it's easy to spend too much on it.

I think Wirral Paul's link is a good idea even though he is being a smartar$e about it! They might also have an opinion on whether the ratchet is good for a few more miles.

Wirral_paul

Rolf F wrote:

I think Wirral Paul's link is a good idea even though he is being a smartar$e about it!

:twisted:

Spectre

Wirral_Paul wrote:

Crikey - bet you're glad you asked now Spectre!!

Try a local shop to get you one in from Chicken Cycles (the distributor) - looks like a Miche MCSP42 from this.....

As a not at all qualified mechanic either - i'd rather you make your own decision as to whether you spend £20 replacing your freehub rather than writing an essay trying to be a smartar$e

http://www.chickencycles.co.uk/index.php?cat=40&sub=103&ord=1

Thanks for the link! I shall mail them and see if I can order direct or at least locate a dealer local to me.

Although I think smart aleck i more fitting description of my retaliatory jest. "Smartar$e" is just so common these days.

Spectre

Rolf F wrote:

Spectre wrote:

He sounds like a panel beater/body shop guy/general botch jobber, as no such work would come under my job description and I would avoid using him again.

I think he might be dead now! Not that I killed him or anything much as I might have been tempted to at the time!

If you can get the freehub for cheap then under the circumstances, if the wheel is otherwise in good shape then it's probably worth a shot. Miche may charge less than Campag - but effectively, if you could only buy them singly, your wheel is only worth £50 or so new so it's easy to spend too much on it.

I think Wirral Paul's link is a good idea even though he is being a smartar$e about it! They might also have an opinion on whether the ratchet is good for a few more miles.

You're absolutely right.
The wheel would effectively be worth as much as a fancy freehub but from what I can see, it looks to be quite similar, if not the same as the cheap Shimano freewheels that are are selling for 10-15 quid. In this case I would much prefer to replace the whole unit with a new one, as opening them to service the pawls/springs and bearings is a minor pain in the backside thanks to the method in which they are assembled.