Fulcrum zero free hub

stueys

At some point yesterday the lovely clicking sound the free hub on my fulcrum zeros used to make disappeared. So the bike is now completely silent when rolling, which is disconcerting. Does anyone know what's happened and whether I should worry about it (ie Hub about to explode, etc, etc)?

norvernrob

Mine have been silent from the start. :?

mercia_man

I have the same freehubs (on Campag Record and Neutron hubs). The clicking noise varies depending how much lubrication is used. If there's a generous amount of grease on the pawls, they are silent. If there's only a dab of grease, they click quietly. If there's no grease, they click loudly.

Pawls can stick down if your freehub has got gummed up. It's a straightforward procedure to take off the freehub, clean and lubricate the pawls and re-adjust the bearings if you are familiar with maintaining cup and cone hubs. But as long as your freehub is still freewheeling and takes up the drive OK when you start pedalling, I don't think the lack of noise is anything to worry about. It may be the grease put in at the factory has moved around a bit in the freehub with use and has quietened down the clicks.

stueys

Thanks guys, had a more detailed look at the wheels today. Doesn't seem to be any play and the hub faintly clicks now, as opposed to the very distinctive noise it made before. So sounds as if it's grease that's moved around as opposed to anything more serious. I'll keep riding and nip them into a shop over the next couple of weeks.

ugo.santalucia

Open the caps and service it...

stueys

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Open the caps and service it...

It's touching that you've overestimated my mechanical prowess ;-)

Is there a very simple, duffers guide somewhere that someone knows? I'll give it a go...

ugo.santalucia

Most hubs require 2 x 5 mm allen keys, some need 1 allen key and one 17 mm spanner to undo the hub caps

However, best to check the technical manuals on the fulcrum website. Failing that, see if there is some video on youtube.

Once you find out which tools you need, It's really very easy

stueys

Ok, so thank you for encouraging me to do something I wouldn't have tried. Found a handy video and actually it's surprisingly easy. Link attached in case anyone else finds it handy http://youtu.be/3wju6FWiVjQ

So the issue with my hubs is that the small stell cable that holds the three little legs up (pawls?) has snapped. This meant that one of the legs wasn't being pulled up to engage and I guess was diluting the clicking free hub noise. It now also means that as I've taken the cable off the wheel now has no engagement, which I guess could have easily happened out on a ride?

So guess I need a new cable thing from fulcrum/campy?

ugo.santalucia

Stueys wrote:

So guess I need a new cable thing from fulcrum/campy?

You are guessing correctly. Give a ring to the Cycle clinic tomorrow, I'm sure he can sort you out something

It's called pawls retainer ring and it's an open ring

mercia_man

Good job you checked. As you found out, taking apart those Campag/Fulcrum hubs is not hard. You just need a bit of dexterity to hold the three pawls down when you re-insert the freehub and axle. I use my fingers, some people use thread. The part you need is FH RE114 pawl spring kit for Campag/Fulcrum. They come in a little box of five. They are a tiny open ring with a little twist up on one end. If Cycle Clinic doesn't have them, I see Ribble, Sigma Sport and Evans seem to have stock.

Edit: Just had another thought. Are you certain that ring has snapped? It's not a closed circle. It's an open ring that you spring open to fit and then it springs into place.

stueys

Thanks both. Yep, definitely snapped, it's in two pieces.

mercia_man

Stueys wrote:

Thanks both. Yep, definitely snapped, it's in two pieces.

Just thought I better check, having ordered those rings and pawls previously myself only to find I didn't need them after all! My problem was that my old alloy Record freehub had cracked along one of the splines. The later design is beefed up. You should find it easy to replace the ring and re-assemble. Those Campag/Fulcrum hubs are simple for home mechanics. You don't even need cone spanners.

stueys

Well I now have a repaired racing zero. Thanks, gentlemen, for the advice