failing freehub?

jedster · January 2015

Struggling to diagnose a problem and would appreciate any thoughts.

I ride a single speed conversion in town. It's got a sprung chain tensioner which seems to be working fine (i.e., chain nice and snug). Recently though the transmission has been occasionally failing. Sometimes under heavy load (standing on the pedals) but sometimes when I'm spinning up gently from freewheeling.

When it happens there is a bit of a click. The obvious explanation would be chain slipping but I haven't been able to see that and it sounds/feels a bit different to the chain slipping (plus the tension looks OK and the chain, chain ring and sprocket are reasonably new).

So my question: is it possible that the ratchet (or whatever) in the freehub is intermittently slipping??

leeefm · January 2015

Could be one of the pawls or the springs for the pawls is failing. Only way to check is to open it up and give it a bit of a service.

leeefm · January 2015

Have you checked the chain for wear, and the cog?

daniel_b · January 2015

I had a very similar sounding issue with a geared bike, the pedals would seemingly slip for no reason and with no discernible pattern.

I was convinced it was the freehub, spent £26 on a new one from my lbs, binned the old one, and obviously spent a bit of time fitting it - to find that the problem remained :evil:

Turned out the chain was just a bit old and or not cleaned up properly, so I gave it a proper clean, decgreased it, lubed it up again, and it's ben fine for the last 2 years - still irks me I binned a perfectly good freehub :?

jedster · January 2015

thanks everyone - don't think any of it should be worn (reasonably low mileage) but the chain dies look a bit filthy... I'll try that to start

failing freehub?

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