Bicycle Mechanics - Can I replace just the freehub?

The 7-speed freehub on my old Schwinn is going bad. I've read Sheldon Brown, this forum, and a bit of the Park web site and think I've got component names down.

I want to replace just the freehub and the Park web site says I should be able to remove it from the wheel:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=44

Nashbar and Performance seem to sell only a few freehubs, they're not cheap and it looks like I'd need to respoke the wheel to put them on:

http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=85&subcategory=1107&storetype=&init=y&pagename=
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/sub_cat.cfm?subcategory_id=5330

So, can I buy just the freehub? Where? Do they all cost $50+?

Will I need to respoke the wheel to put the freehub on?

Thanks,
Dan

If it's a Shimano hub or a hub that uses a Shimano freehub body, it's easily replaced and you don't have to respoke the wheel. It takes a cone wrench to get the axle out and a 10mm allen wrench to remove the freehub body. Replacement freehub bodies are in the $20.00 to $30.00 range.

If it's a Shimano hub or a hub that uses a Shimano freehub body, it's easily replaced and you don't have to respoke the wheel. It takes a cone wrench to get the axle out and a 10mm allen wrench to remove the freehub body. Replacement freehub bodies are in the $20.00 to $30.00 range.

Or buy another hub on sale and do a transplant. I found some inexpensive LX hubs which cost less than the freehub and just swapped them to the existing wheel. It's pretty simple actually.

The 7-speed freehub on my old Schwinn is going bad. I've read Sheldon Brown, this forum, and a bit of the Park web site and think I've got component names down.

I want to replace just the freehub and the Park web site says I should be able to remove it from the wheel:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=44



Calvin's stuff is normally very accurate, but he has made an error in nomenclature here, which is why you are confused.

The Freehub is the entire rear hub. To replace it, you need to remove all of the spokes.

The part Calvin is talking about is properly known as the Freehub body.

We've got 'em: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#bodies

See also http://sheldonbrown.com/k7

Sheldon "Names Matter" Brown
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Patriotism is your conviction that this country is |
| superior to all others because you were born in it. |
| -- George Bernard Shaw |
+---------------------------------------------------------+

We've got 'em: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#bodies


Will the STX-RC (7-speed) do the trick? Is there any difference between road and mountain applications (this is going on a mountain bike)? And how will I know if I need to upgrade the cone?

Actually, the bearing races are pitted on both the left side of the hub and the right side cone, so I probably should be replacing the whole freehub, but I'll probably just pack everything back up as is.

Thanks again,
Dan