Bicycle Mechanics - Replace Freehub? Or is wheel useless?

I have Cosmos Wheels on my Bianchi Vigorelli. Around 8500 miles on it. Ultegra 9 speed cassette, with the spacer installed.

There's some clicking and clunking coming from the rear wheel. I took it off and tightened the cassette lockring and everything, but it's the freehub that seems to be loose. It's definitely got more of a wobble than it seems like it should. And it's beginning to clunk and knock a little.

I did a search, and I've read where a few people mentioned that the free hub may be tightened, but they didn't explain how to do it.

1. Can a freehub be tightened, or serviced, without spending a mint on special tools?

2. Can the freehub, by itself, be replaced?

3. Or is the whole wheel done for?

Thanks in advance.

you can tighten the freehub. Likely with a 10mm allen wrench, otherwise some other way, I'd have to see it.

you can replace the freehub. It's cheaper than a replacement wheel but still wickedly expensive IMHO just like all other Mavic replacement parts. Comparatively a Shimano freehub body is $20 and a Mavic is over $60. Of course the Mavic is about 10x the quality of Shimano IME so maybe it's a value.

you can also consider tightening the cone nuts and that sort of thing. just a regular bearing/axle service/adjustment should get the free hub tight again.

you might also just consider some lube. I would just remove it and then evaluate how I can service it at that point. I've never had my Mavic freehub opened up but I have rebuild Shimano freehubs many times (out of necessity, see my note about quality above). There are a lot of small parts and it's an exercise in patience but it's totally doable. Try google. I found some detailed instructions on the web once that worked like a champ.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CS408Z01-Mavic+Free+Hub+Body+06.aspx

Comparatively a Shimano freehub body is $20 and a Mavic is over $60. Of course the Mavic is about 10x the quality of Shimano IME so maybe it's a value.
What? Let's see, here is a Mavic freehub that's toast in 8500 miles and my Dura Ace freehub is 40,000 miles old, has only had a few drops of oil every year or so, and is completely silent and free of play.

I have several Ultegra and 105 freehubs on my other bikes and my familiy's bikes with 30,000+ miles on them and no signs of play or noise. So, how is Mavic 10X better?

To tighten the freehub, you will have to remove the axle from the hub. You will need a 5mm allen for the axle and a 12mm to tighten the freehub if it is loose on the hub.

I can't speak to how well these freehubs hold up when ridden only on the road. Offroad, with creek crossings and dirt and mud, the Mavic is 10x better in my experience.