Bicycle Mechanics - Can U Tell By The Pictures, SoOmething Wrong With This Wheel?

I tried explaining but maybe nobody understood. I was fixing a flat when I tried to replace the tire, this bushing was in the way. It slips in and out of the center of the cogs. It's not the lockwasher but a bushing type part. I've never seen this before. Is it normal on a Bontrager Race Lite wheel?

I can slide it back in and everything seems normal. But I can slide the entire assembly apart. Is it supp[osed to be that way? I've heard Bonti's are bit different. Couple of mechanics have told me they are made for easy replacement of a bearing cartridge. Anybody seen this before?


http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/A.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/B.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/C-1.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/D.jpg

That thing is broken dude. Which hub is it? Maybe u need to change the whole axle and u'll be ok again.

Shouldn't there be a lock-ring mechanism that holds the cassette in place? When I take my cassettes off I have to remove the lock-ring with the service tool... Easy access maybe?

Shouldn't there be a lock-ring mechanism that holds the cassette in place? When I take my cassettes off I have to remove the lock-ring with the service tool... Easy access maybe?

There is in his first photo.

It looks to me like OP is sliding the entire freehub off, stuck inside the cassette. I've never serviced a freehub so I don't know if it's fixable or not.

OP: go to www.parktool.com and check out their repair and service tips for freehub service. It might help you figure out what's going on..

I've never worked on Bonti's, so I can't tell if it's supposed to be that way or not. But then I don't quite see your problem either.
In the first pic you can see that the outside face of that bushing is serrated/knurled/textured/whatever, that's a sure sign that it's meant to go against the inside face of the drop out, where a locknut would go on a cup & cone hub. If your hub uses cartridge bearings you don't really need locknuts, although something fulfilling that function might be handy to keep parts together off the bike.
Drop out spacing isn't always spot on, maybe all you need to do is to pull them apart a little and the wheel will slot neatly into place?

In the first pic you can see that the outside face of that bushing is serrated/knurled/textured/whatever, that's a sure sign that it's meant to go against the inside face of the drop out, where a locknut would go on a cup & cone hub. If your hub uses cartridge bearings you don't really need locknuts, although something fulfilling that function might be handy to keep parts together off the bike.



Everything works fine when I install the wheel. Just that I've never seen a wheel just slide apart like this. But like you said, this wheel has cartridge bearings from what I was told when purchasing the bike. Another mechanic had told me this wheel has an ez bearing cartridge replacement system, maybe this is part of it. I look at the bushing for threads or some sort of locking method and come up with nothing. No signs of a broken part, damaged edges or any sign of defect. That's why I was thinking it's made that way, just different since it's Bonti and not a Shimano.

It does presss against the dropout and stays in place no problem, just thought there might have been something wrong.:twitchy:

Thanks for any help.:D

Everything works fine when I install the wheel. Just that I've never seen a wheel just slide apart like this. Neither have I. But a cartridge design would have to be different, and if you can't spot anything broken there's really no way to tell w/o the ability to compare it with a hub/detailed drawing or similar of the original condition.
The only risk I can think of is that when something containing cartridge bearings comes apart as easy as that there is a risk of the inner race of the bearing beginning to slide around the axle instead of the actual bearing doing the rotating, so it might not hurt to check the axle for wear marks.

This is certainly unusual and there has to be a retainer or something that keeps the thing together that's missing from your hub. I can't imagine a hub design that lets the entire freehub/cassette assembly slide off when ever the wheel is removed from the bike. You could drop it in the dirt any time you had a flat tire! :)

I'd contact Trek (Bontrager's parent company) and ask how these thing are supposed to work.

Something is not right here. I'm not at work right now, but I know that the freehub should not move like yours is doing.

Bontrager Wheelsets are warrenteed for 5 years. I'd talk with a dealer on this and see what they know.

Thanks for the help. I sent a message to Bontrager explaining the problem. I'll see what they have to say.:)

Well now I know. Took it to the Trek dealer. Guy says that's the press on hub design, supposed to be that way. :D

Thanks!

????

That sure looks like the inside of a freehub to me.

So... how do you change cassettes?

????

That sure looks like the inside of a freehub to me.

So... how do you change cassettes?

Well, he's got a fairly stock-looking splined lockring at the end. It wouldn't surprise me if the appropriate tool for that one and a chain whip would let you pull the cassette from the "body".

Such a strange design. Does it use pawls? If so...what keeps them from falling out and getting lost...?

Well now I know. Took it to the Trek dealer. Guy says that's the press on hub design, supposed to be that way. :D

Thanks!

I think your Trek dealer is full of ****. Ask him to show you another wheel that has the same setup.

Some googlin turns up this:http://www.google.com/notebook/public/04347993769160112690/BDRkjSwoQ6Zbam80h

Scroll down to the section entitled Bontrager® Freehub

Seems that at least a wrench is required to affect the removal.

I think your Trek dealer is full of ****. Ask him to show you another wheel that has the same setup.

Hate to say it but I agree. I'd have to be shown.