Bicycle Mechanics - Separating old freehub from wheel hub

I have an 95 C-dale m300le that I am freshening up after using up all the life in its previous Shimano HG chain - kinked to the point that no amount cleaning or lubricant would relieve the problem. With about 4-5k miles on it, I decided to do an entire drivetrain refresh. Original bottom bracket also turned out to be shot. Decided on Sugino cranks, SRAM chain & 12-32 cassette. Got new Conti tires and tubes as well.

Bought a replacement freehub too, because it had locked up a few months ago (did not allow coasting), but relubricating had fixed that. The replacement freehub is a Shimano STX-RC / Acera-X. The replacement of all the other parts was straightforward and uneventful. But the freehub seems to be permanently cinched onto the wheelhub's spline pattern with a hollow 10mm hex-key-operated bolt. Because I couldn't get it to loosen with a regular hex key in a holder or a hex in a big pair of slip-jaw pliers, I tried with a hex key socket on a torque wrench. 100+ ft-lb has not broken the fastener loose, but the rim is deflecting as I'm struggling to hold it in place. I tried WD-40 and Liquid Wrench without any luck. I'm afraid if I put much more force into I'm going to harm the wheel.

I put everything back together and it rode very nicely, but I have to wonder, am I stuck with the old freehub on my wheel, or is there some technique or trick I'm missing?

unfortunatly all i can add is a torque should never be used to loosen a bolt

is this left hand thread?

For fixed bolt freehub removal and replace operations - I always use a bench vise / wood vise - I use a wood vise at home. A wood vise is okay if you don't mind the damage.

I recommend the same for freewheel removal as well...it's just easier - especially for 140 lb. pre-Charles Atlases like myself.

Make sure you hug the wheel with a circular wrap of the arms around a good 2/3's of the circumference of the wheel.

=8-)

You have a 15 year old bike. It's rideable unless you try to fix it.

unfortunatly all i can add is a torque should never be used to loosen a bolt



Huh? Torque is required to loosen and tighten a bolt

[there is an academic difference between a screw and bolt, but that doesn't apply here].

You will ruin the accuracy of the torque wrench. You want to use a breaker bar instead of tool designed to give you correct torque readings. If the wrench is from Harbor Freight never mind. Roger

You will ruin the accuracy of the torque wrench. You want to use a breaker bar instead of tool designed to give you correct torque readings. If the wrench is from Harbor Freight never mind. Roger

I understand now, the word "wrench" was inadvertently left out, makes sense now. And you are correct, a breaker bar is the correct tool for cracking something loose.

Thanks for the advice.

I just finished doing my offroad pair of wheels for the same bike, and the freehub screw broke loose with not quite 25 ft-lb of torque. I put a new one on with 35 ft-lb and antiseize lube, and added a new cassette to that setup as well.

Seeing how fine the threads are on the screw makes me think there must be a corrosion issue. Those threads could not withstand 100+ ft-lb of tightening.

Two reasons I used the torque wrench - 1) my breaker bar has been loaned for over a month now, and 2) I wanted to quantify how hard I was struggling wth the problem, so no one would say "just put some more effort into it." The torque wrench is Husky brand from Homey D ($70?), so maybe I should start bugging my friend that borrowed the breaker bar.

Anyone have any recommendations on the best lube for my $17 freehub? Since the freeze up I've been using Finish Line synthetic chain lube with teflon. Before that I used 3 in 1 household oil, which seemed to turn to a black gummy sludge after maybe half a year.

Anyone have any recommendations on the best lube for my $17 freehub? Since the freeze up I've been using Finish Line synthetic chain lube with teflon. Before that I used 3 in 1 household oil, which seemed to turn to a black gummy sludge after maybe half a year.

The 3 in 1 is probably what caused your problem- it's much too light for a freehub. At very least you should use a heavy oil- I've used Phil Tenacious on several, and they've done well (except the one that self-destructed, but that one had been abused). If you live in a warm weather area, you could even try filling it with white lithium grease. A Freehub Buddy helps with the last: http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=27998