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Replace Freehub? Or is wheel useless?

Old 10-17-07, 04:10 PM
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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.
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Old 10-18-07, 05:55 AM
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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.

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...b+Body+06.aspx
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Old 10-18-07, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by krash
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?
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Old 10-18-07, 08:22 AM
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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.
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Old 10-18-07, 08:59 AM
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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.
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