Free Hub?
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Free Hub?
I don't even know for sure what it's called. On my Trek 7200 I've noticed that the freewheel clicking sound (the one you hear when coasting or turning the pedals backwards) is non-existent. I don't know if it disappeared or if it wasn't even there in the first place (though I am pretty sure it was), but it isn't there now. The wheel feels fine, the gears shift perfectly. Is this something to worry about?
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I don't even know for sure what it's called. On my Trek 7200 I've noticed that the freewheel clicking sound (the one you hear when coasting or turning the pedals backwards) is non-existent. I don't know if it disappeared or if it wasn't even there in the first place (though I am pretty sure it was), but it isn't there now. The wheel feels fine, the gears shift perfectly. Is this something to worry about?
If your bike stops freewheeling or you are unable to pedal forward and engage the rear wheel then start worrying.
#3
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No. Some freehubs are louder than others, some make almost no noise. On my bikes, the sound seems to come and go, but they run perfectly.
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No worries, but I have found some freewheels to be louder than others. Road cassesttes can be quite loud, as can SS freewheels. Mountain ones tend to be quiet, in my experiance.
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The loudness of a freewheel or freehub design has to do with how the pawls click into place. Some are designed to be loud (for example, American Classic, Campy in my experience) while most Shimano tend to be pretty quiet - for Road or Mountain stuff. I have a silent-clutch Shimano freehub (designed for police bikes) on my commuter.
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I have noticed the same thing before, and I used to worry about it. You can be almost 100% sure that a quite freehub mechanism is not aq problem. Im my experience, you need to worry when you start getting unexpected grinding noises (no matter how subtle) from your hub... or when it does not engage, as operator said.
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Shimano freehubs can be, and usually are, nearly dead silent while Campy freehubs are quite vocal and DT and Chris King freehubs sound like a squad of angry hornets. They all work just fine.
#12
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I have the tool to take apart the shimano freehub. I change out the spring with a heavier one so I can pump grease into the freehub when I overhaul the rear hub. They are now a little noiser, but not as bad as a Campy or DT.
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I haven't taken apart my Shimano freehub bodies, but I've removed them, taken off the back seal, and run Phil Tenacious Oil through them. After this treatment, they're virtually silent.
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Assuming you aren't using silent clutch, it depends if your freehub is either very quiet or if you no longer feel the clicks. Certainly there is nothing wrong with a almost silent freehub, but be aware the pawls and the spring can be gummed up from bad conditions or if your mechanic used too much grease when doing maintenance. Personally, I'm not a big fan of pumping in more grease (a' la grease guard style); I would rather take it apart (only a big allen key, a Shimano FH race removal tool, and a flathead screwdriver) to lightly grease it and replace the 50 little ball bearings at the same time. Having said that, Shimano freehub bodies are relatively cheap to replace - I just hate throwing away still useable parts. Luck.