Problem with Mallard freehub?
#1
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Problem with Mallard freehub?
I was oiling the chain on one of my Raleighs and noticed the rear wheel didn't freewheel at first. When I turned the pedals and the wheel turned. When I stopped so did the wheel.
I oiled the hub- just to try something, and it freed up some. Then I noticed that while the real wheel was turning the cassette moved up and down instead of just spinning.
From some reading it seems as if the Mallard hubs used nylon bearings. Are these hard to find?
If I should just replace the hub, freehub and cassette what would be a good choice? I won't be racing this Technium so I don't really want to spend hundreds to fix it.
Jim
I oiled the hub- just to try something, and it freed up some. Then I noticed that while the real wheel was turning the cassette moved up and down instead of just spinning.
From some reading it seems as if the Mallard hubs used nylon bearings. Are these hard to find?
If I should just replace the hub, freehub and cassette what would be a good choice? I won't be racing this Technium so I don't really want to spend hundreds to fix it.
Jim
#2
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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I hear the Mallard hub isn't all it's quacked up to be.
(Sorry. But not too sorry. )
(Sorry. But not too sorry. )
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I hear the Mallard hub isn't all it's quacked up to be.
(Sorry. But not too sorry. )
(Sorry. But not too sorry. )
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"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
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Damn near had to clean coffee off the screen LOL.
Is it a Helicomatic hub? Those have poor bearing placement and were prone to problems. Not messed with any of the Mallard traditional freehubs but They were trying to be on the cutting edge but had execution problems with their other 80's products.
Almost every Freehub I have seen has some wobble/run out. The better the model the less it seems to be. If its enough to drag the wheel down its likely something has bent, grease dried out or the bearings are crusty. Getting higher end freehubs is getting hard. Might check with Pastor Bob, he runs a cottage business rebuilding the better ones. Other alternative is you can still get cheaper models from Niagara but the couple I have used had a good bit wobble but seem to work fine.
Pastor Bobs freewheel site: https://www.freewheelspa.com/
Is it a Helicomatic hub? Those have poor bearing placement and were prone to problems. Not messed with any of the Mallard traditional freehubs but They were trying to be on the cutting edge but had execution problems with their other 80's products.
Almost every Freehub I have seen has some wobble/run out. The better the model the less it seems to be. If its enough to drag the wheel down its likely something has bent, grease dried out or the bearings are crusty. Getting higher end freehubs is getting hard. Might check with Pastor Bob, he runs a cottage business rebuilding the better ones. Other alternative is you can still get cheaper models from Niagara but the couple I have used had a good bit wobble but seem to work fine.
Pastor Bobs freewheel site: https://www.freewheelspa.com/
#9
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The bearing placement was fine on the Helicomatic -- outboard, just like on modern freehubs. It was the bearing size that was the problem. Rear hubs use 1/4" balls to carry the load, but unlike a modern freehub where the ratchet mechanism is part of the hub, the Helicomatic was actually a freewheel system, with the ratchet part of the cog cluster. This meant that 1/4" balls could not fit in the outboard location without compromising the freewheel's minimum cog size. Thus, 5/32" balls were used instead, which were less able to carry the loads of a typical rear wheel, particularly if not frequently repacked and replaced.