Easton R4 Hub Replacement
 

I have a set of Easton EA90 wheels with the R4 hub. The freehub is making a creaking sound and my LBS put some tri flow to try and quiet it. It worked for a few days and the creaking is back, although not as bad. He suggested a new wheelset as he knows I have been eyeing a set of carbon clinchers that he builds and sells. I can't afford new wheels at the moment and am wondering if a new freehub will solve the problem.

A second question is will the 11 speed freehub work well with a 10 speed drivetrain? I assume a spacer will make that work.Would I need to have my derailleur limits adjusted? Any help is appreciated.

First check that the cassette is on tight, & that the quick release is tight.

Then clean & lube the freehub body- disassemble w/ two 5mm allen keys. Don't be in a hurry to buy a new freehub- they last long AFAIK.

The 11 speed freehub will work for 10 speed w/ a spacer.

Some RD adjustment may be needed w/ any cassette change.

Do your own adjustment- the LBS might just put some oil on it & call it good.

I removed, cleaned and regreased it. The QR and cassette are tight. I'll let you know if this solves it. Thanks.

What condition are the bearing in, normally these are cartridge, and can just be replaced in a hub, have a look here for other issues with the hub/service R4 rear hub...What's the deal???

Well?

I have a similar but different problem - my old EA90SL is GREAT. I probably have 6k miles on it with little to no maintenance, although the front was damaged and I don't use it anymore. It's been very reliable.

I bought new EA90SL in November (I think it's an Echo hub? Whatever that is) because I wanted tubeless and wanted matching wheels again. My new rear wheel has under 1000 miles on it and creaks up a storm, to the point where I thought my frame was failing. I've tried any number of things, including new skewers. It even creaks when I just gently walk the bike in the garage.

I have until November to return it if I'm unsatisfied, but if a simple clean and regrease fixes it... so here I am waiting for your experience. Thanks in advance.

I just got back from a 32 mile club ride that is pretty quick with a few hills so I put the wheels through their paces. No creaking whatsoever. I did notice that the coasting sound was more muted than I have ever heard and that may be due to putting a tad more grease on the pawls than I found when I removed it. I'll know more after a longer ride on Saturday.

Well, cool. Seems odd that the hub would creak if it were low on grease though. Squeak, squeal I could understand but mine sounded like carbon parts were about to give way.

In other news, my old (vintage 2009) EA90SL is loud as hell and never creaks. My new one is very quiet when coasting and creaks.