Rear Hub Rattle
08-01-16, 06:16 PM
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Rear Hub Rattle
I can't remember when this started but I thought I'd finally ask what might be causing a noticeable rattle in the rear hub on rough surfaces. Smooth roads are fine, but once you get on roads that were oiled and chipped (after a few months since application), the hub rattles more than I'd like to hear. I've ridden the same roads without water bottles, pump and my bike bag and its definitely from the rear hub area.
The bike has Shimano Ultegra 6700 10 speed components. The rear wheel is a Bontrager race X light with what looks like a DT Swiss freehub.
FYI, I was hit by a car last April and as a result replaced the cassette, STI levers, rear derailleur and chain. The cassette was jammed on the freehub and the local bike shop had to remove it and file down high spots on the freehub splines where the cassette gouged the metal.
There does seem to be any odd resistance in the freehub and that spins normally.
Any ideas, or is this pretty common to hear rattle on rough roads?
Thanks
The bike has Shimano Ultegra 6700 10 speed components. The rear wheel is a Bontrager race X light with what looks like a DT Swiss freehub.
FYI, I was hit by a car last April and as a result replaced the cassette, STI levers, rear derailleur and chain. The cassette was jammed on the freehub and the local bike shop had to remove it and file down high spots on the freehub splines where the cassette gouged the metal.
There does seem to be any odd resistance in the freehub and that spins normally.
Any ideas, or is this pretty common to hear rattle on rough roads?
Thanks
08-01-16, 06:43 PM
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Are the dropouts bent? If so, they could be affecting how well the hub spins on the cones and that might affect the freehub sound.
08-02-16, 05:56 AM
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I would suspect that its the cassette rattling. You may need a spacer behind the cassette. It should be pretty easy to check just by trying to move the cogs by hand. If there is any play in the cogs, it means the lockring is bottomed out and you need a spacer behind the cassette.
08-02-16, 08:43 AM
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Something to check - if you use the round valve nuts that come with Presta tubes, check them for tightness or remove them.
08-07-16, 07:58 PM
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I would suspect that its the cassette rattling. You may need a spacer behind the cassette. It should be pretty easy to check just by trying to move the cogs by hand. If there is any play in the cogs, it means the lockring is bottomed out and you need a spacer behind the cassette.
08-07-16, 08:03 PM
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The spacer goes on first and then the cassette gets installed over it. Usually a 1mm spacer is all thats needed, unless you have a Mavic hub or an 11 speed hub.
09-26-16, 07:56 AM
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I wanted to update this post for some additional information which may serve to assist others with the same problem.
It turned out that the spacer was already there, but the rattle actually came from how the cassette dug grooves in the aluminum freehub body. This is a known issue with the DT Swiss 240 aluminum freehub being softer than the Shimano 9/10 speed cassette.
To fix the issue, I purchased a DT Swiss mountain bike freehub made of steel that is otherwise identical to the aluminum 240 freehub body. Weight-wise it is heavier, but not by enough to notice. I've been riding on it for about a month now and my bike is as quiet as a church mouse.
It turned out that the spacer was already there, but the rattle actually came from how the cassette dug grooves in the aluminum freehub body. This is a known issue with the DT Swiss 240 aluminum freehub being softer than the Shimano 9/10 speed cassette.
To fix the issue, I purchased a DT Swiss mountain bike freehub made of steel that is otherwise identical to the aluminum 240 freehub body. Weight-wise it is heavier, but not by enough to notice. I've been riding on it for about a month now and my bike is as quiet as a church mouse.
09-26-16, 08:35 AM
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I wanted to update this post for some additional information which may serve to assist others with the same problem.
It turned out that the spacer was already there, but the rattle actually came from how the cassette dug grooves in the aluminum freehub body. This is a known issue with the DT Swiss 240 aluminum freehub being softer than the Shimano 9/10 speed cassette.
To fix the issue, I purchased a DT Swiss mountain bike freehub made of steel that is otherwise identical to the aluminum 240 freehub body. Weight-wise it is heavier, but not by enough to notice. I've been riding on it for about a month now and my bike is as quiet as a church mouse.
It turned out that the spacer was already there, but the rattle actually came from how the cassette dug grooves in the aluminum freehub body. This is a known issue with the DT Swiss 240 aluminum freehub being softer than the Shimano 9/10 speed cassette.
To fix the issue, I purchased a DT Swiss mountain bike freehub made of steel that is otherwise identical to the aluminum 240 freehub body. Weight-wise it is heavier, but not by enough to notice. I've been riding on it for about a month now and my bike is as quiet as a church mouse.
09-26-16, 03:34 PM
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The AL freehub body being gauged by the cassette is shared by many brands who seek weight claims instead of durability ones. Sure they might stipulate a cassette with a cog carrier construction but that is often not followed. So filing down the resulting nicks is a common practice. These nicks can cause the cogs to not fully compress when the lockring is tightened if not cleaned up or if are really bad.
Switching to a steel FH body is the time tested fix. Andy.
Switching to a steel FH body is the time tested fix. Andy.
