Excellent! I searched the internet for hours to find out how to remove a freehub with this sort of attachment to the hub...couldn’t find anything on it. The thing was on there so tight even with a cheater bar it was impossible to move. I was convinced it was not meant to come off! But thanks to your video I had the confidence to get an even bigger cheater bar and finally removed it! I was just about to give up and buy a new wheel...
RJ, I just want to say thanks for this video. Your shared knowledge gave me the confidence to service my own freehub assembly, and the results are quite satisfying. Thank you for helping me gain a new skill and a deeper understanding of bicycle maintenance.
My local LBS does NOT seem to bother servicing, specially the budget 8-9 speed wheels that are relative cheap to replace, being thrown, in favour of time saving and perhaps business wise better to sell a new wheel instead. Then I watch RJ's video, go on a dumpster dive, service them, and BOOM, wheel and freehub serviced as new again! Circular economy FTW! 🌍
As a mechanic that worked in a shop, you’re spot on. Say a customer brings in a 30 year old wheel with an AceraX hub laced to a single wall rim that needs a tru and hub overhaul. We could service that wheel (provided the bearing races aren’t pitted) and get it going again. But that will cost up to $60 in labor and even with that, it’s not a super strong wheel. But for $30-40 more, we could put you on a brand new budget wheel with double wall rim and you’ll be leaving with a better bike all together. Also, many shops are having a hard time hiring mechanics who actually want to learn how to do this. I know we did. And even of they had the desire to learn, some people just don’t have the natural problem solving thought processes it takes to be a mechanic. All this to say, you’re right, but there can be so many reasons why.
Thanks for making this. It's been 25 years since the last time I did this...I found all of my old tools, and I all I needed was a refresher. So, thanks!
You must not use oil but grease. After you have degreased the freewheel mechanism you would need to disassemble it and properly apply grease to it.This has not been done and it likely will cause problems later on. Check other videos on how it is done properly.
RJ...You are the man! I just cleaned my hub after the it came loose twice during two different rides and the grease was filthy. Your video helped me tremendously!
rj man i wish i could meet you. i feel like you care more than some mechanics ive met. thank you for helping me stay rolling on what i got. everyone else just wants me to buy new. im interested in comprehension of the technical aspects. you're the dude. you are the dude.
Thanks for these helpful instructions. I just cleaned the freehub of my 10 yrs old velomobile. After taking it out of the solvent and cleaning with an old toothbrush, I flushed it again with a thin stream of fresh solvent - this flushed out even the last dirt and debris from the hub. I also applied some grease to the bearing with a syringe.
Thank you for this video. My rear hub was noisy and had a slight hitch in it, and this guide helped me understand what I needed to do. Once I got the axle removed, I was surprised at just how little grease was in there (I guess the assembler at the factory didn't do his job?), so I cleaned everything out and packed in so much grease that you couldn't see the bearings when I was done. My rear wheel rolls so much more smoothly now!
I like how how during 8:46-8:48 , the old grease in the hub cone just magically disappeared all on its own so RJ could put some new grease in there, RESPECT! 🙌🙈😉👍
RJ, thanks so much for the video. I have a project Trek and I did not like the grinding in the rear wheel. I followed your instructions and even though it wasn't exactly the same . . . your info was enough to get me through it. And it sounds and spins great. Thanks again, Mike
So I'm the new guy who's learning from your videos. What brought me to this one is I took off the hub to service it and can't remember which spacers go on which side. For now I'm just centering the rim in the hard tail of the frame. When I'm ready to put the bike back together hopefully the chain alignment will be alright. If not I'll have to figure out the spacing at that point.
Excellent video. One item: never mix the bearings from one side to the other. Always keep them separate, as they will have slightly different wear patterns. This will extend their life.
true, but it costs $1 to have them all replaced with new quality G20 ones if you go through the hassle of taking it apart and cleaning it it kinda makes sense to spend the dollar and replace them with new ones
God so clear and fun! I watch your videos always anxious for the next step and that keeps me scotched on watching till the end. Much better than Netflix! Also after I can actually do it myself...
Thanks for the video. Was a help over the weekend when repairing my Axis DT 2.0 freehub. The hub was getting quite sticky I managed to strip it down clean and regrease. I used a 28mm wood bit to turn the main bearing holder to disassemble the freehub body. The hex bolt is I think 11 or 12 mm for this free hub. 10mm is too small. I left the bolt in place and cleaned in place.
Glad I came back and watched this again. I have had success making the cup removal tool and replacing eigth inch bearings. It may be tedious but worth it for those who can't simply upgrade or still enjoy riding old bikes. But I forgot a detail like replacing the rubber seal in the back and not sure if washer stack order matters. I am also wondering what grease RJ uses here. Marine feels too think but I will leave it on bc its a beach bike and salt air corrodes everything.
Great video, but I would add that one very key piece of information should be emphasised: At 9:50 he says "screw [the cone] down until you feel it hits the bearings, AND JUST BACK IT OFF A LITTLE BIT". When I was putting everything back together I was tightening the cone. But the THE CONE NEEDS TO BE LOOSE. This will allow the axle to rotate. Took me a few assemblies/disassemblies to figure this out and I had to rewatch lots of times. I thought I had lost a part. But otherwise, THANKS!
Thanks for this. Followed your video exactly and everything worked out. Only thing was no rubber ring on inside of freehub so just had to add tenacious oil through the tight gap in between.
I went to a bicycle shop to service my bike (13year old racing ideal bike) to service my free hub and change cassette and chain and a new seat 80 quid no bad at all. After a month,on the day of collection they tell me my free hub is broken and need replacement and my shifters and this and that. Total bill 575 pounds.no thank you. I just serviced my free hub by my self thanks to this video and it’s working and it’s my first time doing it so I decided to do the rest by my self.
I looked at this video and was trying to remove the freehub of my bike,grounding sound when the wheels just rotate... It's not normal clicking, thoo. Overhaul everything except the part when we supposed to use the Allen key, didn't see any square inside the hub, was it just my bike hub different or I missed something. I learned a lot from your video, sir. Especially if I had all those tools,parts, grease and oil, and the knowledge to overhaul the bike. Thank you.😂
at 4:18 you mention the backside of the freehub but mine is different where there are no additional bearings to expose and doesn't allow me to rotate the freehub like you did. I am working with a Shimano RM30 36h.
Cheers RJ. Just picked up a Giant Upland rigid MTB kerbside that has issues with the freehub not engaging so will be using this video to hopefully reinvigorate the old girl.
Nice video, thanks. Wish I'd read the comments first as I couldn't resist applying a bit of grease as well as the oil to the inner bearing of the freehub/pawls. I had play in the freehub of an Ultegra 6700 wheel, maybe due to the seating on the inner side, which allowed dirt/grime inside causing the outside bearings to wear prematurely.
I've taken the lock nut and cone off the non-drive side and even the lock nut off the other side too and the axle still doesn't come out 😕 I'm stuck.. Even getting the lock nut itself off was annoying as to get at the cone with the cone spanner I had to take the brake rotor off..
Update: I 'persuaded' the axle to come out with a few taps with a rubber mallet on the non-drive side. However, even with the axle out, the freehub body won't come off; there is no allen key-shaped hole to undo inside as per the video.
Hi RJ, assuming the free hub has been flushed and dried, how is the Phil's Tenacious Oil getting to the upper ball bearings in the free hub body? I'd like to understand as I've got an Axis 2.0 rear wheel on my CX bike that has a rumbling free hub when coasting. I'm told that these free wheel hubs are now made of Unobtainium (aka you can't get them any more - thanks, Specialized) and I'm hoping this will work before doing a deep dive and rebuilding it.
Just one warning - there are freehubs where there is no rubber seal but only steel finishing and it seems to be locked for good. Take a close look before dumping it to the solvent or you'll end up with dry bearings and no option to lube it - just like I did (had to drop some sewing machine oil inside)...
I also have this type of free hub. I used a light oil from an aerosol to spray between the thin gap between the moving parts to flush out the grime. Then I put several drops of wet lube into the same gap. It now works much better than before.
Thanks RJ for this! My freehub sounded like marbles after a year, and it took some trial and error to get the right size hex in there (my Fuji Cross needed 11mm) it was a breeze to do. It also got me to go and buy paint thinner, and this might be a game changer as a basic degreaser / solvent as I normally use diluted simple green
Simple Green is definitely still worth using, but keep the solvents around for those cases where you need something more powerful. For cassettes and chains especially, don't waste the solvents - Simple Green works and is way more cost effective. $5 for a gallon, which you can dilute 4:1, and still use over and over. A cheap ultrasonic cleaner (~$80) is also a great thing to have.
I should have watched this before I broke into my rear hub, but I didn’t realize I had this type of loose bearing hub until I had it apart. I assumed I had the cartridge type bearing hub. I didn’t realize I needed a cone wrench until seeing this video, I tightened the cones down all the way then locked the nuts back down tight on both sides. I put the cassette and rotor back on then tried to reinstall the rear wheel locking down the QR skewer anndddd my wheel won’t spin 🤦🏻♂️ guess I need to get a thin cone wrench and try this again.
i have a grinding sound while coasting.I have taken wheel apart and its definetly coming from the interface between freehub and wheel which in places is grinding.I dont know if i can rescue it but once 11mm allen key comes tomorrow ill take it off and do what you do in this video.
Excelent video tutorial , tnku rj , good job, the only question remaining is that ever possible to dismble the freewheel itself so that i can acces the bearings and pawls and maybe apply a harder to slide out grease rather than a heavy oil?
+Saeid dehdashti Yeah, I have videos on taking apart freewheels and freehubs. But actually oil is better inside these than grease as grease can make the pawls stick.And the bearings inside the freewheel/freehub are not under the load. They only spin when you are coasting.
It shouldn't be an issue. The cone on the freehub side is part of the axle, so when the non drive side cone is tightened down properly it should line up.
Hi you didn't put any grease on the outside of the freehub just before you put the cassette back on. Is that something you should do? I have seen people do it. I just got my new cassette for my new wheels and want to install it toinght and am wondering if i should put a little grease on it. It's not really a moving part, those two parts - do not move against each other. Maybe it was to make it easier to get off later???? What do you think? Oh i also forgot, you didn't really crank the lockring on the cassette at the end. It says 40 NM. I have a larger torque wrench for my car, with a max of 30 NM or 250 inch pounds. So not enough and i have yet to see someone use a torque wrench on the lock ring...so... how is it done? And how much is enough. I have seen a couple of people do 2 firm wrenches beyond your firm wrench.
Ok sounds good to me, thanks! I just saw a vid that talked about not wanting grease on your sprockets. I can see an amount of grease being squeezed on the bottom from a free hub so yeah, bad idea. Maybe a very very very thin coating if worried about a sticky change. I am not worried. Just got home and see my new cassette has arrived. I can put them on my new wheels, but am waiting on rotors :(. tyvm! @@RJTheBikeGuy
@@alutious I have never had a problem removing a cassette. The lock ring once, but not the cassette. A thin coating might be for corrosion protection, but I have never had an issue with corrosion there either. I saw mention of of creaking, but again, I haven't had that issue.
This is how I used to do it too. But someone in another video mentioned the possibility that you might magnetize the balls, and thereby make them attractive to metallic particles that might otherwise be carried in the grease. In that case they suggested using a larger zip tie end to shovel them in and out. This made sense to me.
Thanks. Pretty sure the pawl engagement in my freehub is worn out, but I'll see what a good cleaning and relube does. And if the pawls are toast, I can still use this to raid the freehub off an NOS hub with the wrong number of spoke holes.
I just did this on a Finnish brand bike for my friend, I have a video of the bike on my channel. Freehub body was warned out but it would've took too long to order and was a bit on the expensive side too. I tried to haul it over the best I could. Next problem was with the new rear sprockets. They were loose and I needed to add a spacer behind. When putting it all together all hell broke loose and I was forced to reverse the axle. Dunno why because it opened it from the hub side, bit stupid of me, but when putting it together the cone went very deep there. Rear sprockets were too different. All in all, I got it back together and working.
You can try cleaning/degreasing/lubing the freehub. If that doesn't help you can replace the freehub. Or can try rebuilding the freehub. ua-cam.com/video/X9gIEG1db0s/v-deo.html
I'll try all of the above. Today is "Do It Yourself Sunday" at our house, where we each have to try a new "Do It Yourself" project. This is mine. I've purchased a 3 in 1 oil from Harbor Freight, should that suffice for the hub bearings or would it be inferior? Thanks again for the tips and assistance.
3 in 1 oil is not a good choice. Phil Tenacious Oil is good. Another good choice is Finish Line Wet Lube Both of these are available at bike stores. Another possibility is chainsaw bar & chain oil.
please help. in my case, after I removed the freehub from the wheel, the backside still has the round part with many ridges attached to it. it does not remain on the wheel, like in your case. how can i separate it from the freehub itself now?
I have a question. The 25 bearings in the freehub body, shouldn't we add a light grease to them instead of a light oil? I have been told the light oil goes to the pawls. Also, what if these bearings get damaged in he freehub body, do you have a video showing how to disassemble the whole freehub body?
I have these 3-piece seal rings on my Shimano M525 rear hub. I'm working from the drive side (I know I should be working from the non-drive side like R.J...The wheel is binding tight when I put it together. Any idea on how to position these seals? Do they face in or out? what is the position of the inner, rubber ring? it is different on both sides.
Superb video and many thanks for that. I did as instructed by you and the pawls released....However, there i now a lot of play in the freehub and i was wondering if there was a remedy for this?? Thanks :)
If there is a lot of play, it could be because the bearings are very worn. You can overhaul it and replace the bearings (Freehub Body Disassembly/Assembly). Or just replace the freehub if you can find a matching unit.
My freehub has play in it, doesn't spin straight, and the axle inside doesn't spin centered either even though it is perfectly straight. What can I do at this point
Hi thanks for the video it's really helpful But i have a problem. After 3:37 u got the freehub out. Mine didn't come out. i only got that middle axe that u were holding in 4:01
I have a bike it’s only a 2 months old and my free hub is already sticking and jamming. I’m going to try this as I’m having a hard time finding a replacement.
For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button 🛑 and click the notification bell ► bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy
@@pedro3115 ua-cam.com/video/f19BGYc5ysA/v-deo.html
what is that cassette? I want that exact type
Can you do a video like this but on a vintage french bike like a PEUGEOT!?
Can u fix ur casstte?
@@glynnpaulcamacho5938 The cassette is just the cogs that fit on the freehub. What's to fix? If they are damaged/worn, replace them.
I am now a freehub body repair expert thanks to this fella. Thanks buddy! Really enjoyed the process having some it multiple times.
If only more guides were like this. Clean, simple and instructive. Thanks!
And absolutely chock full of breathing.
@@bk83082😅
Excellent! I searched the internet for hours to find out how to remove a freehub with this sort of attachment to the hub...couldn’t find anything on it. The thing was on there so tight even with a cheater bar it was impossible to move. I was convinced it was not meant to come off! But thanks to your video I had the confidence to get an even bigger cheater bar and finally removed it! I was just about to give up and buy a new wheel...
Just been quoted over £200 to fix my sons mountain bike, watched your videos and doing it myself, thanks for the tuition, your doing great.
RJ, I just want to say thanks for this video. Your shared knowledge gave me the confidence to service my own freehub assembly, and the results are quite satisfying. Thank you for helping me gain a new skill and a deeper understanding of bicycle maintenance.
My local LBS does NOT seem to bother servicing, specially the budget 8-9 speed wheels that are relative cheap to replace, being thrown, in favour of time saving and perhaps business wise better to sell a new wheel instead. Then I watch RJ's video, go on a dumpster dive, service them, and BOOM, wheel and freehub serviced as new again! Circular economy FTW! 🌍
As a mechanic that worked in a shop, you’re spot on. Say a customer brings in a 30 year old wheel with an AceraX hub laced to a single wall rim that needs a tru and hub overhaul.
We could service that wheel (provided the bearing races aren’t pitted) and get it going again. But that will cost up to $60 in labor and even with that, it’s not a super strong wheel. But for $30-40 more, we could put you on a brand new budget wheel with double wall rim and you’ll be leaving with a better bike all together.
Also, many shops are having a hard time hiring mechanics who actually want to learn how to do this. I know we did. And even of they had the desire to learn, some people just don’t have the natural problem solving thought processes it takes to be a mechanic.
All this to say, you’re right, but there can be so many reasons why.
Your videos are some of the best I've watched on bicycle repair. THANK YOU!!
Thanks for making this. It's been 25 years since the last time I did this...I found all of my old tools, and I all I needed was a refresher. So, thanks!
How can 192 folks not like this? This is frickin great advice, given freely as a tutorial. Jeez!
You must not use oil but grease. After you have degreased the freewheel mechanism you would need to disassemble it and properly apply grease to it.This has not been done and it likely will cause problems later on. Check other videos on how it is done properly.
RJ...You are the man! I just cleaned my hub after the it came loose twice during two different rides and the grease was filthy. Your video helped me tremendously!
rj man i wish i could meet you. i feel like you care more than some mechanics ive met. thank you for helping me stay rolling on what i got. everyone else just wants me to buy new. im interested in comprehension of the technical aspects. you're the dude. you are the dude.
This MAN will go down in history as a legend 👍
I had an issue with the free hub on my road bike. Your video has helped me resolve that issue!! Thank you so much!!
Thanks for these helpful instructions. I just cleaned the freehub of my 10 yrs old velomobile. After taking it out of the solvent and cleaning with an old toothbrush, I flushed it again with a thin stream of fresh solvent - this flushed out even the last dirt and debris from the hub. I also applied some grease to the bearing with a syringe.
Thanks so much! I was going to buy a new freehub, but it was not necessary.Just followed your steps and everything is like new
Thank you for this video. My rear hub was noisy and had a slight hitch in it, and this guide helped me understand what I needed to do. Once I got the axle removed, I was surprised at just how little grease was in there (I guess the assembler at the factory didn't do his job?), so I cleaned everything out and packed in so much grease that you couldn't see the bearings when I was done. My rear wheel rolls so much more smoothly now!
I like how how during 8:46-8:48 , the old grease in the hub cone just magically disappeared all on its own so RJ could put some new grease in there, RESPECT!
🙌🙈😉👍
put some air pressure on it 4:34 ;) hihihihihi
RJ, thanks so much for the video. I have a project Trek and I did not like the grinding in the rear wheel. I followed your instructions and even though it wasn't exactly the same . . . your info was enough to get me through it. And it sounds and spins great. Thanks again, Mike
I've never actually seen one of these before! You learn something new everyday:) Thanks
So I'm the new guy who's learning from your videos. What brought me to this one is I took off the hub to service it and can't remember which spacers go on which side. For now I'm just centering the rim in the hard tail of the frame. When I'm ready to put the bike back together hopefully the chain alignment will be alright. If not I'll have to figure out the spacing at that point.
Excellent video. One item: never mix the bearings from one side to the other. Always keep them separate, as they will have slightly different wear patterns. This will extend their life.
also freewheel needs little bit thicker oil/lubricant
What if I use lithium grease which is like thick paste instead of a liquid lubricant?
true, but it costs $1 to have them all replaced with new quality G20 ones
if you go through the hassle of taking it apart and cleaning it it kinda makes sense to spend the dollar and replace them with new ones
God so clear and fun! I watch your videos always anxious for the next step and that keeps me scotched on watching till the end. Much better than Netflix! Also after I can actually do it myself...
Did anyone else hear the shop compressor kick in @4:39? 😂
😂😂
Very helpful video. You are very clear with instructions unlike a lot of DIY videos out on the web. Thanks for sharing!
Well done. Perfect video. Good light. Just enough talking. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. Was a help over the weekend when repairing my Axis DT 2.0 freehub. The hub was getting quite sticky I managed to strip it down clean and regrease. I used a 28mm wood bit to turn the main bearing holder to disassemble the freehub body. The hex bolt is I think 11 or 12 mm for this free hub. 10mm is too small. I left the bolt in place and cleaned in place.
Yep, the bolt size varies.
Glad I came back and watched this again. I have had success making the cup removal tool and replacing eigth inch bearings. It may be tedious but worth it for those who can't simply upgrade or still enjoy riding old bikes. But I forgot a detail like replacing the rubber seal in the back and not sure if washer stack order matters. I am also wondering what grease RJ uses here. Marine feels too think but I will leave it on bc its a beach bike and salt air corrodes everything.
Great video, but I would add that one very key piece of information should be emphasised: At 9:50 he says "screw [the cone] down until you feel it hits the bearings, AND JUST BACK IT OFF A LITTLE BIT". When I was putting everything back together I was tightening the cone. But the THE CONE NEEDS TO BE LOOSE. This will allow the axle to rotate. Took me a few assemblies/disassemblies to figure this out and I had to rewatch lots of times. I thought I had lost a part. But otherwise, THANKS!
Good video! you used grease for 2 bearings and oil for 3rd one. Is there explanation?
Thanks for this. Followed your video exactly and everything worked out. Only thing was no rubber ring on inside of freehub so just had to add tenacious oil through the tight gap in between.
I went to a bicycle shop to service my bike (13year old racing ideal bike) to service my free hub and change cassette and chain and a new seat 80 quid no bad at all. After a month,on the day of collection they tell me my free hub is broken and need replacement and my shifters and this and that. Total bill 575 pounds.no thank you. I just serviced my free hub by my self thanks to this video and it’s working and it’s my first time doing it so I decided to do the rest by my self.
I looked at this video and was trying to remove the freehub of my bike,grounding sound when the wheels just rotate... It's not normal clicking, thoo. Overhaul everything except the part when we supposed to use the Allen key, didn't see any square inside the hub, was it just my bike hub different or I missed something.
I learned a lot from your video, sir. Especially if I had all those tools,parts, grease and oil, and the knowledge to overhaul the bike. Thank you.😂
And we're gonna go ahead and fart while the seal is coming off!
That CRAP was funny
I read your comment and had to go back and watch that part. 🤣🤣🤣
Careful Not To Damage It ... 🧎💨
The fart was basically acknowledging the statement there, "Careful Not To Damage It".
at 4:18 you mention the backside of the freehub but mine is different where there are no additional bearings to expose and doesn't allow me to rotate the freehub like you did. I am working with a Shimano RM30 36h.
You save my day today at work….thumbs up for you mate 🤙
Thanks for these videos. I've learned so much just from watching them and its got me wrenching.
Thank you, another great lesson learned and everything went well giving this a try with your guidance!
Cheers RJ. Just picked up a Giant Upland rigid MTB kerbside that has issues with the freehub not engaging so will be using this video to hopefully reinvigorate the old girl.
I love your channel dude, you're the best.
4:39 was that the seal making that noise.....?
Sounded like a fart 💨💥😂
Thanks for sharing your expertise. I intend to do service my bike tomorrow and have ordered the cassette removal tool.
Nice video, thanks. Wish I'd read the comments first as I couldn't resist applying a bit of grease as well as the oil to the inner bearing of the freehub/pawls. I had play in the freehub of an Ultegra 6700 wheel, maybe due to the seating on the inner side, which allowed dirt/grime inside causing the outside bearings to wear prematurely.
“just go ahead”. this guy is the best
best of the best
Great video, very helpful. So if I don't have that first oil you use, are there some similar type oils? Thick motor oil or something?
This has helped me loads following this ,thank you so much
Me and my son have throughly examined the “chair” sound, and we’ve determined it was gastric based!
"Me have examined the sound"
great stuff. helped me a lot... I used to change maintain that on my bike like 14y ago, I have completely forgot how to do it.
I've taken the lock nut and cone off the non-drive side and even the lock nut off the other side too and the axle still doesn't come out 😕 I'm stuck..
Even getting the lock nut itself off was annoying as to get at the cone with the cone spanner I had to take the brake rotor off..
Update: I 'persuaded' the axle to come out with a few taps with a rubber mallet on the non-drive side. However, even with the axle out, the freehub body won't come off; there is no allen key-shaped hole to undo inside as per the video.
Great that you mentioned ridges on washer face outwards.even though other side has larger surface area.Well appreciated !Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
I've always found that you can use grease on the tip of your finger to put the bearings back in the bearing race
4:39 Really, couldn't wait.
hashahahahahaha
...After Thunder comes Rain.
hahahaha
That was a collapsed bearing, give the man a break.
God damn i can't stop laughing reading these comments HAHHAAA
I was wondering how to change the free-hub when the ratchet is worn down, after that nothing will help, only a new one. Thanks for this demo!
Another great video, its crazy because someone just asked me how to do this, Thanks!
Hi RJ, assuming the free hub has been flushed and dried, how is the Phil's Tenacious Oil getting to the upper ball bearings in the free hub body? I'd like to understand as I've got an Axis 2.0 rear wheel on my CX bike that has a rumbling free hub when coasting. I'm told that these free wheel hubs are now made of Unobtainium (aka you can't get them any more - thanks, Specialized) and I'm hoping this will work before doing a deep dive and rebuilding it.
Just one warning - there are freehubs where there is no rubber seal but only steel finishing and it seems to be locked for good. Take a close look before dumping it to the solvent or you'll end up with dry bearings and no option to lube it - just like I did (had to drop some sewing machine oil inside)...
Adam RR You sir, have just saved me from making a big mistake. Thank you for the warning!
I also have this type of free hub. I used a light oil from an aerosol to spray between the thin gap between the moving parts to flush out the grime. Then I put several drops of wet lube into the same gap. It now works much better than before.
This one is awesome for hyperglide freewheel which I have had recently to clean and see it.
Sincerely yours from North Afghanistan Rg.
Excellent video. Didn't have a clue before, this was a fantastic example. 👌🏻
Thanks RJ for this! My freehub sounded like marbles after a year, and it took some trial and error to get the right size hex in there (my Fuji Cross needed 11mm) it was a breeze to do.
It also got me to go and buy paint thinner, and this might be a game changer as a basic degreaser / solvent as I normally use diluted simple green
Simple Green is definitely still worth using, but keep the solvents around for those cases where you need something more powerful. For cassettes and chains especially, don't waste the solvents - Simple Green works and is way more cost effective. $5 for a gallon, which you can dilute 4:1, and still use over and over. A cheap ultrasonic cleaner (~$80) is also a great thing to have.
Paint thinner gets me high as the sky 🥰
Thanks for your sharing.
Is this video also for freehub Shimano FH-6400 with Uniglide(UG) cassette? It looks like this case is for HG cassette.
I should have watched this before I broke into my rear hub, but I didn’t realize I had this type of loose bearing hub until I had it apart. I assumed I had the cartridge type bearing hub. I didn’t realize I needed a cone wrench until seeing this video, I tightened the cones down all the way then locked the nuts back down tight on both sides. I put the cassette and rotor back on then tried to reinstall the rear wheel locking down the QR skewer anndddd my wheel won’t spin 🤦🏻♂️ guess I need to get a thin cone wrench and try this again.
i have a grinding sound while coasting.I have taken wheel apart and its definetly coming from the interface between freehub and wheel which in places is grinding.I dont know if i can rescue it but once 11mm allen key comes tomorrow ill take it off and do what you do in this video.
Excelent video tutorial , tnku rj , good job, the only question remaining is that ever possible to dismble the freewheel itself so that i can acces the bearings and pawls and maybe apply a harder to slide out grease rather than a heavy oil?
+Saeid dehdashti Yeah, I have videos on taking apart freewheels and freehubs. But actually oil is better inside these than grease as grease can make the pawls stick.And the bearings inside the freewheel/freehub are not under the load. They only spin when you are coasting.
Can't the freehub be taken apart (bearings removed) and washed? Great video though, good closeup so we can finally see
Thanks for the video. Should the axel length be measured both sides before removal , for it to fix to same place at the end?
It shouldn't be an issue. The cone on the freehub side is part of the axle, so when the non drive side cone is tightened down properly it should line up.
Hi you didn't put any grease on the outside of the freehub just before you put the cassette back on. Is that something you should do? I have seen people do it. I just got my new cassette for my new wheels and want to install it toinght and am wondering if i should put a little grease on it. It's not really a moving part, those two parts - do not move against each other. Maybe it was to make it easier to get off later???? What do you think? Oh i also forgot, you didn't really crank the lockring on the cassette at the end. It says 40 NM. I have a larger torque wrench for my car, with a max of 30 NM or 250 inch pounds. So not enough and i have yet to see someone use a torque wrench on the lock ring...so... how is it done? And how much is enough. I have seen a couple of people do 2 firm wrenches beyond your firm wrench.
Nope. I have never greased outside of the freehub. I have seen mention of it, but just in forums.
Ok sounds good to me, thanks! I just saw a vid that talked about not wanting grease on your sprockets. I can see an amount of grease being squeezed on the bottom from a free hub so yeah, bad idea. Maybe a very very very thin coating if worried about a sticky change. I am not worried. Just got home and see my new cassette has arrived. I can put them on my new wheels, but am waiting on rotors :(. tyvm!
@@RJTheBikeGuy
@@alutious I have never had a problem removing a cassette. The lock ring once, but not the cassette. A thin coating might be for corrosion protection, but I have never had an issue with corrosion there either. I saw mention of of creaking, but again, I haven't had that issue.
Great Vid. May I suggest a retractable magnet (to remove bearings) and brake cleaner (to quickly blast everthing clean without leaving a film)...???
This is how I used to do it too. But someone in another video mentioned the possibility that you might magnetize the balls, and thereby make them attractive to metallic particles that might otherwise be carried in the grease. In that case they suggested using a larger zip tie end to shovel them in and out. This made sense to me.
Thanks once more RJ! My back wheel is silent again now :)
Thanks. Pretty sure the pawl engagement in my freehub is worn out, but I'll see what a good cleaning and relube does. And if the pawls are toast, I can still use this to raid the freehub off an NOS hub with the wrong number of spoke holes.
Let me know how it goes.
Thanks for all your videos! very helpful in my bike build/upgrade.
Does all freehub cassette use 10" allen to remove the freehub? Im using shimano tx hub and im about to this the same method.
If you stick this on a cement floor and use a heat gun to heat it up you can get that phils to soak in a lot more thoroughly and quickly.
Thanks, but this method works fine.
Это видео очень помогло мне. Большое спасибо!
This video really helped me. Thank you very much!
Thanks heaps, I'm echoing the other comments but it is strait forward and easy to follow, thank you
thanks for the video,I had the courage to sort my noisy rear hub...
I just did this on a Finnish brand bike for my friend, I have a video of the bike on my channel. Freehub body was warned out but it would've took too long to order and was a bit on the expensive side too. I tried to haul it over the best I could. Next problem was with the new rear sprockets. They were loose and I needed to add a spacer behind. When putting it all together all hell broke loose and I was forced to reverse the axle. Dunno why because it opened it from the hub side, bit stupid of me, but when putting it together the cone went very deep there. Rear sprockets were too different. All in all, I got it back together and working.
Great info. A little Darth Vader thing going on with breathing. Love the vid.
www.rjthebikeguy.com/faq/
Hey RJ. I tried using 10mm allen and too small. What are other sizes? 12?
I think this is the video I needed. I've removed the cassette and bearings, the grinding'ish sound is coming from the freehub body, I think.
You can try cleaning/degreasing/lubing the freehub. If that doesn't help you can replace the freehub. Or can try rebuilding the freehub. ua-cam.com/video/X9gIEG1db0s/v-deo.html
I'll try all of the above. Today is "Do It Yourself Sunday" at our house, where we each have to try a new "Do It Yourself" project. This is mine. I've purchased a 3 in 1 oil from Harbor Freight, should that suffice for the hub bearings or would it be inferior? Thanks again for the tips and assistance.
3 in 1 oil is not a good choice. Phil Tenacious Oil is good. Another good choice is Finish Line Wet Lube Both of these are available at bike stores. Another possibility is chainsaw bar & chain oil.
Is there any reason that a 10 mm hex key wouldn't be working? It feels like it's not grabbing, or fitting in the retaining bolt.
Try a larger or smaller one then.
please help. in my case, after I removed the freehub from the wheel, the backside still has the round part with many ridges attached to it. it does not remain on the wheel, like in your case.
how can i separate it from the freehub itself now?
I have a question. The 25 bearings in the freehub body, shouldn't we add a light grease to them instead of a light oil? I have been told the light oil goes to the pawls.
Also, what if these bearings get damaged in he freehub body, do you have a video showing how to disassemble the whole freehub body?
The part I like the most is the fart @ 4:39.
Seriously though, very informative video,thanks.
I have these 3-piece seal rings on my Shimano M525 rear hub. I'm working from the drive side (I know I should be working from the non-drive side like R.J...The wheel is binding tight when I put it together. Any idea on how to position these seals? Do they face in or out? what is the position of the inner, rubber ring? it is different on both sides.
Oh My Gosh! Love your videos so much, soon goin to repair my hub, hope ill do it well.
This is a perfectly clear and helpful video. Thx a lot!
Glad it was helpful!
I have a rear wheel with exactly that hub, do you have any idea about what manufacturer and moddel it might be?
Superb video and many thanks for that. I did as instructed by you and the pawls released....However, there i now a lot of play in the freehub and i was wondering if there was a remedy for this?? Thanks :)
If there is a lot of play, it could be because the bearings are very worn. You can overhaul it and replace the bearings (Freehub Body Disassembly/Assembly). Or just replace the freehub if you can find a matching unit.
Would the dust cap have any influence on the play??
The dust cap ive just destroyed lol... oops!!
SigmaEvents Nope. Not unless it is not letting the cone seat fully against the bearings or something.
SigmaEvents Check if your local bike shop has a dustcap lying around in one of their parts bins.
RJ is it that some free hub body cannot be detached from the main hub. Thanking you in advance.
Most, if not all freehubs can be removed.
@@RJTheBikeGuy Thank you so much for replying..so kind of you.
VERY BIG THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORD AND ENLIGHTENMENT. REGARDS
Great clip , straight forward talking & full of great tips.
But hey your chair needs fixing. Haha 👍
My freehub has play in it, doesn't spin straight, and the axle inside doesn't spin centered either even though it is perfectly straight. What can I do at this point
Hi again soz, ive not started mine yet but im hoping my shimano HG200 cassette is similar in doing. thanks matt
Thanks RJ thanks to this video am working on one now!
are you using a 11mm imbus to remove the hub body ?
Hi thanks for the video it's really helpful
But i have a problem. After 3:37 u got the freehub out. Mine didn't come out. i only got that middle axe that u were holding in 4:01
Can I put grease instead of thick oil?
I have a bike it’s only a 2 months old and my free hub is already sticking and jamming. I’m going to try this as I’m having a hard time finding a replacement.
Take it back to the shop.
The rubber boot is missing on mine do you know where to get another one?
Can you show us how to service one of these but on french vintage bikes!
Great video, can you replace the small bearing in the free hub if you want? If so is there s standard size?
Ok found your videos when you rebuild free wheel 👍 got what to do.