How do I remove Mavic Freehub bushing from freehub body?

[Yellow Saddle]

Where did you get the white bush from? i can't find one anywhere.

There is an American guy on e-bay who makes and sells them. They are not available from Mavic.

 

[Mike Westmorland]

If it's the same as my Mavic Ksyrium SLs, it's blindingly simple. Pop off the end-cap and shield on the non-drive side. Pick it up from the floor and clean it. Put a mahoosive hex key down the hole and a smaller one down the drive side axle and unscrew. The axle will separate into two and you will drop at least one bit on the floor. Carefully lift off the freehub while turning it backwards. Take great care not to lose the washer that's lying between the freehub and the small hub bearing you see. Carefully remove the two pawls and springs and clean them. Clean up the plain boss on which the freehub rotates, removing the black rubber seal and cleaning that up. Push the seal back on, replace the pawls and springs, oil everything with 3 in 1 oil and slip the freehub back on while turning it backwards, then remember the small washer, take the freehub off and replace it. Tighten the axle, replace the end cap and feel happy.

You will be surprised at the simplicity of the system and worried at the black colour of the old oil. Don't be tempted to use a heavier oil, all that happens will be that the freehub will drag while freewheeling and your chain will sag. Once that plain boss gets worn the freehub will begin to oscillate madly on it making a howling noise, commonly known as the "Mavic howl of death." That's why you need to disassemble it and lubricate it every 6 months.

Revisiting an old(ish) topic, I’m trying and failing to remove the end cap on the non-drive side of a Ksyrium SL/SSC. I have another identical wheel which was no problem - the cap came off by finger grip only. Any hints?

 

[Mike Westmorland]

Done it! But the end cap has suffered in the process. It goes in and out ok now, but looks somewhat scarred! Don't suppose a replacement MA40457 will be obtainable. Anyway, having now inspected the freehub, all seems well - no sign of significant wear or lateral movement and all the accessible bearings seem ok. So why am I plagued by clicking noises from that area? An identical wheel, with an identical Campag 11-speed cassette is completely silent.

 

[Globalti]

The clicking noises could be coming from the cassette moving around on the freehub. Are there signs of wear to the freehub splines?

 

[Mike Westmorland]

The clicking noises could be coming from the cassette moving around on the freehub. Are there signs of wear to the freehub splines?

I took the nuclear option of replacing the freehub, assembled it no problem and went out on the bike. Clicking had gone, but instead I got the "howl of death" when freewheeling. Turns out I didn't remember to lube the bushing. I've ordered the correct Mavic oil online and a pair of pawls/springs for good measure. I'll report back!

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I took the nuclear option of replacing the freehub, assembled it no problem and went out on the bike. Clicking had gone, but instead I got the "howl of death" when freewheeling. Turns out I didn't remember to lube the bushing. I've ordered the correct Mavic oil online and a pair of pawls/springs for good measure. I'll report back!

Just use gear oil (hypoid). Cheap as chips.

 

[Globalti]

Noooooo! EP90 gear oil is FAR too thick and so is engine oil. They will make the cassette drag, pull the chain round and may cause disaster. Ordinary 3 in 1 oil is the correct weight for Mavic freehubs and regular cleaning and re-lubing will prevent the howl of death.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Noooooo! EP90 gear oil is FAR too thick and so is engine oil. They will make the cassette drag, pull the chain round and may cause disaster. Ordinary 3 in 1 oil is the correct weight for Mavic freehubs and regular cleaning and re-lubing will prevent the howl of death.

Yeeesss! Try it, you'll see. Maybe it is a temperature thing but I've honestly never had a problem with hypoid.

 

[ColinJ]

Noooooo! EP90 gear oil is FAR too thick and so is engine oil. They will make the cassette drag, pull the chain round and may cause disaster. Ordinary 3 in 1 oil is the correct weight for Mavic freehubs and regular cleaning and re-lubing will prevent the howl of death.

I had the 'howl of death' years ago and sorted that out. Guess what ... the chain is now being driven round by the not-quite so freehub! It isn't risky because I have the wheel on my singlespeed bike now so there isn't a rear mech and lots of loose chain to get tangled up. Still, it is annoying. I'll sort it out after my next ride.

 

[raleighnut]

Nah the correct lube is 2 Unicorn tears applied every three hundred and fourteen miles and eight hundred and forty feet. (check distance with Garmin)

 

[Foghat]

Noooooo! EP90 gear oil is FAR too thick and so is engine oil. They will make the cassette drag, pull the chain round and may cause disaster.

Are you just talking about Mavic freehubs?

The go-to expert on freehub maintenance that I tend to reference reckons that either EP90 gear oil, or semi-fluid grease, are the optimum freehub lubricants, depending on condition of the freehub:

freehub lubricant

freehub lubricant

I've not used EP90 gear oil myself yet, but for my next round of freehub maintenance, on various Shimano, Hunt, Giant and Mavic freehubs, I was planning to, although if Mavic freehubs don't like it...…..

 

[Globalti]

EP90 is heavy oil for differentials. I tried engine oil, which is lighter, on my Mavic freehub and the drag was bad enough to pull the cassette round causing the chain to sag when freewheeling. So I dismantled it, cleaned it and re-lubed with 3 in 1, which forms a film to prevent the freehub from rattling around on the boss but doesn't cause it to drag.

Edit: by coincidence I've just finished a quick strip of the freehub because I've been sensing a grumble through the frame recently when pedalling. I was expecting to find a bad hub bearing but it turned out that the small bearing in the outboard end of the freehub had gone rough so I knocked it out and pressed a new one in using the old one as a drift. Very easy operation and it didn't take long to clean everything up, re-lube with 3 in 1 and reassemble and now it's as sweet as anything.