possible freehub issue.

[Salty seadog]

I had chattering for a couple of rides recently as two lbs I stopped in both told me it was the freehub. One said it may sort itself out. The only other ride I have done on it since I'm pretty sure I didn't hear it.

So, is it possible for a freehub to cure itself or should I just replace anyway?

 

[fossyant]

I'd start to think about at least inspecting it. Depends upon the make, but some have replaceable pawls. Quite often they aren't servicable, and it's often cheaper to buy a new hub and strip it and use the parts than just the freehub.

What hub is it ?

 

[Tom B]

I'd start to think about at least inspecting it. Depends upon the make, but some have replaceable pawls. Quite often they aren't servicable, and it's often cheaper to buy a new hub and strip it and use the parts than just the freehub.

Which is exactly what I have just done on one of my bikes for the same reason as the OPs.

I'm running a Shimano FH-M475 hub and a replacement freehub was £16 whereas a new hub was £20 and of course comes with a spare axle and bearings. When looking for the hub shop around and consider different hole counts, quite often the same hub with the wrong for you number of holes can be cheaper. If you are stripping it then it doesnt matter.

The 10mm Hex key and cone spanners cost nearly as much as the new hub.

 

[Salty seadog]

I don't really know, it was looked at at a third shop and was told it was non serviceable. The bikes a 2014 Whyte Montpellier. Only about £25 for a new one.

 

[fossyant]

Which is exactly what I have just done on one of my bikes for the same reason as the OPs.

I'm running a Shimano FH-M475 hub and a replacement freehub was £16 whereas a new hub was £20 and of course comes with a spare axle and bearings.

The 10mm Hex key and cone spanners cost nearly as much as the new hub.

I did the same with a Deore hub. It froze one morning with 'no drive'. Like you, it was cheaper to buy a hub, and use the new cones/axel bearings as well. Still kept the old freehub just in case.

 

[fossyant]

£25's not bad.

 

[GuyBoden]

Sometimes, it's just the pawl springs in the hub that need replacing...........

 

[gbb]

A former Bianchi of mine, the freehub would intermittently freeze a few times when it was quite new but it cleared itself to cover many thousands of miles, never to return.

 

[Salty seadog]

Sometimes, it's just the pawl springs in the hub that need replacing...........

It's a non serviceable model.

 

[Salty seadog]

A former Bianchi of mine, the freehub would intermittently freeze a few times when it was quite new but it cleared itself to cover many thousands of miles, never to return.

Ok, not sure what you mean by frozen, did you mean turned into a fixed wheel? I have not lost drive on it, just a bit of chatter that I thought it was the indexing and it was driving me nuts as it's always shifted perfectly. Had it diagnosed as free hub. But as I said the next ride I had on it I couldn't hear it.

 

[gbb]

In my case 'frozen' meant the pawl springs didn't engage leaving you free pedalling and getting nowhere.
In your case, is the 'chattering' a sudden slip followed by it engaging, now under greater force because of the momentary slip, in other words it's quickly engaging, slipping, engaging and so on, all in quite quick succession, Both scenarios are possibly caused by sticking pawls, yours intermittently, mine refusing to engage at all.

Problem is, although mine did sort itself out, never to return, I didn't know it would and could have had problems 30 miles from home, I was just lucky.

 

[Salty seadog]

In my case 'frozen' meant the pawl springs didn't engage leaving you free pedalling and getting nowhere.
In your case, is the 'chattering' a sudden slip followed by it engaging, now under greater force because of the momentary slip, in other words it's quickly engaging, slipping, engaging and so on, all in quite quick succession, Both scenarios are possibly caused by sticking pawls, yours intermittently, mine refusing to engage at all.

Problem is, although mine did sort itself out, never to return, I didn't know it would and could have had problems 30 miles from home, I was just lucky.

No, I've never lost drive, it was like a badly indexed rear gear cable and I spent ages playing the barrel adjusters on those two rides thinking it was cable tension.

 

[gbb]

No, I've never lost drive, it was like a badly indexed rear gear cable and I spent ages playing the barrel adjusters on those two rides thinking it was cable tension.

Then I'd not be convinced it was a freehub problem tbf.
Can't proffer any other ideas, but slipping/frozen freehub are quite obvious usually.

 

[Salty seadog]

Then I'd not be convinced it was a freehub problem tbf.
Can't proffer any other ideas, but slipping/frozen freehub are quite obvious usually.

Two shops both diagnosed it, I didn't really chase details but possibly bearings were mentioned. Just spun the wheels and the issue is audible, I reckon I might just replace, I'll take for another ride to confirm I'm not happy.

Ah, just remembered one shop did say there was a tiny amount of lateral play with the cassette. I'm sure I've noticed it being there for a long time.

 

[gbb]

Of course, I became so fixated on the pawls I'd forgotten about the bearings