Trashed freehub?

[Dead Man]

Gotta set of S30 AL Race wheels that have probably 2000 miles on them. They're still in great condition, except I've recently discovered the freehub is getting pretty manky.

Last time I swapped out cassettes, I noticed it was a biotch to get the existing cassette off, and then observed was seemed like excessive galling on the splines. But in typical me form, I didn't have time to worry about it, so I just cleaned it up and threw the new cassette on and went back to riding it. Well the "new" cassette started skipping in the 12 cog (12-28) after I put a new chain on last week, after maybe 1000? miles on the cassette (second chain to go on it)... seemed like way too fast to wear out a cassette. I gauge my chain regularly, BTW- and it got replaced as soon as it failed. Then it occurred to me that maybe there was play between the cog and the freehub. So I pulled the wheel and observed that there IS quite a bit of play between the cogs and the freehub. I went to pull the cassette and practically had to beat it off with a crescent hammer... and yea, it's pretty galled up.

My other freehubs have characteristic marks and even small grooves... but nothing like this. But this is also the lightest wheelset I've yet had. Maybe this is just what 1500g wheelset freehubs do? Get a new freehub? Get a new cassette? Both?

Thoughts?

Thanks

-B

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http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab6/bkb0000/IMG_12641_zps1850123f.jpg
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab6/bkb0000/IMG_12651_zps5a85a4ff.jpg

[Mark McM]

This sounds like there may be multiple issues, and that you may be conflating cause and effect.

The notching (not "galling") on the freehub body generally is only an issue when trying to remove a cassette. It will not cause increased wear of the sprocket teeth or the cassette, and as long as tightening the lockring causes the sprockets to be snugged firmly onto the freehub, the notching will not cause the chain to skip.

When you say that there is play between the cog and the freehub, do you mean that when the lockring is tight, you can wiggle the sprockets back and forth (either laterally or rotationally? If so, I'd check that you have all the correct spacers with the cassette. Or maybe the sprockets are tight on the freehub body, but wiggling a sprocket causes the entire cassette to wiggle back and forth? In that case, there may be an issue with the freehub bearings.

[false_Aest]

The only time I haven't seen those marks is with a ti free hub body. It has happened with every alloy FHB I've ever owned.

IIRC it can happen more if you don't have the cassette up to torque though.


IIRC Reynolds used to machine the middle of the splines out. SoCalSteve had a set and cut right through the splines. That shouldn't happen to yours though.

[stien]

Yeah if the 12t is spinning then you have a spacer issue. Should be one behind the cassette.

[josephr]

Yeah if the 12t is spinning then you have a spacer issue. Should be one behind the cassette.

f/u on Mark and Stien's comments -- are you running a 10 speed cassette on an 11speed hub? if so, you're gonna need the spacer.

the notching on the hubs is pretty typical....it sucks, but using aluminum on the freehub to save weight is the trade-off. I think some Campy freehubs use a thin steel piece on the front of the spline.
Joe

[stien]

Iirc even 10 needs a spacer. I thought 10 on 11 hub needed two.

[oldpotatoe]

Iirc even 10 needs a spacer. I thought 10 on 11 hub needed two.

for shimano-yes, not for 10s sram. Take a file to the notches and file them down but it will always be a problem for these hub makers who 'decide' to use aluminum for these instead of steel or titanium.

If it's loose when lockring tight-yep, spacer issue. If the 12t spins, yes spacer issue. FH Not worn out but your 12t 'may' be worn out when all is happy with cogset/FH body.

[macaroon]

have you got a 12t lockring on there? If it's an 11t lockring, that may be causing the issue. Although it's most likely to be a lack of spacers.

[thirdgenbird]

f/u on Mark and Stien's comments -- are you running a 10 speed cassette on an 11speed hub? if so, you're gonna need the spacer.

the notching on the hubs is pretty typical....it sucks, but using aluminum on the freehub to save weight is the trade-off. I think some Campy freehubs use a thin steel piece on the front of the spline.
Joe

Campy splines are deeper so they don't notch out. Some aftermarket shimano hubs like novatec have the steel insert like you discuss.

[fuzzalow]

Step away from the wrench! In fairness to the OP, I don't know ding about any cycling products beyond Campagnolo. But I do know that when a cassette sprocket that's 2.5 mm thin makes a gouge in a freehub carrier thats >2.5mm, that should tell you something. And that could be maybe one of two things: RTFM or Step Away from the Wrench.

I do admire those who wrench on their own bikes, irrespective of underlying knowledge or skill. It shows personal responsibility of the consequences.

[oldpotatoe]

Step away from the wrench! In fairness to the OP, I don't know ding about any cycling products beyond Campagnolo. But I do know that when a cassette sprocket that's 2.5 mm thin makes a gouge in a freehub carrier thats >2.5mm, that should tell you something. And that could be maybe one of two things: RTFM or Step Away from the Wrench.

I do admire those who wrench on their own bikes, irrespective of underlying knowledge or skill. It shows personal responsibility of the consequences.

Yup, another crappy design.

[Dead Man]

There's no room for a spacer. As for the lockring- it's the ring that came with the cassette, and I only have 12-X cassettes, no 11t cogs anywhere around here.

[nooneline]

This happens to freehubs. It's normal. There are a couple things you could do -
First, you can try to make it so that the cogs don't sit in those notches anymore. A spacer behind the cassette can help unalign the cassette and the notches. You'll have to tweak your rear derailleur, obviously, because you're changing the lateral position of the cogs a bit.

Secondly, often the notches cause some material to stick up off the splines, which makes it hard to get cassettes on and off. You can file these down.

Third, you can use a Shimano cassette instead of a SRAM one - Shimano cassettes have deeper splines to fit with that brief little bit when they made Dura-Ace freehub bodies with deep splines (still in the Shimano pattern, but taller). These will go on and off a notched freehub body easier.

Fourth - when it gets really bad, you replace the freehub body.

[thirdgenbird]

Fifth - get a hub with a steel or ti freehub

Sixth - switch to campy.

[oldpotatoe]

Fifth - get a hub with a steel or ti freehub

Sixth - switch to campy.

Yup. 'But they are so light', after a while, sram's mantra just means cheap and light....mostly made cheap.