I9 Torch Freehub body falling out...huh??

[Slamcarneyson]

I have a pair of Industry Nine Torch 11sp road hubs to WTB KOM rims built about two years ago, but new to me as of 10/18. Previous owner was a coworker of mine. I built the wheels. Good wheels BUT:

When I take the wheel out of the frame (TA 142x12) and rotate the wheel so the freehub body faces the ground the FH just falls right out with no resistance.

Even with no cassette It just falls right out. No play when the FH is in the hub shell...but when backpedaling it sounds a lil hollow...don't really know if that has to do with the FH or not. ANYWAY just seeing if anyone else has had this issue. Thanks!

[dddd]

I believe there are hubs out there with no actual retention of the freehub body to the hub, only seal friction at the hubshell and of course slid onto the axle.
I've seen riders out on the road with cassette in hand so to speak, while tending to their puncture.

Do any of the ratchet bits tend to dislodge when the body comes out?

[Mark McM]

According to the Industry Nine Torch Service Manual (https://industrynine.com/support/torch), the end cap is held in place with a rubber o-ring seated in endcap (i.e., a friction fit). After the end cap is removed, the freehub body can be removed by hand.

Best guess is that the rubber o-ring is worn, missing, or broken, allowing the endcap and freehub body to easily slip off.

[Slamcarneyson]

According to the Industry Nine Torch Service Manual (https://industrynine.com/support/torch), the end cap is held in place with a rubber o-ring seated in endcap (i.e., a friction fit). After the end cap is removed, the freehub body can be removed by hand.

Best guess is that the rubber o-ring is worn, missing, or broken, allowing the endcap and freehub body to easily slip off.

Upon closer inspection that rubber o-ring seems to have lost a bit of its elasticity...I'll just order some lil bits from I9 and see if that improves things.

[d_douglas]

I had this happen with a set of Hope Pro4 wheels. Once on the bike, it was fine, but I had the wheel laying down to seal tubeless and came to garage the next morning and the whole FHB and cassette were laying on the floor!

It seems a bad design though and I think I9 makes some pretty amazing stuff, so they'll have a solution for this.

[fmm]

I can confirm that this happened to me too, and a new o-ring solved it!

[geordanh]

yeah those o rings wear out need to replace