King hub stopped engaging

[jojobos]

So I got stranded on the way to work because the classic Chris King rear hub pawls stopped engaging. I had to call a cab to get home. It is only 28F outside and colder days are ahead. How do I fix/prevent it? Any other hubs that are bulletproof in freezing temperature?

[ergott]

First time I've heard of that. How hold and how may miles?

The engagement mechanism doesn't use pawls, there's a ring drive in there that very robust. It is susceptible to issues if the wrong lubrication is used.

[moobikes]

Your King hubs are most likely not dead and only needs servicing. There are no pawls and the mechanism hardly ever breaks. Very low temps and old grease can stop the sliding parts from sliding and prevent engagement.

Make sure to use a synthetic motor oil, and not grease, to lube the Ringdrive.

Light grease in all the bearings, oil on the Ring Drive.

[macaroon]

It used to be a known problem with the King hubs. If you stop and take a wee on it, that'll free it up!

DT Swiss don't have pawls so will probably work well in cold weather.

[Mikej]

Yeah, its common, spray out the drive ring and spring compartment with wd-40 then add a lube, not sure what they are using these days, but some mobile 1 sounds appropriate. Sometimes I'd bang my rear rim against a tree to shake the spring enough to engage, then pedal all the way home, no coasting!

[jojobos]

The wheel was built and serviced professionally(allegedly) prior to my ownership. Right after I got it, I swapped the axle from 135 to 130, redish, and apply Ringdrive lube. It was really clean inside. Since then I put about 4500 miles in 6 month absolutely trouble free. I do ride in all weather condition but today was the coldest the hub has ever seen under my ownership.

I didn't "wee" on it but the wheel is working fine now after being sat in a room for about 2 hours! I will pull it apart and see what the deal is.

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by jojobos

The wheel was built and serviced professionally(allegedly) prior to my ownership. Right after I got it, I swapped the axle from 135 to 130, redish, and apply Ringdrive lube. It was really clean inside. Since then I put about 4500 miles in 6 month absolutely trouble free. I do ride in all weather condition but today was the coldest the hub has ever seen under my ownership.

I didn't "wee" on it but the wheel is working fine now after being sat in a room for about 2 hours! I will pull it apart and see what the deal is.

The grease on the spring has "thickened" due to the cold, just how it is, spray out the grease and use an oil for winter. Also, I think they discontinued ring drive lube?

[BikeNY]

That's one issue with King hubs. The ring drive is very robust, but needs regular maintenance.

[seanile]

Originally Posted by macaroon

It used to be a known problem with the King hubs. If you stop and take a wee on it, that'll free it up!

this is amazing.
it's also why i keep a lighter in my bag. sometimes it's necessary to heat stuck components or the key mechanisms in iced up locks.

[jojobos]

Water!! Totally my fault.

I completely submerged the hub a day before Halloween. A flash flood warning issued and the condition was so terrible with fallen trees everywhere and couple of knee deep water on the road. I had to ride through them and told myself got to look at it very soon. Sun came out and I forgot about it.

[chiasticon]

yeah with the way that looks, I'd yank the bearings, pull the seals, WD40 their guts, then add ring drive to 'em and elsewhere during re-assembly.

[Veloo]

Hmmm, interesting.
I've never owned a CK hubset.
How long was it submerged? I'll guess seconds and not minutes/ miles.
Not like you aimed a pressure washer at it either.

Considering the price and reputation, this instance almost makes it sound kinda delicate.

[jojobos]

Thanks- I am on the bearings and other areas I can access. Luckily I have almost a full bottle of Ringdrive lube, tri-flow, and 10w synth oil as mentioned in the King's service manual, so looks like I can get them going soon.

Yes just crossing 2 bad spots, definitely seconds total and continue moving.

[Mikej]

Don't yank the bearings, simply remove the retaining clip that keeps the rubber seal in place, then spray it out and grease. Be careful not to cut the seal. You need a special tool to pull the bearings and re-install.
.
https://chrisking.com/files/public/c...l_11-14_v3.pdf

[berserk87]

Originally Posted by BikeNY

That's one issue with King hubs. The ring drive is very robust, but needs regular maintenance.

That's just not accurate. I used and abused mine for years without doing anything to them. The only maintenance that I had done was at a shop after 14 years of use, on 2 different sets (one road and one MTB). The reason I owned King hubs to begin with was that I could ride them and forget about messing with 'em.

The cold should not be an issue, either. I rode mine on the coldest ride I have ever done (0 F with a 17mph wind). The ride was physically painful due to the cold but the hubs were fine.

I've had a 3 sets of road hubs and a set of MTB hubs from King. Raced them, had them submerged in muddy water, etc. Great product.

I did have a friend that kinda had the lockup issue last year (the hub didn't seize). The WD40 trick worked on his and he was back on the road quickly. He got his used so I don't know what the deal was there. Maybe the prior owner lubed them with something he shouldn't have. They were gummed up inside.