thanks to a formula hub that can’t survive 2 rides without unscrewing itself, i need a new rear hub.

(12mm x 148, if that’s a real size…?)

i’ll be re-building the wheel myself, probably using a shimano slx rear hub. but it seems you don’t have to look very far on t’interweb before you find threads on cycling forums discussing cracked freehubs.

is this one of those little known shimano ballsups, where it’s all been sorted out now? (like the brake callipers that leaked in the cold)

or an urban myth? (shimano freehubs are fine, always have been… etc.)

I’ve never, ever seen or heard of a cracked Shimano freehub. I’ve seen most things you’d believe can happen to a bike and a lot you wouldn’t but not that. Not saying it’s impossible but it’s not common to say the least.
They give a nice long warning before failing too, they get noisy well before they give up the ghost.

I saw quite a few a few years back, not seen any recently, but can’t confirm if it’s been sorted as we haven’t sold anything thus equipped in the last year or so.
Edit- was pretty much unique to 12mm through-axled hubs, with the freehub body literally splitting open, other hubs seemed unaffected.

My SLX freehub cracked a few months back. Have to admit it was most likely down to me and my lack of maintaining the poxy cup-and-cone set up. The hub was 10 months old and Evans replaced it under warranty (though I had to pay for a wheel build).

Really?

Torque wrench used to do the cassette up or was it done up in a vice…?

Also,

thanks to a formula hub that can’t survive 2 rides without unscrewing itself,

What’s unscrewing? Properly adjusted hubs never come loose.

PeterPoddy – Member

What’s unscrewing? Properly adjusted hubs never come loose.

This is hard to explain, the drive-side of the axle unscrews, and the freehub falls off.

There are some tiny ‘flats’ that look like they could be used to tighten the axle together, but they’re tiny, I can barely get a spanner on them. But that doesn’t matter, because there are no opposing flats on the other ‘end’ of the axle to tighten against /stop the axle spinning on the bearings.

So I tighten it as best I can, which lasts a few hours, if I’m lucky.

I understand that this is simply a case of user error.

Yep, I cracked 2 off them in 60 miles. Once in Spain, which was an arse and its replacement 20 miles later. Madison said there wasn’t a problem, I got a 3rd replacement freehub and thought they were shit hubs, so bought some new ones and binned them. Same freehub as SLX, Zee and XT. They only seem to affect 12mm axle hubs (smaller bearings and thinner freehub shell that the cassette fits on). Just google cracked shimano freehub images and see they do break. My Shimano freehub on my RS81 road wheels have been fine though, although I don’t do many miles on them.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/is-this-completely-knackered-cheap-shimano-hub-content

Yep, they can implode ?

I was working in the trade when there was a huge number of failures on a lot of our bikes. Mostly cracked SLX freewheels. Madison maintained there wasn’t a manufacturing problem but their spares supply was wiped out. Have you any idea how long it takes to replenish the stock of spare freewheels via a slow boat from wherever they come from? That led to some painful phone calls.

Surely it was a temporary thing and has been long since sorted. I wouldn’t know, you’d be mad to ride Shimano hubs in the first place.

Meh, I’ve had a Hope pro2 freehub crack and ovalise jamming itself in the cassette.

Pretty sure any hub mfr has failures, just like frames.

Probably a good job you left the trade then.

Failures I’m aware of:
XT M756 rear hubs had problems with the drive side cones and lock-nuts coming loose. I sold 4 bikes fitted with those hubs and all suffered.
I’ve seen a couple of Deore hubs strip the thread for the internal bolt holding the freehub to hub body. One under regular use by a 20st rider though.
My own Chris King rear broke at a spoke hole in the flange – sorted under warranty. Thankfully.

Probably a good job you left the trade then.

You’re absolutely right. My preference for good quality hubs made life hell for everyone.