I recently ordered a new cassette body and bearings for the OEM hub on my TCX which looks like this:

When I came to try and install it to the hub I found that the cartridge bearing was extremely reluctant to go into the cassette body.

After using what seemed like way too much force I eventually got it in there, but then the bearing was very reluctant to go round. I think this was because the fit was so tight that the outer race of the bearing was being distorted.

I tried putting the old bearing in and had the same problem, so it isn’t that the bearing is out of spec.

When I tried measuring the diameter of the space for the bearing to push into on the cassette body it seems to be 0.1mm smaller than on the old one.

Has anyone had similar problems with cartridge bearings that won’t press in to components? I suppose that in applications with an interference fit like this the tolerances need to be fairly tight.

I’ve emailed the shop I bought it from (who also supplied the previous replacement that I had no problem with). Will see what they come back with.

That freehub doesn’t look like it takes sealed cartridge bearings.

That freehub doesn’t look like it takes sealed cartridge bearings.

this.

I ordered exactly the same part as I did the previous time, and it looks just the same as the old one.

On the shop’s website it has listed :

11 Speed Sealed Bearing Freehub Body, FH06KA-401
11 Speed Loose Ball Freehub Body, FH04KA-501

I ordered the first one.

the image you posted is of the latter one.

you sure they’re the same?

They certainly look similar. Will have a check tonight. Maybe they have sent me the wrong one by mistake…

the image you posted is of the latter one.

What makes you think that? The url is:

http://www.rexcykler.dk/images/49/152B-FH06KA-401.jpg

What makes you think that?

He looked at the picture? That picture is of a loose ball freehub body.

So Giant are stuffing cartridge bearings into loose ball freehub bodies on their OEM hubs?

So Giant are stuffing cartridge bearings into loose ball freehub bodies on their OEM hubs?

I’d say it was far, far more likely that the picture is incorrect 🙂

At the risk of sounding like there’s an echo, the picture you posted and the link both show a freehub body for loose bearings not a sealed cartridge bearing. So if what you have looks exactly like the picture then you have the wrong one.