Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
  • Shimano freehub has "in-out" play from new: any ideas
  • couldashouldawoulda
    Free Member

    So I got a “bargain” pair of SLX UST wheels from Decathlon (I know!).

    Anyway the symptoms started as shifting all over the place / ghost shifting when on the bike: but on the stand it’s perfect. A bit more digging and I thought the cassette was loose – but it definitely isnt. Basically the cassesse moves in/out from the hub by 1-2mm, took the cassette off and its the freehub moving.

    The cones are tight – any tighter and the hub is notchy.

    I’ve never done anything to Shimano hubs apart from servicing them and adjusting cones. I’ve checked Sheldon but nothing obvious.

    Apologies if its something obvious! Oh – and I’m loathe to bring them back to Decathlon- I’d prefer to learn as I fix.

    coatesy
    Free Member

    Have you checked the bolt holding it onto the hub shell?

    couldashouldawoulda
    Free Member

    Nope! How do I get at that then? Do I have to take out the cones?

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    coatesy
    Free Member

    Axle out, 10mm allen key in from the freehub body, tighten with a lot of force.

    tthew
    Full Member

    Have you checked the bolt holding it onto the hub shell?

    which you get to by taking off the cassette, removing the cones and axle then getting a 10mm, (? could be wrong, may even be a 12mm) allen key down into the freehub.

    Though if it remember correctly, if the bearings are tight that would keep the centre, fixed part of the freehub in position so tightening it won’t help.

    edit – too slow on the first bit, but think the second still stands.

    couldashouldawoulda
    Free Member

    Thanks coatesy – much appreciated. Tomorrow’s mini-project awaits.

    #Edit – tthew – that’s put a bit of a cloud over things! Thing is there is no way the cones can be done up any tighter – it’d start binding.

    coatesy
    Free Member

    It’s possible that if the bolt works loose, it can come out and touch the bearings and you’ll get a false sense of tightness(A 7 mile walk in cycling shoes, with a locked up hub, will tell you it can come out a touch further and jam the lot up).

    tthew
    Full Member

    I could be wrong, but the ones I’ve taken apart in the past have the brake side bearing in the main hub and the gear side bearing in the freehub. The 10mm bolt tightens the splined inner, fixed part of the freehub to the main hub and makes it all one solid unit.

    The freehub has some separate small bearings in it that lets the outer shell rotate, which are non-serviceable as it’s a sealed unit you unbolt and throw away when it’s knackered, so I think that it’s likely that your has some kind of manufacturing fault from new that means it needs replacing. (I don’t know if you can picture how this all works from my description, not sure I could! 😀 )

    If that 10mm bolt was loose, I reckon the whole freehub would be wobbly on the wheel as well as the side to side play you describe.

    I’m like you that I’d rather just fix things rather than have the faff of taking it back to the shop, but in this case if you dismantle it all and the shop can tell you did this when/if you take it back they’ll just say you caused the fault and it’ll be hard to get them to honour the warrantee.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Defintely worth checking – the contact area between the freehub and the hub doesnt look much when you take it apart.

    The bolt needs 60lbs of force at the end of a 6″ hex key, which is tight – really tight.

    tthew
    Full Member

    Coatesy – sound’s like you have some experience of this. When your freehub came loose was it wobbly on it’s splines, or did they hold the thing solid, (apart from the side to side play)?

    TuckerUK
    Free Member

    Slightly off the main topic but…

    The cones are tight – any tighter and the hub is notchy.

    Then your cones are way too tight. 😉

    They should be adjusted so a tiny amount of freeplay still exists, which tightening up the QR correctly (which tensions the axle) just removes.

    couldashouldawoulda
    Free Member

    Thanks guys – I’ll try tightening the 10mm bolt and after that it’s back to the “experts” at Decathlon. Its a PITA that’s its happening from new – but I guess that happens sometimes.

    #Edit – trucker – I know that: but in this case I’m trying to identify / overcome a problem and I wouldnt leave them that tight normally. Thanks though!

    tthew
    Full Member

    Can you let us know the outcome please? Nice to understand these things.

    coatesy
    Free Member

    Afraid it’s a bit far back (probably 15 yrs)to remember the symptoms I had, but the walk is still etched in the memory. As mentioned above, it’s quite possible that you have a faulty freehub body, but worth checking it’s fitted tightly first.

    couldashouldawoulda
    Free Member

    Will do!

    #edit- i’ll try tightening the 10mm first then back to Decathlon.

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