I’ve buggered the cassette / Shimano freehub on my Superstar V6 hub wheels (massive bikepacking weight x long distance = cassette biting into freehub ridges). I’ve got another Shimano freehub I can swap in with a new cassette, but I can’t figure out how to remove the axle. There’s no cone nuts, just circular grooves. I can’t find a YT video showing how to do it, so I’m stumped.

Anyone know how to remove the axle, so I can get the freehub out?

My Superstar V6 hub needed some TLC just the other day.

If it’s just that the cassette has mangled the freehub body, then unless it’s really bad, just lightly file down the bits where it sticks out and put the new cassette on.

If you really need to replace the freehub, then you just need to remove the endcap. Just pull really hard. I ended up using some man-sized pliers (knippers). Probably should have used a piece of cloth/rag/padding to protect it, but it did not require much effort to remove in the end.

Some novatec and similar hubs have end caps that thread on, just need a spanner on the flats on each end, and turn in opposite directions

Just pull it off, you might be able to do it with the end cap or pull the end cap off first. 

I swapped mine the other day and it doesn’t require tools. 

Thanks, I’ve got the endcap off the freehub end using the brute force method, but no luck at the brake disc side.

I was foolishly expecting a 10mm allen key socket inside the hub to remove it, but that’s not how this hub is made.

How do I remove the freehub? I should say the freehub still has most of the cassette rings on because they’re so chewed into the freehub I can’t wiggle them off. I was hoping to remove the whole lot and replace it, hub and cassette.

You don’t need to remove the disc side end cap to get the freehub off. If you have the driveside end cap off then the only thing holding the freehub on is the seal behind the cassette. 

I was able to pull it off by pulling on the cassette with my fingers while bracing on the wheel with my thumbs. 

This is where I own up to it all being my fault by discovering I’d missed out the 1.8mm spacer required behind the cassette. Idiot.

Reassembled it all, cassette no longer wobbles, obviously. Presumably that play was what caused the cassette to bite into the freehub splines at an angle.

My new problem is now I’ve put it all back together, the freehub barely goes backwards, making riding impossible. Is this because I’ve packed the ratchets with too much grease? As it’s all a press fit there’s nowhere to loosen the freehub off (the bearing are still running smoothly). Now the cassette slides on and off like it should, I can’t use it to lever the freehub off and even gripping it with the big wrench doesn’t persuade it to come off. 

How do you remove the freehub now?

the freehub barely goes backwards

Is the plastic seal in position correctly?

too much grease?

You only need a tiny dab of grease.

How do you remove the freehub now?

It should just pull off!

If it’s like the Hope Pro4 I loosen the lock ring a bit that holds the cassette on – then tab the back of the cassette with a socket set extension bar to pop the seal out of the hub. Then remove the lock ring and cassette.

I’ve got a V6 but it hasn’t had much use yet so haven’t had reason to dismantle it.

If you’ve had the freehub off is there a washer you’ve missed out when reassembling it – or is the seal not fully embedded into the hub?

I think what I’ve done is put the 2mm washer that should be between the freehub and the hub on the axle in front of the freehub, directly behind the end cap.

I’ll try the slightly loosening the lock ring tip next.

A catalogue of errors!

Just when you could do with a post from neil/superstarcomponents, he doesn’t show up.

I’ve recently done this myself (the freehub decided to collapse mid-ride!) I just removed cassette/pulled it out and popped the new one back on TBH, though I did wrap some small cable ties around the pawls to contract them while I got it partially in, then cut them off/pushed it properly on.

I’ve also made the mistake of forgetting the spacer before!

Definitely sounds like the spacer behind the freehub. Worth looking at your spacer closely as I found mine non-symmetrical and sensitive to orientation, which I’d forgotten about but mentioned in this thread here. 

Warning: the spacer that sits behind the freehub is slightly convex on one side, concave on the other. When I first reassembled everything it span freely in the hand, but as soon as any pressure was put through the axle from a QR skewer it locked up. Flipping the spacer resolved this.

Worth looking at your spacer closely as I found mine non-symmetrical and sensitive to orientation

Thanks for the tip. Which was the right way?

Didn’t write that down unfortunately!

I’m not actually convinced it was supposed to be shaped like that. It’s possible that mine wore into that shape as a result of some of the other issues with bent axles and loose fitting. Let me know if yours is similar!

My space appears to be flat on both sides.

Turns out that I wasn’t seating the seal completely in the tiny groove that it has to sit in on the freehub. Meant that the seal was gripping the freehub tightly and not letting it spin freely.

Ah yes that’s easily done, been there and done that.

Actually I think I might have replaced my spacer to a properly flat one after all.

I had loads of problems a few hears ago and over the course of 6 months replaced axle twice, and all the bearings twice. Last thing I bought was a replacement freehub spacer – so I think that was what worked in the end! All been spot on since.