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Questions and answers about sports

Can I replace a 9spd freehub with a 7spd one?

5 min read

Asked by: Ronald Oberlander

Are freehubs interchangeable?

Most Shimano Freehub bodies are interchangeable.

Are all freehubs compatible?

All the current (since the year 1990) freewheel hubs are compatible with all the 6 and 7 speed freewheel sprockets. Freewheel rear hub with threads, and freewheel sprockets that are screwed onto it.

Can you change out a freehub?

If your cassette cluster is loose or gets stiff you may need to replace your freehub body. To do this you’ll need a 10mm allen key, and you’ll have to first remove your cassette, axle and bearings as demonstrated in previous tutorials.

Can you fit 9 speed on a 7 speed hub?

7-speed hubs won’t normally accept 8-, 9- or 10 speed cassettes without modification. Click here for details. 7-speed cassettes fit fine on 8- and 9-speed (and most 10-speed) hubs if you put a 4.5 mm spacer onto the body before the cassette.

Are bike freehubs universal?

Though they may look similar, Shimano’s new 12-speed Dura-Ace freehubs and Micro Spline are different, and cassettes are not interchangeable across either system.

Can I fit a 11 speed cassette on a 9 speed hub?

An 11-speed cassette will fit on a 9-speed hub only when the hub is wide enough. Luckily, 8,9,10 and 11-speed mountain bike hubs have the same spacing, and one can therefore use an 11-speed cassette on all of them.

Can I put an 11 speed freehub on a 10 speed wheel?


Quote from video: So the eleven speed will slide further in back over the freehub. And it will be compatible.

How do I know what freehub I need?

Knowing What Freehub You Need

  1. If you have 10, select a Shimano/SRAM freehub.
  2. If you have 12 gears, select an XDR freehub.
  3. If you have 11, look at your crank.
  4. If there is one chainring up front, select an XDR freehub.
  5. If there are two or three chainrings (gears) up front, pick a Shimano/SRAM freehub.


How do I know my freehub size?

Quote from video: Very very carefully. Taking my ruler. And i can see that this one is 15 millimeters. So there we go that's how we measure the hub width. And through axle diameter.

Can you upgrade freehub body?

No, Shimano hubs only fit the Shimano freehub for which they were designed. Nothing else should fit. Unfortunately there are hundreds of hub and freehub designs and none of them follow any sort of standard. You need to replace the whole hub.

Are all Shimano freehubs compatible?

Shimano Microspline freehub bodies are only compatible with Shimano 11 and 12-speed mountain bike cassettes that feature a 10T smallest sprocket. These wide-range cassettes will not fit any other freehub body, and similarly, no other cassette design (including Shimano 12-speed road) will fit a Microspline freehub body.

Can you remove freehub without removing cassette?

Registered. If the freehub just pulls off without the cassette, it’ll pull off with the cassette. I’ve had freehubs that I couldn’t slip back on without wrapping a string around the pawls to hold them in, which might be trickier with cassette still on.

Can you put an 8 speed cassette on a 7 speed freehub?

Any 7-speed Shimano Hyperglide Freehub will actually work with 8 or 9 sprockets, without any modification! What you need to do is to use 8 of the sprockets from a 9-speed cassette, with the 9-speed spacers — or 9 of the sprockets from a 10-speed cassette.

Are all freewheels compatible?

All freewheel hubs have the same thread and are compatible with single, 5, 6, 7 and maybe some 8 speed freewheels. Position of the hub is set by dishing of the wheel and spacers on the axle.

Are all freewheels interchangeable?

No, freewheels are completely different from the cassette / free hub system and are not interchangeable. A freewheel includes the ratchet mechanism that allows the sprockets to rotate backwards as well as the sprockets themselves, and threads into the hub.

Are all Shimano freehubs compatible?

Shimano Microspline freehub bodies are only compatible with Shimano 11 and 12-speed mountain bike cassettes that feature a 10T smallest sprocket. These wide-range cassettes will not fit any other freehub body, and similarly, no other cassette design (including Shimano 12-speed road) will fit a Microspline freehub body.

Are Mavic freehubs interchangeable?

ID360 is a ratchet freehub system designed and manufactured by Mavic. Brought to road and gravel in 2016, this system was adopted for the first time on MTB wheels in 2018. ID360 is stiff and durable while benefiting from faster engagement. The interchangeability of the freehub is one of the best features.

Are DT Swiss freehubs interchangeable?

Freehub Body



All DT Swiss Ratchet System hubs can be converted.

Are all freewheels interchangeable?

No, freewheels are completely different from the cassette / free hub system and are not interchangeable. A freewheel includes the ratchet mechanism that allows the sprockets to rotate backwards as well as the sprockets themselves, and threads into the hub.

Are 6 and 7 speed freewheels interchangeable?

If your bike currently has a regular-spaced 6-speed freewheel, you can generally upgrade to 7-speed with little trouble. Since the sprockets are closer together on a 7-speed freewheel, the overall width is only very slightly wider than a regular-spaced 6-speed.

Can you fit an 11 speed cassette on a 10 speed hub?

Luckily, many common and not-so-common wheelsets, as long as they’re at least 10-speed, can be upgraded to 11-speed by purchasing a new cassette body. The body is the part that attaches to the center of the hub and drives the wheel and bike when you pedal.