Why is my freewheel slipping?
6 min read
Asked by: Yujong Kirkland
If the pawls inside the freewheel are sticking that could result in it slipping, so take the freewheel off the hub, soak and agitate it in solvent/degreaser to get any gunk out then re-lube in a heavy oil (like thick engine oil). Don’t use grease – not good for those little springs and teeth inside.
Why is my freehub slipping?
Check for tight chainlinks and excessive cog wear if it skips under load. If it is the cassette body and it’s been skipping for awhile, you may well have damaged the pawls and ratchet to the point where the cassette body requires replacement.
How do you tighten a freewheel?
Quote from video: And put the chain on and then push down on the pedal. So it gets nice and tight or you can use chain whip that's one of these things. And basically you just wrap it around the chain.
Why do freewheels click?
When the freehub body is driven in the opposite direction, the pawls can’t engage with the teeth of the drive ring, so it is able to spin freely. The pawls click up and down over the teeth, which is what produces the buzz of the freehub.
Why do my pedals keep turning when I freewheel?
The friction between the bearings, pawls and lubricant in a freehub or freewheel are usually enough to turn the pedals when the wheel is spinning. If you hold onto the pedal and the wheel freewheels normally, probably there isn’t anything to worry about.
How do I know if my free hub needs replacing?
Check the freehub for wear to see if it needs replacing or just cleaning and relubing. To do this, firmly grab the splined body and give it a wiggle. If it moves more than a couple of millimetres side to side, replace it. Otherwise, a good clean and oil will do fine.
Why does my rear cassette slip?
These can occur simultaneously – a dirty chain causes rapid chain wear, a worn out chain causes the cassette to wear out. If you have been riding with a slipping chain for long, you are very likely to have worn out both the chain and the cassette and will have to replace both.
When should I replace my freewheel?
If you ride around on a single speed bike or a BMX, then once every one to two years you need to replace the freewheel cog.
Replacing Single Speed Freewheel or BMX Freewheel
- BMX Freewheel remover – one that will fit your freewheel cog. …
- Spanner – this will fit on to the freewheel remover.
How tight should my cassette be?
You’ll need a great deal of strength to turn it and get your cassette lockring tight enough. Turn it clockwise and keep turning until you feel it is right enough. You will usually hear clicks as you turn. After 4 or 5 clicks, your cassette lockring should be tight enough.
How many ball bearings does a freewheel have?
Typically you’ll have 10 bearings per side in the front and nine bearings per side in the back. Those are *common* sizes and counts, but you really won’t know for sure until you tear into the hub.
What do loose spokes sound like?
Spokes often move as they pass under your body weight with each wheel revolution. This can produce a tick or click noise, which comes from where the spokes touch each other at the cross. Squeezing pairs of crossed spokes on his front wheel definitely produced ticking-type noises.
Why are some freewheels loud?
Loudness in the freehub/freebody is usually due to the very light oil used to lubricate the inner parts. Thicker oil can be used to lessen the noise and even grease in some cases, but it’s high viscosity is pointed at for not being so efficient.
Are Loud hubs better?
Because loud hubs have more engagement points and pawls, they engage faster which makes pedaling quick. The fast engagement that occurs when you start pedaling results in less energy being lost through your pedals.
What happens when a free hub fails?
If you are talking about the “freehub” bearings rather than the “hub” bearings just be aware that if it were to lock up you are at risk of a serious incedent. you’ll basically rip the rear mech off and probably end up on the floor – especially if it decides to lock up and speed.
Should you grease your freehub?
So a little grease on a steel freehub certainly can’t hurt when it comes to corrosion protection. Bottom line, not a big deal. If you do regular maintenance and pull the cassette now and then in the process, leaving the freehub body dry shouldn’t hurt a thing.
How do you lubricate a free hub?
Quote from video: Oil right around the edge of the freehub where it joins the rim of the hub holding the spine so the freehub spin the wheel.
How do you fix a freehub?
Quote from video: So let's just fit right on to a park tool so then I'll loosen that. And once I get it broken loose. Then. I can just remove the block ring nice and easily. Now.
How do you stop ghost pedaling?
My hub was ghost pedalling because its was too dry. Just put some grease in the hub/driver. Wake up, ride, have fun, repeat.
Should you grease freehub?
So a little grease on a steel freehub certainly can’t hurt when it comes to corrosion protection. Bottom line, not a big deal. If you do regular maintenance and pull the cassette now and then in the process, leaving the freehub body dry shouldn’t hurt a thing.
How do I fix the freehub on my bike?
Quote from video: So I have the the old freewheel hub body here pull that part out and set that right down there there's a spacer on there so I'm gonna go ahead and pull that off.
When should I replace my freewheel?
If you ride around on a single speed bike or a BMX, then once every one to two years you need to replace the freewheel cog.
Replacing Single Speed Freewheel or BMX Freewheel
- BMX Freewheel remover – one that will fit your freewheel cog. …
- Spanner – this will fit on to the freewheel remover.
How do I know if my bike bearings are bad?
Worn out or dry bearings will feel rough, metallic and dry. Sometimes they’re so dry that if you pull your finger fast across the axle you can make the axle keep spinning because there’s no grease inside the bearings to slow it down.