Discussion
I purchased an ex-demo full suspension MTB last year, had a few niggling problems but overall its been fine.
Went for a ride last week and just as I put pressure through the pedals up hill there was a crunching sound and something didn't feel right, the freehub was notably quieter and felt stiff when turning the cranks.
When I got home I took the freehub off and this is where the fun starts!
Directly bellow one on the pawls the metal in the freehub has cracked and there is very little left of the bearing below that pawl as the pressure from the pawl has obviously broken it into pieces. What's left of this bearing has damaged the bearing in the hub and the fragments have been rattling around in the freewheel.
I contacted the shop and was initally advised to send photos and eventually told bearing failure so wear and tare but well sell you a free hub (initially full price, then half price and finally free). I explained I was not happy with their explanation and the bearing failed due to the pawl going through the free hub, not ware and tare!
After a further conversation he said he'll look into it and get back to me...........
Today I'm advised that the wheel hub is unlikely to be damaged and they'll provide a free freehub (I don't think they understand the bearing in the hub is also toast due to all the metal fragments) or for £90 they'll provide a new rear wheel (wheelset costs £300+).
Not sure what I expected as these things happen, it was an ex demo etc., what are your thoughts?
Part of me says pay £90 for a new wheel, move on and use the bike (I'll have plenty of spare spokes and a rim from the damaged wheel!)
Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
Went for a ride last week and just as I put pressure through the pedals up hill there was a crunching sound and something didn't feel right, the freehub was notably quieter and felt stiff when turning the cranks.
When I got home I took the freehub off and this is where the fun starts!
Directly bellow one on the pawls the metal in the freehub has cracked and there is very little left of the bearing below that pawl as the pressure from the pawl has obviously broken it into pieces. What's left of this bearing has damaged the bearing in the hub and the fragments have been rattling around in the freewheel.
I contacted the shop and was initally advised to send photos and eventually told bearing failure so wear and tare but well sell you a free hub (initially full price, then half price and finally free). I explained I was not happy with their explanation and the bearing failed due to the pawl going through the free hub, not ware and tare!
After a further conversation he said he'll look into it and get back to me...........
Today I'm advised that the wheel hub is unlikely to be damaged and they'll provide a free freehub (I don't think they understand the bearing in the hub is also toast due to all the metal fragments) or for £90 they'll provide a new rear wheel (wheelset costs £300+).
Not sure what I expected as these things happen, it was an ex demo etc., what are your thoughts?
Part of me says pay £90 for a new wheel, move on and use the bike (I'll have plenty of spare spokes and a rim from the damaged wheel!)
Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
Random84 said:
Part of me says pay £90 for a new wheel, move on and use the bike (I'll have plenty of spare spokes and a rim from the damaged wheel!)
Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
I'd say pay the money and put your mind at rest; you'll never trust the "repaired" wheel. Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
And once you've got all those spares, you've pretty much guaranteed none of it will ever break again
defblade said:
Random84 said:
Part of me says pay £90 for a new wheel, move on and use the bike (I'll have plenty of spare spokes and a rim from the damaged wheel!)
Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
I'd say pay the money and put your mind at rest; you'll never trust the "repaired" wheel. Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
And once you've got all those spares, you've pretty much guaranteed none of it will ever break again
I'd say the same I think, unfortunate issue but probably best to bite the bullet, pay for the wheel and move on.
£90 for a brand new rear wheel is a bargain that I'd snap up if I were you. Sounds like the shop are being more than reasonable at that too as rear wheel bearings and freehubs can be a problem, especially at this time of year when we've just come out of winter.
Depending on how much you've ridden it, how much you've washed it and what sort of quality the bearings and seals are it's a fairly common failure. In my experience it's cheap Chinese bearings in the freehub that are the main culprit. Had it with some Hunt Endrowides where I found the bearings to be branded to look like NSK or SKF but they were just cheapies with crap seals and so they'd shat themselves in a matter of months.
Quality bearings and a fairly regular freehub service to make sure the pawls are moving nice and free with plenty of spring then any rear hub should last years.
Depending on how much you've ridden it, how much you've washed it and what sort of quality the bearings and seals are it's a fairly common failure. In my experience it's cheap Chinese bearings in the freehub that are the main culprit. Had it with some Hunt Endrowides where I found the bearings to be branded to look like NSK or SKF but they were just cheapies with crap seals and so they'd shat themselves in a matter of months.
Quality bearings and a fairly regular freehub service to make sure the pawls are moving nice and free with plenty of spring then any rear hub should last years.
GravelBen said:
defblade said:
Random84 said:
Part of me says pay £90 for a new wheel, move on and use the bike (I'll have plenty of spare spokes and a rim from the damaged wheel!)
Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
I'd say pay the money and put your mind at rest; you'll never trust the "repaired" wheel. Replacing the freehub seems like a bodge to me, its hard to tell there was ever a bearing in the freehub as its broken into so many pieces!
And once you've got all those spares, you've pretty much guaranteed none of it will ever break again
I'd say the same I think, unfortunate issue but probably best to bite the bullet, pay for the wheel and move on.
bobbo89 said:
£90 for a brand new rear wheel is a bargain that I'd snap up if I were you. Sounds like the shop are being more than reasonable at that too as rear wheel bearings and freehubs can be a problem, especially at this time of year when we've just come out of winter.
Depending on how much you've ridden it, how much you've washed it and what sort of quality the bearings and seals are it's a fairly common failure. In my experience it's cheap Chinese bearings in the freehub that are the main culprit. Had it with some Hunt Endrowides where I found the bearings to be branded to look like NSK or SKF but they were just cheapies with crap seals and so they'd shat themselves in a matter of months.
Quality bearings and a fairly regular freehub service to make sure the pawls are moving nice and free with plenty of spring then any rear hub should last years.
Strangely enough I was looking at Hunt wheel sets as a "worst case scenario" yesterday if the shop didn't offer a replacement, they seemed like great value but loads of comments about bearing quality on Google (Plenty of threads about excellent customer service, free replacement bearings etc.). Seems crazy that corners are cut on something so vital but relatively cheap, some retailers hide behind the wear and tare response which really frustrates me.Depending on how much you've ridden it, how much you've washed it and what sort of quality the bearings and seals are it's a fairly common failure. In my experience it's cheap Chinese bearings in the freehub that are the main culprit. Had it with some Hunt Endrowides where I found the bearings to be branded to look like NSK or SKF but they were just cheapies with crap seals and so they'd shat themselves in a matter of months.
Quality bearings and a fairly regular freehub service to make sure the pawls are moving nice and free with plenty of spring then any rear hub should last years.
I'm sure someone in China is just melting down old Alfas and Fiats to make these bearings!
I've just had a trawl through my maintenance record for my MTB. I've accepted that the freehub body is a weak spot on the Giant branded wheels on it. I'm on my fourth freehub body in 7,200 miles ridden. It's an easy DIY swap, so now I keep a spare in the "box of bits" in my garage. It's cost me between £18.00 and £25.00 each time to replace, plus grease for the cup and cone hub bearings on the non-drive side. It's a common freehub body, and replacements have been branded Trek, Giant, and non-branded too. I went through them faster early in ownership - too much washing the bike affecting the grease probably. They're lasting longer between replacements now. I've probably spent more than the £90 your bike shop want for that rear wheel just on new freehub bodies over the seven and a bit years I've owned it.
As far as a repair goes? I'd be happy with that too. "bits of freehub bearing" floating around the hub bearing? Depends on the bearing type, really. Sealed bearing is a straightforward swap and good as new. Cup and cone? So long as the bearing race and cone nut are sound, new ball bearings and fresh grease and that's good to go too.
On a different bike (now stolen) I also managed to "flush" the knackered freehub with WD40/GT85, let that evaporate, then flood it with thick oil to get a few hundred more miles out of it, but that was drive pickup issues rather than damaged bearings, and me being a cheapskate...
As far as a repair goes? I'd be happy with that too. "bits of freehub bearing" floating around the hub bearing? Depends on the bearing type, really. Sealed bearing is a straightforward swap and good as new. Cup and cone? So long as the bearing race and cone nut are sound, new ball bearings and fresh grease and that's good to go too.
On a different bike (now stolen) I also managed to "flush" the knackered freehub with WD40/GT85, let that evaporate, then flood it with thick oil to get a few hundred more miles out of it, but that was drive pickup issues rather than damaged bearings, and me being a cheapskate...
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