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Freehub keeps sticking immediately after being serviced

by josephpickard
Tue, Aug 20, 2019 16:10
7

Hi guys,

I'm such a novice when it comes to drivetrain stuff, so I'm really stumped with what to do. I have a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elites from around 2011-12 and the rear wheel's been misbehaving no matter what I do. It's like the freehub doesn't coast and behaves like a fixie.

When my feet are at the pedals and I'm not pedalling, the hub coasts but the drag is horrendous. It's been serviced twice by my LBS in less than three months and it goes back to its barely-coasting state in less than 100 yards! The chain slaps on the frame like nobody's business too.

Turning the bike upside down to crank the rear wheel, its like the chain is dictating stuff, moving the cranks almost as quickly as the rear wheel at first. Could the chain or the chain length be a factor?

The drivetrain itself is Campagnolo (Veloce 9 speed) and the Mavic Hub has a proper Campy adapter. The bike is a Bianchi Reparto Corse from around 2002-3.

I'd appreciate any help possible, I've asked around so many places and most people don't seem to have a clue what it is. I'm used to MTBs and this never seemed to happen on Shimano stuff!

Thanks,

Joe

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7 comments

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josephpickard | 5 years ago
0 likes

Quick update – it looks like the bushing is the thing that's failing on the rear hub. Enormous amount of play before the freehub engages too. I'll see about getting some parts for it and having a bash.

Avatar
stucky | 5 years ago
0 likes

start by taking the freehub off the wheel and seeing what you actually need. if you have no idea how to do it, search it on youtube, that's what I did and it was pretty straightforward. you can find freehubs, pawls, axles.. anything online. might not be cheap though

Avatar
Yorky-M | 5 years ago
1 like

Flaw in mavic's older hubs. Black or red seal in the freehub body needs replacing. It sits on the internal face. You can just remove it for short term fix

 

 

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josephpickard replied to Yorky-M | 5 years ago
0 likes

Thanks guys!

stucky wrote:

interesting, I have the same wheels on my commuter and the same issues, although not so bad. I dissaembled the wheel a while ago and found there was way too much grease in the freehub, which was causing the freehub to not coast so well. i cleaned everything, including bearings and axle, greased it all again and it's significantly better, and you can now hear the pawls, which you couldn't before. how quiet or loud are yours? if the problem is that bad though, you might look into replacing the bearings, but I'd start by cleaning the freehub

That's one thing, you can barely hear the pawls.

Dingaling wrote:

I had this problem once and I've just remembered that it was on my ksyrium wheel. The problem occurred after I had had the freewheel off and serviced it. It wouldn't freewheel so I took it apart and, I think I must have checked the tech specs, it turned out I had lost (not put back in) a thick washer that sits in the bottom of the freewheel. After I had put in a replacement everything worked fine.

mylesrants wrote:

Flaw in mavic's older hubs. Black or red seal in the freehub body needs replacing. It sits on the internal face. You can just remove it for short term fix.

I guess this is my fault for being a novice, as this was a second-hand wheelset. Anyone know what Mavic are like for spares on older wheelsets? I think my LBS will be sick of seeing me. I feel duty-bound to pester them though. Bike's been crap all summer!

 

 

Avatar
Dingaling | 5 years ago
1 like

I had this problem once and I've just remembered that it was on my ksyrium wheel. The problem occurred after I had had the freewheel off and serviced it. It wouldn't freewheel so I took it apart and, I think I must have checked the tech specs, it turned out I had lost (not put back in) a thick washer that sits in the bottom of the freewheel. After I had put in a replacement everything worked fine.

Avatar
stucky | 5 years ago
1 like

interesting, I have the same wheels on my commuter and the same issues, although not so bad. I dissaembled the wheel a while ago and found there was way too much grease in the freehub, which was causing the freehub to not coast so well. i cleaned everything, including bearings and axle, greased it all again and it's significantly better, and you can now hear the pawls, which you couldn't before. how quiet or loud are yours? if the problem is that bad though, you might look into replacing the bearings, but I'd start by cleaning the freehub

Avatar
mike the bike replied to stucky | 5 years ago
1 like

stucky wrote:

interesting, I have the same wheels on my commuter and the same issues, although not so bad. I dissaembled the wheel a while ago and found there was way too much grease in the freehub, which was causing the freehub to not coast so well. i cleaned everything, including bearings and axle, greased it all again and it's significantly better, and you can now hear the pawls, which you couldn't before. how quiet or loud are yours? if the problem is that bad though, you might look into replacing the bearings, but I'd start by cleaning the freehub

 

Wot he said.

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