hi
there’s Grime inside the hub and start making sound like when the grease mixed with dust or sand,so I disassembling everything including the hub from the wheel but I don’t have the special tools to open the hub itself ,any ideas to do it safely without specific tools?
my bike is trek DS3 2022 model * gen 4* and as mentioned on the bike page the hub is Shimano 8/9/10 freehub, 135x5mm QR
thanks in advance guys
any idea how to disassembling this freehub?
byu/aswd82 inbikewrench
by aswd82
7 Comments
Don’t do it. You’ll never get it back together.
Cone can be spun out with a special tool, but they are incredibly difficult to reassemble properly without additional special tools.
You did well getting it out of the wheel as there so many sub types. I’ve “washed” one in White Spirit, wear nitrile gloves, when it stopped feeling gritty I left it to dry in the sun. Then I sprayed it with WD40 & left it over night. I then lubed it from both end. It felt smooth so it went back on the bike. No problems so far.
For another bike I did the same but with the freehub still in the wheel.
These freehubs are meant to be replaced. But if you want to try it anyways, here’s a tutorial
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhjqQJmmTtM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhjqQJmmTtM)
To clarify when I wrote “lubed”my implication was that I used a suitable lubricant. I’m a bit of a cheapskate & currently use chain saw oil diluted with about 20% white spirit. I hope that’s now clear.
I don’t know why everyone in the comments is telling you you can’t take this apart. You absolutely can, it just requires the right size hex (either 11mm or 12mm, neither of which are very common sizes) and a [special tool that engages in the recessed flats of the cone.](https://www.amazon.com/DGHAOP-Freehubs-Disassembly-Installation-disassembly/dp/B09DG45964/ref=sr_1_4?crid=HMDC6Q7S951&keywords=freehub+cone+tool&qid=1700575922&sprefix=freehub+cone+tool%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-4)
Once you do get it apart, there’s two separate tracks of loose ball bearings that you’ll need to keep track of. You’ll want to use a thicker lube for the ball bearings and a _very_ thin lube for the pawls. Getting it all back together is a very delicate process, but as long as you’re patient it’s totally fine.
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That being said, if it’s a very common model and you can source one for cheap, probably best to go that route. The special tool for the cone is cheap, as is the hex key, but together they probably cost about as much as a replacement freehub.
You can try to find a matching metal plate piece (or DIY it) to fit the notches of the cone (it has two) where the bearing rests. Clockwise rotation. Do it over a pan or something as there will be two rows of 25-26 tiny ball bearings that are super eager to ran away.
I’ve done a overhaul of similiar hubs myself, nothing too scary, the hardest part is the tool to get the cone moving.
But to be honest, it doesn’t make much sense to do it unless you want to get your hands dirty and have sum fun with parts. They are 10$ on Aliexpress, servicing it in a bikeshop cost me 15$ last time.