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    What’s the cheapest way out of this stupid freehub?

    Hi guys,

    I have a Shimano Tiagra 9 speed drive train on a secondhand bike. It looks like the previous owner replaced the wheels at some point. No problem, I thought. Now, when replacing the rear casette I've discovered that the freehub body has extra tall splines, making it incompatible with Shimano 9 speed casettes.

    It looks very similar to the Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 hub body but it doesn't have the final step up in the splines next to the wheel. The hubs are Easton R4. From what I've read about these extra tall splines, it is very hard to source casettes for them.

    So, my question is, what do you think the long-term cheapest way out of this is? I can't find much information on the compatibility of replacing just the freehub body – do you think its possible?

    Thanks!

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    13 Comments

    1. Tall-ish on

      I’m guessing it’ll be near impossible to find a freehub body that’s compatible. Freehub bodies are specific to the hub design, and not only are you dealing with a 10+ year old part, but Easton hubs of that generation were notoriously unreliable meaning any available parts have likely been used already.

      If you’re tied to the rim, I’d say buy a new hub and rebuild it. Otherwise, I’d cut your losses and move on.

    3. Wolfy35 on

      It can be hard to source a cassette to fit what is now considered a bit of an oddball but when you are talking about components that old which in many cases will have ended their useful lifespan some time ago it can often be a case of bite the bullet & pay the price if you can find something or cut your losses and replace with what is available now.

      I remember that spline pattern & even when new it wasn’t exactly common or freely available.

    4. The_Folding_Atty on

      I can’t be certain, but that’s likely a Campagnolo-compatible freehub body. It’s quite possible that Easton sold both, and may still have the corresponding Shimano freehub body for you to swap out. More than a few manufacturers of aftermarket parts did this, back in the day.

    7. Professional-Suit-72 on

      Agree with other comments re Campy hub. If there are 8 splines, that is what you have. You could try Easton to see if they have a replacement. I am still riding R4 hubs with one bearing replacement in 20 years (rear wheel); front is still original bearings. If I were you I would try to find a Shimano freehub that would fit. Good luck.

    8. TipPsychological3996 on

      What cassette was on it? To my knowledge the Dure-Ace 7800 hubs only work with 10 speed cassettes. They do have taller splines, but so do Campagnolo body’s. It is a bit hard to to what is what with the picture you posted.

      A picture of the type of cassette (preferablywith the text from the lockring if that is still readable)

    9. Visual-Detective5802 on

      Miche used to make cassettes that would fit Campag freehub (which you probably have) and have Shimano spacing and maybe the other way around too.

    10. luckycloudinyoursky on

      This freehub body was invented by shimano as a way to avoid the cogs digging into the newly popular aluminium splines of the modern (in the 00s) freehub bodies. They still sell the cassette that is compatible with this, but it is 10 speed only: [https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/shimano-ultegra-cs-6700-10s-cassette/674815/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=2685347&country=uk&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23620637472&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqPLOBhCiARIsAKRMPZqSF2gjUOqGwRfZanDRVEJ15yUEM3uRcf8XAvDT9bvKc9XHpxyXqLUaArUxEALw_wcB](https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/shimano-ultegra-cs-6700-10s-cassette/674815/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=2685347&country=uk&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23620637472&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqPLOBhCiARIsAKRMPZqSF2gjUOqGwRfZanDRVEJ15yUEM3uRcf8XAvDT9bvKc9XHpxyXqLUaArUxEALw_wcB)

      You can either swap out the wheel for any other HG freehub body wheelset or buy the cassette, a 10 speed shifter (if tiagra, don’t get new st-r4700s as they are a different pull ratio) and a chain.

    11. Severe-Lion-8876 on

      The Easton HADA1707 is a specific freehub body used on certain Easton rear hubs, typically associated with Shimano/SRAM 8-11 speed compatibility. Replacement involves removing end caps, often using a 12mm hex key on the drive side and 19mm/20mm tools to disengage the axle, keeping in mind that some non-drive sides use reverse threading.

      **Key Takeaways for Easton Freehubs:**

      * **Identification:** The HADA1707 is part of the Shimano HG spline freehub family, designed for 11-speed road/mountain compatibility.
      * **Removal Procedure:** The end caps are held by friction and can be pulled off. If difficult, a 12mm Allen key is used in the drive side, and a 20mm wrench on the non-drive side, which might be reverse-threaded.
      * **Compatibility:** Easton offers several freehub standards including R4, R4SL (lightweight), M1/M1SL (mountain), and Echo/V5. Ensure the replacement matches the specific hub series (e.g., V5, M1, or R4).
      * **Alternatives:** If the specific HADA1707 is unavailable, similar Easton Shimano HG 11-speed freehubs for compatible hub series (such as V5 or M1) may be required.

    12. Severe-Lion-8876 on

      [](https://www.google.com/search?q=easton+rear+hub.+hada1707+freehub.+did+it+have+regular+shimano+splines&newwindow=1&sca_esv=f0f46d557053f7c4&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS911US911&aep=1&biw=1905&bih=873&prmd=ivns&sxsrf=ANbL-n6nfd8ALAquwb9ew6LfFToyGX33mA:1776107225292&source=lnms&fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKp9lEhFAN_4ain3HSNQWw-mMGVXS0bCMe2eDZOQ2MOTwnMa06_-qUutYsIv5lB1HqB7Pf6gcWqPaZz5tPxChciWGkqrBKyhtHsXyYghHy0aZ4IGkGpOX5kxRz1QeqIUIxML1_X9YTKT5Wqj8LqyqLNihchMmeNDSrmD2HOu9E5TVFs-x-2Gv6LGumzJHvG1tBc5tfsJQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvkPyBw-uTAxV8l-4BHcgeKUIQ0pQJegQIBRAI)**HADA1707**

       freehub body uses **regular Shimano splines**. Specifically, it is a Shimano HyperGlide (HG) style freehub, which is the standard interface for the majority of 8, 9, and 10-speed Shimano and SRAM cassettes. 

      Key Specifications

      * **Spline Type**: Standard Shimano HG.
      * **Compatibility**: Designed for **8, 9, and 10-speed** Shimano and SRAM cassettes.
      * **10-Speed Exception**: While it has “regular” splines, some older Easton aluminum freehubs featured **taller splines** (often associated with the Dura-Ace 7800 era). If your  HADA1707  is the standard version, it fits standard 8-10 speed cassettes without issue. 

      Identification Tips

      If you are trying to verify your freehub by sight:

      * **HG (Standard)**: Features 9 shallow splines with one spline that is wider than the others to ensure the cassette is keyed in the correct orientation.
      * **Micro Spline (Newer)**: Uses 23 much smaller and more numerous splines, typically only found on 12-speed Shimano mountain bike setups.

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