Removing a freehub body from a hub that is not spoked up onto a bike, possible?
 

Hi ,

I picked up a spare of the hub on my bike to use for parts should the need arise. The need has arisen and I now need to get the freehub off the spare and switch it with the one on the bike.

The problem that I did not foresee is that the spare hub is not spoked up onto a wheel as you would expect. It takes an awful lot of force to turn the hex wrench to remove the freehub body but with having no tyre or rim to hold against it feels near impossible.

I don't see any flat part on the hub that I could use to hold the hub in a vise grip. Mount a cassette and use a chain whip maybe ? Any ideas ? Just buy a new freehub ?

You were wise not to try clamping it in a vise to loosen the freehub bolt. Oftentimes, those are on pretty tight.

The best way I know is to get a spare rim and a few spare spokes, and lace up the drive-side flange to said rim. It doesn't have to be a professional job, just so that you can hold onto the rim while turning the hex wrench.

What kind of hub? Different models require different combinations of wrenches to remove but often you can use two wrenches to exert counterforce. I have never had a problem removing a freehub from an unbuilt hub.

You might try using a rubberized strap wrench such as used on chromed plumbing fittings to hold the hub. https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=strap+w...bnav_search_go

The first question is whether at least a minimal amount of damage is acceptable. Scrapping anything that isn't useful?

I've removed a couple successfully, and was unsuccessful with at least one. I think I basically wrapped the hub with an inner tube, then put it in a vise and removed the hex screw.

Without actually seeing what you're trying to do. How about a chain wrench, no cogs? A strap wrench?

+1 on a strap wrench

Get an axle vise. You clamp the threads of the axle in the vise and can work on the rest of the hub. It costs about what a strap wrench would cost and you can use it on wheels as well. It makes working on cones a dream.

The axle is the first thing to remove when removing a Shimano type freehub.

Exactly how do you get an allen wrench into a hub with an axle installed?

Depends on make of the hub, which we don’t know.

Install a cog, or even an entire cassette, use a chain whip to hold the hub down and keep the freehub from rotating, then remove the freehub using your allen wrench. Should work on Shimano freehubs, perhaps not others...

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...06d3f2aa4b.jpg
Thanks for the ideas , Shimano FH-RM30 , ill try get another hex key in the opposite side if I can find one that fits haven't tried that yet

RM-30 takes a 10mm hex Wrench on the FH side.
Depending on what hub you want to switch to, it may not work. It uses a totally different spline arrangement than the "older" hubs.
Compare yours to an an older with these docs.

I got a free spare set of large flange Campy hubs with a bike buy, and the spokes were cut on the freewheel side. So far I haven't needed it, but someday it needs to come apart. I was considering a vice with wood protectors, but the old rim and spokes deal is probably smarter, providing I can get the spokes threaded into the drive side.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4fe6c9bc41.jpg

on those hi flange hubs you can set up something in your vise to pick up the flange holes. No need to re-lace it.

Be sure to do all of the "best shop practice" stuff on the freewheel first - PB Blaster or Aero Kroil, and maybe even a little heat (heat gun)

and then jig the thing in your vice and have at it.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

I don't understand. Why can't you loosen the nuts on each side, loosen the lock nuts screw of the cone nuts, pull out the axle and pull of the hub body?

This is the way.

You still have to remove the fixing bolt which is the whole point of this thread.
How do you keep the hub secure?

Use the 10 mm allen, loosening works against the pawls.

Thanks for the ideas above , just to be clear ; the how to of removing this particular freehub is not the problem. The issue is that the hub is not spoked up to a wheel and so it is very difficult to find a way to hold the hub still while applying the force on the wrench(possibly with an extension bar). There is no recess on the opposite side for a hex wrench to work as a counter force.

Maybe try putting the handle of the hex wrench in a vice then slide the hub on to the wrench and turn the hub with your hands (gloves for better grip) Kind of like opening a pickle jar.

a homemade rubber strap wrench with a inner tube and trouser belt ?

I thought about this and I can think of a way that will work.

remove the axle and bearings.

get 2 oak blocks, drill a hole that is the size of the hub center body in the middle of the two pieces so you have a way to clamp the hub into your vice.

you can tape up the hub if you want to prevent scuffing. tighten down to beat HECK.

then take the 10 mm allen (which I think is the tool for the freehub attach nut), put it in the hub.

Get an air powered impact wrench and break the nut loose.

I think you need the peak torque and shock impact to break it loose.

Strap wrench / inner tubes etc probably not going to work.

that's the way I'd do it

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

Not necessary! IF it's clamped decently, it doesn't take that much force. (China built)

This is all pretty moot, since there are few parts that are interchangeable to this VERY LOW COST hub.
I built a couple wheels using this hub because of price.
They all eat the poorly finished DS cone.

I have this exact problem on a hub my son removed the rim from (for some reason not explained). Having explored all options I’m going to lace it back up and twist the freewheel loose the way it went together. I believe any other procedure will result in scrap metal.

Get a long piece of steel or board. Get two bolts and nuts that'll fit through the spoke holes in the hub drill two holes for the bolts in the metal or board. Bolt the hub to the metal or board. That should give you the resistance needed to remove the freehub.

Cheers

Those would be pretty small bolts ! My concern with this technique would be that you're concentrating a lot of force on 2-3 spoke holes.

Other than re-spoking the hub into a wheel, I think the only hope is to clamp the center section of the hub between wood blocks and use an impact wrench to get peak torque into the freehub bolt. The hub body will slip, of course.

Whether that technique would work with a freewheel on a hub is a topic for experimentation.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

What are the chances you're ever going to want to lace up that hub body? One way to look at it is that you bought it for parts, so take the parts off and scrap the body. I'd use my 14" pipe wrench on the flange and throw the result into the recycle bin, maybe get a few cents for the aluminum.

The freehub is the exact same model as the freewheel on the bike that has the issue . The part is interchangeable.