DKvintagerider

Hi,
I'm new here and also new in all the vintage stuff...

I've got an old vintage racing bike with the Shimano 105 FH-1055 rear hub and the basic "new" Shimano Hyper Glide 7-speed on. But the hub has stopped working and doesn't connect to the HG 7-speed. So the cassette just keeps spinning without any change to the wheel.

So I guess I have to change the free hub. But is there a modern and cheaper solution that fits the Shimano 105 FH-1055 rear hub? Does it have to be vintage or can I buy something new? Like FH-RM30?

Sorry if it's a stupid question, but to be honest no modern bicycle shop seem to have any knowledge, and I think it would be fun and cheaper to do it myself.

Hope someone can help

Best regards,
Victor

tkamd73 

I have had two of those 1055 hubs fail, the replacement is Shimano FH-TX500, bullet proof hub, Shimano has been making for years. You will need a 4.5mm spacer for the 7 speed hyperglide cassette. Not has aesthetically pleasing as the 1055, but will last longer. I put one on my 92 Paramount, cause the appropriate 7400 Dura-Ace rear hub has issues too. I got both of mine from Andy, at Yellow Jersey, in Arlington WI. Any shop that supports CV bikes should have one, or if not give him a call.
Tim

rccardr 

The hub has not failed, it’s the freehub that has gone bad. Replacement freehubs are cheap (I have a pair of 7 speed freehubs posted on eBay right now for like $20 shipped) and take maybe ten minutes to replace, including the time it takes to remove the wheel from the bike and the cassette from the old freehub. Much less expensive than relacing a hub or replacing an entire wheel.

RiddleOfSteel

You can swap in another 7-speed specific Shimano freehub body from that era. They had them on MTB and road groups, so they are thankfully common enough, even today. I've thankfully never had one fail on me. You'll have to completely disassemble the hub--axle out, weather shields out, bearings out. That gives you unrestricted access to the inside. A 10mm allen key/wrench should connect to a long cylindrical "nut" that holds the freehub body on. It may be normally threaded or reverse--somebody help my lack of recollection, please!

blamester

Did you try to oil it?

tkamd73 

No, in my case the hub actually broke, free hub was fine, but yeah if it’s just the free hub, lots simpler.
Tim

DKvintagerider

Thank you for your responses!
Now I'm not sure if it's the free hub or the actual hub... When I took off the cassette and spinned the free hub, it went around both ways with any difference. Like there's no connection between the wheel (the hub?) and the free hub.

Best regards,
Victor

DKvintagerider

No, not all. Could that solve it? To me it doesn't seem dry or anything. But I haven't oiled it.

madpogue 

Maybe the pawls are just sticking. Maybe just opening it up and re-lubing will do it. I believe RJ the Bike Guy has a few videos on freehub internal work.

A "rebuild in a can" (aerosol solvent, followed by aerosol lubrican) might even get it going again, even if for a while.

dddd

The way that I fix these (by internal lubrication, works 90% of the time) is to first try to get thin aerosol oil to settle down through the labyrinth seal between the hub flange and the freehub body.

Find a place to set the wheel horizontally with sprocket side facing down. I recently used the top of one of my hedges for this.
Then slowly introduce the oil between the hubshell and the freehub body and give it plenty of time to settle in. Repeat as needed until audible clicking is heard when the freehub body is turned backwards.

Some hubs are too well sealed for the oil to settle in past that large-diameter seal, so there is yet another option.
Remove the nut, washer and cone from the left side of the axle and remove the axle from the drive side.
Position the wheel vertically in a stationary fixture of some sort, then put oil in where the ball bearings are, at the lowest point around the bearings.
Allow the 15+ drops of light oil to settle for a bit, then slowly start tilting the wheel toward the left. This allows the oil to flow into the freehub body around the outside of the axle-bearing cup that is mechanically fixed to the inner shell of the freehub body (and hence, to the hubshell). Confirm success by turning the freehub body backwards and forwards, listening for clicking of the pawls.

There is also a chance that the second option will fail to get oil into the freehub body ratchet, but only if the hub has previously been rebuilt with some excess of grease now completely sealing the annular space around the drive-side bearing cup.
If such were to be the case, then compressed air applied to the open axle cavity (with the left-side opening blocked off) will force the grease and oil directly into the freehub body ratchet and open up the gap around the cup that is perhaps clogged with oily grease.

The 105 freehub is quite durable, I raced XC for a few years on one pair back in the 90's and these are still in service.

Here is the oil and (modified) applicator that I use to easily introduce this thin oil into the space behind the freehub body adjacent to the hub flange:

Lascauxcaveman 

I would try the spray can solvent ----> spray can grease routine first, as well. But I'd also get a 10mm hex wrnech and start looking for a free hub, too. Best to have all your bases covered

DKvintagerider

Again thanks for all the help! I'm trying to clean it, but thinking about buying a free hub just to be sure. But can I buy the Shimano FH-RM30?