choddo

Circa 10 years old. I’ve pulled this thing apart multiple times. I’ve cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, put mineral oil on the bushing. 3 times now. I manages to ping one of the springs off a pawl (the last time!) and somehow found it on the garage floor. It’s still dragging. The hub surface looks pristine. Do I try to replace the bushing or admit defeat and order a new £40 freehub?

Kai Winters

Springs can lose their ability to extend to their proper extended position after time.
It would not be bad to have a spare freehub and the cost isn't high.
Can you get replacement springs for the pawls?
I wonder if 'mineral oil' has too high a viscosity...perhaps a lighter oil...if there isn't a Mavic specific oil perhaps sewing machine oil as it is a very low viscosity.

choddo

All the ‘tubers reckon hydraulic mineral oil was about ok. Can try something else.

Springs are fine. Was able to re-attach it ok. Just loves to friction.

Might just buy a freehub but feels wrong with the rest of it working fine.

spclark 

(We're I in your position I'd have already had a spare screwed on so I could still ride while t'other one's being looked at/into.)

choddo

Was using different rims over the summer so bike was usable but now the lad’s taking it back to uni he can’t borrow my Edcos any more, way too much of a thief magnet. Hence I’m having another go at this. It still works but the lack of high speed freewheeling & chain sag is clearly unacceptable. Having a spare sounds wise anyway. I can sense the “Checkout” button in my near future.

and yeah that first video - that’s basically what I did several times. Dan did a similar one for GCN. Helped reduce it a bit but not back to normal.

spclark 

Bummer. Sorry if was Known Knowledge for you.

As for me I'm still stuck in FreewheelTime so whatdoIknow but what works for me for now.... (There is a FH I think on my Kona, but as it's not failed to perform since new I haven't yet become on intimate terms w/it.)

Iride01 

Is this on something you use in the mud, dirt and sand often? I have yet to clean and lube a free hub on bikes I use on the road. And here you are apparently messing with it several times in shorter time than I've been not doing anything.

Maybe the FH, like a lot of other bike parts, would rather not be fiddled with so often.

choddo

Perhaps I was unclear. I fiddled with it three times inside a few weeks because my son told me it was becoming claggy when he came home at the start of the summer, and it did not stop being claggy after cleaning attempts 1 or 2. I gave up, switched the wheels out for the summer and then performed attempt 3 on Sunday, and took my time. It looks pretty clean. Tiny bit of oil. still too much friction.

As far as I know it’s been ridden mainly on the road - it’s a carbon road bike (I bought it used ~5 years ago and it was in great condition)

I think it’s seen a dusty few kms and some rain when my son has been riding it over the last 9 months but nothing too horrific. Been stored in the dry and cleaned normally.

Can’t get these kits here sadly so I found a new freehub today for a good price on ebay, 27 vs 40.

Andrew R Stewart 

Mavic once "required" mineral oil for the bushing and pawl lube. Way back when and thinking lube was lube I tried other types in a couple of repairs and the bushing squeal (not mentioned in this thread though) would return soon. Redoing with mineral oil cured this in both cases and from then on I only used mineral oil on Mavic freehubs.

What is meant by "claggy"? If the freehub sticking so you can't coast? Is the noise different? If you can't describe the issue with other terms perhaps post a vid with audio. But replacing the FH body is not wrong. Andy

choddo

Yes, it's dragging. Exactly what's shown at 2:40 in that SG video. When you're actually riding, especially descending at speed, and stop pedalling, it's worse, the crank can't move so the chain sags on top of course and it makes a weird sound. Maybe could describe it as a squeal.

Do you not have clag where you live?

jgwilliams

That is the famous Mavic squeal. Doing what you've done should have cured it. I had it with mine and it went away with a service. If I'd known how easy they are to take apart I probably would have serviced it myself. However, I think after three attempts you're probably right to just replace it.

We definitely have clag here, along with grunge. Probably comes from all the massive potholes that the council doesn't have the money to fix.

choddo

Thanks a lot. Looking forward to seeing if the new one does the trick.
Something about potholes - I don't know if a load of funding was released by central government or something this year but a LOAD of terrible roads around here were resurfaced properly instead of just having a shovel of tar thrown in for a 3 week quick "fix". It's amazing.

jgwilliams

Yes, we've had some of the same around us, too. Unfortunately, our own road, which currently looks like some roads I've seen in Gambia, is still awaiting work although it's apparently a 'priority', according to the residents association. There's a respite centre nearby which is having a major refit, meaning some heavy traffic down the road. I suspect the council is waiting until that's done before resurfacing the road, which will be March next year. I now avoid riding down it, if I can.