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Wheel Trouble

ikedawilliams

Speeding Up
Oct 15, 2010
669
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My bike was making some cracking noises today, then seemed like I had a stiff link, or it was what I imagined a stiff link would feel/sound like as the chain seemed to be playing up, but I couldn't actually see what the problem was. Then, just as I got home, I noticed the noise was coming from my back wheel. You can listen to it here. Any idea what this is? Broken hub?
 
My bike was making some cracking noises today, then seemed like I had a stiff link, or it was what I imagined a stiff link would feel/sound like as the chain seemed to be playing up, but I couldn't actually see what the problem was. Then, just as I got home, I noticed the noise was coming from my back wheel. You can listen to it here. Any idea what this is? Broken hub?

Stupid obvious, but the brakes are not rubbing, right?

Is the wheel still true? :confused:
 
Questions;

-Is it only when free-wheeling?

-Is there any place in the cassette (wobble it with your hand)

-The wheel looks fairly straight on the rim. Is it touching the brakes at any point?

-Squeeze all the spokes and check they are tight?
 
Check you chain/ derailler isn't rubbing on the spokes, the upper limit stop might be out of adjustment, does the noise happen in lower, i.e smaller cogs? and like Stu said, brakes, but it sounds more metallic than brakes.
 
Sounds like the freebody of the hub is sticking.

  • Remove the cassette
  • Remove the free body
  • Make sure that all of the ratchets and springs are clean
  • Lubricate - best stuff is just plain old mineral oil
  • Rebuild and see if it repeats

– but the way it pulses it sounds and looks like a sticky ratchet.
 
^Yeah, that is a good idea.

Hope it just dirty...

Also, when taking it apart, be aware that the pawls are likely to fire out like a rocket. Take it apart with great care, an in an area that is clear / small, so any parts that fky off can be easily found.
 
Stupid obvious, but the brakes are not rubbing, right? -> Not rubbing.

Is the wheel still true? -> A slight wobble - as before.

Is it only when free-wheeling? -> Yes, and noisier when the cranks are in one position than in others. This might be important information, but I do know why this is.

Is there any place in the cassette (wobble it with your hand) -> I checked the wheel for wobble and there wasn't any. Maybe in the cassette, I will need to check later.

The wheel looks fairly straight on the rim. Is it touching the brakes at any point? - No, not rubbing. It sounds like some nuts and bolts in a blender on slow speed - all metal.

Squeeze all the spokes and check they are tight? -> I will need to check later.

Check you chain/ derailleur isn't rubbing on the spokes, the upper limit stop might be out of adjustment, does the noise happen in lower, i.e smaller cogs? and like Stu said, brakes, but it sounds more metallic than brakes. -> I will need to check later.

Sounds like the freebody of the hub is sticking.
• Remove the cassette
• Remove the free body
• Make sure that all of the ratchets and springs are clean
• Lubricate - best stuff is just plain old mineral oil
• Rebuild and see if it repeats

– but the way it pulses it sounds and looks like a sticky ratchet. -> I will do the above tonight. I imagine it is a sticky hub or ratchet. If is is a sticky ratchet, the above will fix it, or new parts are needed?

Thanks for all the quick help!
 
If they are just dirty - and by the looks of your bike they will no doubt will be. Then its a case of cleaning everything right up.

Do not use heavy greasse when reassembling, for some hubs even the shimano Dura Ace specail greese is too heavy. So I would go with plain old mineral oil - its the stuff the pro's use as well.
 
Yeah, I am fairly sure from the noise and my experience with ratchets in bikes, that it is going to be inside that needs cleaning out, or has had a bit of debrie get jammed in.

Does the cassette slip at all?
 
Kiwisimon, I didn't know you were so funny. :rolleyes: If you have a link for how to work 6 days a week - between two jobs, and take care of/spend time with two young kids, and ride, and give one's bike a through cleaning after every ride, that would really be helpful. I cleaned it on Friday, but rode about 115kms out to Mitake on Saturday morning and there were some wet roads, went down on ice, and got pushed off the cycle path up a grass hill, and just took that video after my morning commute today. I am using a chainlube on the drivetrain with molybdenum darkens sooner than others too. Anyways, I made time for it tonight, cleaned it up, but still made that noise. So...

Is there any place in the cassette (wobble it with your hand) -> I checked the wheel for wobble and there wasn't any. Maybe in the cassette, I will need to check later. ->>> No real wobble in the cassette, that said, when hanging onto the cassette with one hand, and turning the axle from the non-drive side, I could feel the cassette wiggling and it did not feel as smooth as I imagined it should.

Squeeze all the spokes and check they are tight? -> I will need to check later. ->>> Tight.

Check you chain/ derailleur isn't rubbing on the spokes, the upper limit stop might be out of adjustment, does the noise happen in lower, i.e smaller cogs? and like Stu said, brakes, but it sounds more metallic than brakes. -> I will need to check later. ->>> Not the case.

Sounds like the freebody of the hub is sticking. ->>> Sometimes with my bike on the stand, the chain would sag and not go backwards as it should.

• Remove the cassette ->>> done
• Remove the free body ->>> done

• Make sure that all of the ratchets and springs are clean ->>> Oh, here we go. There are a couple loose pieces of metal in there that look like they broke off something. That must be the problem. Guess I need a new free body.

Thanks again everyone. I feel much better about how to proceed than I did at lunchtime today.
 
Kiwisimon, I didn't know you were so funny. :rolleyes: If you have a link for how to work 6 days a week - between two jobs, and take care of/spend time with two young kids, and ride, and give one's bike a through cleaning after every ride, that would really be helpful.->>>
Yeah I wish I knew as well, I ride less, a lot less, and clean the bike when the kids are asleep or during the warmer days when they are here, cleaning the bikes are things that they love to get hands on. Doesn't speed the job up but now all three of them((8, 6 & 6) are pretty good at hosing down their BMX bikes if they are really muddy. Saves me a bit of time.
Oh, here we go. There are a couple loose pieces of metal in there that look like they broke off something. That must be the problem. Guess I need a new free body.
Looks like you found the answer despite wise arse comments from the peanut gallery. Hope it isn't too expensive. BTW if it makes you feel better here is my street view this week. not much riding going on up here.
 
Three kids? That would be a handful.

Looking at that snow, I hope you get your share of winter sports in. Looks ideal for it.

Cheers :)
 
If its a Shimano hub a good bike store will have replacement parts in stock.

Killed plenty of them to know when a pawl has gone or is sticking.
 
...if I had a dollar for every time I went to an LBS mid-week, only to find out that it was closed...

I have a few free minutes remaining this afternoon regarding this and started shopping on-line, but it seems really complicated. Some free body components are listed as specifically, not just Shimano or Campy, but also for Fulcrum Racing 3 and above, and they sell a different cassette body for the 5's and 7's. I have Miche hubs and think it will be even more difficult to sort out what to buy.

Then the price - it seems the free body goes for about ¥5,000, which is not going to break the bank, but I could get a band new set of Fulcrum Racing 5's delivered for about ¥20,000, so figure I might as well just get a new set of wheels. It costs 4 times more, but I'd get a lot more for the money.
 
Hey

I cant quite work it out from the photos, but has the freehub body broken? I can kind of make out an odd, non-symmetrical shape to it but the photo is blurred to it is difficult to make out.

That may be the way Campy are made though, so I could be wrong.
 
.I could get a band new set of Fulcrum Racing 5's delivered for about ¥20,000, so figure I might as well just get a new set of wheels. It costs 4 times more, but I'd get a lot more for the money.

I like your thinking, you'd be looking to upgrade wheels sooner or later. See what Tim can do for as well. Remember you only need a back wheel at this stage.
 
Hmmm, I might have a hub kicking around --- need to see if it will match. Another option is rebuild with new hub.
 
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