Cassette Hub - faulty after 9 months??

[island girl]

Out on bike today and it just started spinning. No purchase. Strange, unnerving experience, pedalling furiously and going nowhere. Took bike to local bike shop and chap said cassette hub was faulty. Bike is only 9 months old - Specialised Vita Sport from Evans. Contacted Evans who said they would need to send it to Specialised to see if 1) maintenance fault ...eh... or 2) manufactoring fault. Hub apparently is basic model and bike shop chap suggested Shimano at £62. Feel I should get something from Specialised but cannot afford to be without my bike--at least 2 weeks-- as I am in training. Think I will have to bite the bullit and get it repaired at local bike shop. He will do it next week but it really shouldn't have gone in 9 months-- should it???

[gilesjuk]

Some bikes do ship with cheapo parts.

Freehubs get full of dirt and water which can stop the pawls engaging. If you haven't been out in the rain much then it sounds like a dodgy part.

[Mick F]

Where are you?
What you need is a spare rear wheel.
Perhaps someone nearby could lend you one?

Even the shop!

[Edwards]

If I remember rightly Island Girl is in the Scottish Isles.

Ok what you were told is not quite correct or he did not explain it properly The cassette does not spin. When it is fitted it is simply pushed along the part called a Freehub. The cassette is held in place by a locking ring.

The faulty part is called a freehub. This is attached to the hub part of the wheel with a built in threaded part to it. One part is fixed to other rotates around that. On the part that rotates (outer) there are little teeth that are shaped like fangs pointing towards the front of the wheel. On the fixed inner part the teeth face the other way.
Try to imagine 2 separate parts that can rotate but the teeth on both bits are set at 45deg.
To get passed each other on tooth must lift the drop back down to engage in the other. The teeth are not dropping down ,a bit like 2 cheese graters being rubbed over each other they will only go one way.

If you do the below Specialised will not find the fault as it will no longer show up.

Try taking the wheel out of the bike lay it down with the cassette up. Then spray some very thin lube (WB40 or GT85) onto the axle part, let it soak in then spin the cassette and respray. Do this until the thing starts to work properly. Then put some car engine oil it there and let that soak in.

The bad part of this is that you will likley wash out some of the grease in the hub bearings. The oil will help to lubricate the bearings for a while but the thing needs to be looked at.

If I was in this position and could not borrow a wheel I would purchase another wheel. Send this one back and keep the repaired one as a spare.

[cycleruk]

Island Girl, if it is the freehub then there is no maintenance issue. They cannot be serviced as they are virtually a sealed unit.
Get back onto Evans and tell them the bike is less than 12 months old and it is still under warranty.
They will have to give you an exchange unit or even a complete bike under the law.
Your contract is with Evens and not Specialised.
Even if the unit has a manufacturers fault it is still up to Evens to supply you with a new replacement.
There is now an EU law that gives you rights even up to 2 years.

You could try to free the pawls in the hub as "Edwards" suggests.

[94inchandy]

your lucky to get 9 months from a freehub, i am getting 6 month out of a good quality shimano freehub, but the mileages i do is very high it around 14k miles p/a

[willem jongman]

Of a rear hub, the freehub is usually the weakest part. Maintenance is irrelevant, because this is essentially a no-maintenance disposable part. It should also be quite cheap if they are available separately for your hub (this is why it is pretty nasty of Specialized to fit a no name brand cheapo hub). So the guy at Evans was talking nonsens on several counts.
Willem

[Mick F]

Not quite correct on a few counts.

My "feehub" bits come off my Campag hub very easily and it is easily maintainable.
One Allen key in the non-driveside, a 15mm spanner on the nut by the cassette holder, turn, and off it comes - pawls and all. Simple, quick and easy.
Clean, grease and shove it back on. Simple.

And it's not weak either.

Shimano?
I don't know, but I doubt it's simple.

[willem jongman]

I was talking about Shimano, and on the basis of many reports from long distance tourists with high mileage. The freehubs often fail well before the hub or the rim. So it makes sense to replace them halfway through the projected life span of hub and rim. Replacing a freehub is cheap and easy in the sense that you do not have to relace the rim etc. Just replace the freehub which is not a super expensive part. And it can be done just as easily as for your Campagnolo hubs. None of this applies in this particular case, of course. Nine months is totally unacceptable.
Willem

[gilesjuk]

Shimano freehubs are very quiet when coasting. I think this is deliberate, but it must have an effect on durability or lifespan. Hope hubs on the other hand are very noisy.

[Mick F]

I have Campag Mirage on my spare wheels and they're deafening!

However, on my usual wheels - Campag Chorus - they are inaudible.

[willem jongman]

Anyway, the freehub that failed was not Shimano but some no name that was fitted so save a few bob.
Willem

[reohn2]

island girl
As Cycleruk has said its Evan's problem,they should replace/repair at their cost by law.You need to contact them and explain to them that you know you're rights and for them to fulfill their obligations under warrentee.

Re Shimano freeehub failure,I've found if the freehub is removed from the hub and the rubber sealing ring removed from the back side of the f/hub, aerosol grease can then be squirted into pawls and bearings which brings the f/hub back to life,I do this as part of servicing when the hub is stripped for bearing regreasing.
I suspect that most freehub failure in the way described by Island Girl is dried out grease making the pawls stick.

[island girl]

Thanks everyone for your very informative replies. Yes, I do live on one of the Scottish Islands so it is not easiest or cheapest to get the bike to Evans in Glasgow. Normally, I cycle??? Anyway the bike goes into the local bike shop, which is very good, on Thursday. I should be back cycling on Friday and that is the main thing. I agree with advice given and I intend to take the matter up with Evans customer service and not be fobbed off. I feel I am due recompence or the faulty part renewed. Hell has no fury ......... Thanks for all your comments. Will keep you posted.