8/9 speed Shimano free hub body

[petzl]

I have a FH M-550 Shimano Deore LX cassette hub fitted with a 7 speed Free Hub Body and want to change the 7 speed Free Hub Body with an 8/9 speed one. I have asked at various cycle outlets but no-one has been able to identify a suitable replacement.
Is their anyone out their who knows if there is an 8/9 speed free hub body that will fit. I am aware of the difference in cost between a new complete hub and a free hub body making the purchase of a new hub attractive; however. I have fitted a longer axle to the hub along with Campagnola grade bearings and a grease port, the whole lot is built up into a strong wheel and fitting a new free hub will save me a lot of work.

[Brucey]

very many shimano cassette bodies will interchange OK but there are detailed differences where they butt up against the hub body. I found a chart on t'interweb that gave a like-for-like interchange by shimano part number, but this wouldn't necessarily help you....It may be a case of suck it and see.

BTW do I take it that you are running Campy cones in a shimano hub? This is not always a happy marriage; not by a long chalk. Unless this is a well-proven swap (in which case do share) I'd very strongly suggest that you stick with Shimano cones in a shimano hub. You can upgrade to XT and/or Ultegra etc (even DA) in many cases and this makes for a very smooth and durable hub.

In the case of an unknown or unverified cone swap I posted details of a test method here;

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=59209&p=500306&hilit=sharpie#p500306

cheers

[Redvee]

You might have to get the wheel re-dished too. IIRC an 8 speed freehub body is slightly longer than a 7 speed.

[Brucey]

thinking about it I'd suggest that the best route might be to buy another hub with a freehub that might fit, and try it. This way the worst-case outcome is that you have to rebuild the wheel with the new hub. A new hub is very often little more expensive than a new freehub anyway.

cheers

[petzl]

very many shimano cassette bodies will interchange OK but there are detailed differences where they butt up against the hub body. I found a chart on t'interweb that gave a like-for-like interchange by shimano part number, but this wouldn't necessarily help you....It may be a case of suck it and see.

BTW do I take it that you are running Campy cones in a shimano hub? This is not always a happy marriage; not by a long chalk. Unless this is a well-proven swap (in which case do share) I'd very strongly suggest that you stick with Shimano cones in a shimano hub. You can upgrade to XT and/or Ultegra etc (even DA) in many cases and this makes for a very smooth and durable hub.

In the case of an unknown or unverified cone swap I posted details of a test method here;

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=59209&p=500306&hilit=sharpie#p500306

cheers

Thanks.
Much as I thought, a lost cause. Having trawled the shops I am all set to build a wheel with an XT hub but was looking for the easy way out.
Sorry,I should have put "Campagnola grade bearings", we all understand Campagnola quality but not as many understand the grading system for bearings. I have added to my original posting.

[Brucey]

lost cause? Noo, I shouldn't think so/ I'd buy an LX and have at it myself; a new LX (or lower) freehub body has a reasonable chance of fitting onto an old LX (or lower) hub body. XT ones are very often rather different.

chart here; (not sure what all the columns actually mean BTW...)

http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/tech_support/tech_tips.download.-Par50rparsys-0033-downloadFile.html/06)%20Freehub%20Interchangeability.pdf

cheers

[rjb]

I've upgraded a couple of 7 speed shimano hubs by fitting an 8/9/10 speed freehub. I understand that the mating surfaces at the back of the freehub may be different but in my experience this was not a problem. Sheldon Brown shows how here -
http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html
scroll down to find the paragraph on body transplantation and upgrading, and just above it there is some info on compatability. BTW i kept the original axle but did need to redish the rim by a couple of mm. It may be economical to pick up a budget shimano freehub and try it. Don't try using a non shimano one as they quite often have a different design of attachment.

[PW]

You may recall I routinely keep a spare 8/9/10 freehub in an oilbath for winter commuter failures. The MTB ones are roughly a fit, but some better than others. A little light filing along the inner edge of the steel freehub often makes it run smoothly against the alloy hubshell, especially if swapping between LX/ Deore and *OLD* type XT. I was tipped off by the LBS mechanic that it's often cheaper to buy a low order disc hub and scrap it for internals, but beware with the axle cones, you sometimes get the same problem, it's a faff spacing things to fit and the freehub might bind so it won't rotate on the axle until it's been "operated" on.

[Redvee]

Having trawled the shops I am all set to build a wheel with an XT hub but was looking for the easy way out.

This could prove a cheaper way of doing it too. Being Shimano hubs the spoke hole diameter will be the same, assuming you are using the same number of spokes again. You could strip the old wheel and reuse the spokes and let the LBS tension it for you.

[cycleruk]

As suggested above - go for a new complete hub.
Very easy to swap over from old to new.
Check out :- Google, Ebay, Chainreaction, Wiggle etc' for Lx rear hub.
I found there isn't much difference between just "freehub" and complete "hub" prices.
Just make sure you have the same spoke count.

[531colin]

......................... You could strip the old wheel and reuse the spokes and let the LBS tension it for you.

Thats a job I would refuse.
A skilled wheelbuilder wants paying for his/her time, and the customer wants a reliable wheel.
By doing the lacing up, all you have done is the easy bit I do in front of the telly on a night.
But I have no way of telling how fatigued the spokes are, or if you have re-used them in the correct orientation.

[cycle cat]

I agree Colin. You are better off with a new set of spokes.
Old spokes are not worth risking your reputation on.
Who knows what has happened to them?
I took an old wheel apart only to discover the spokes
were all different makes and lengths.

Somehow it had all been bodged together.

[PW]

Colin's got a good point as usual.
I re-lace spokes but... When I dismantle a wheel I take the spokes out as a set, eg drive side inbound, label the one nearest the valve hole and which way they came out, anticlock or the reverse and they go back in the same order. They're MINE with a known mileage and history and of course I don't make my living from the job. Give the builder his due, he earns it.