Topic Title

Well, we were discussing bike maintenance in the pub on Monday and I suggested with bravado that anything could really be stripped down and rebuilt without any fear of doing any damage. Muzzy said "what about Campag freehubs?" They're OK - said I.

OK, so last night I went to strip down my Centaur rear hub.......maybe Muzzy had a point!

Has anyone done this? The axle unscrews into segments then there's a nylon adjuster pushing down onto what looks like sealed bearings. Presumably these would have to be "drifted" out with a tool? I looked it up on www.campagnolo.com and they helpfully suggested I take it to a qualified mechanic.

Has anybody got any experience to share of this job?

R

They aren't sealed bearings and the whole things actually strips down with no bother at all. It's just not like a traditional setup.

Is this a front or a rear hub?

It's a rear hub. Must learn to read!

http://www.campagnolo.com/pdf/178-FI%20 ... 202000.pdf

I did a pair of Daytonas to just regrease the hub bearings over the winter, which look pretty similar. Started without any instructions and felt my way through not expecting to be able to dismantle the whole freehub to bits. I found it simplicity itself and the whole job done in about an hour for both. Just be careful re-seating the spring/pawl set up as they're small and fiddly.

On the other hand has anyone ever dismantled a Shimano freehub unit? I've always been told that's impossible so just binned them and replaced with new.

Thanks Arthur.
The instruction sheet you've posted is the 1999 vintage.
The 2007 version is less encouraging:

http://www.campagnolo.com/pdf/7225313_C ... _04_06.pdf

The hub in question came into this world in 05/06 and does appear to correspond to the 07 sheet.

I'm going to have another go this evening, will let you know how I get on!

I belive that the internal structure hasn't changed though. They should still dismantle the same way.

Well, I have to report that Arthur's view that the internal structure has not changed is correct. And Paul's right that it was very easy once I'd mustered the bravery to twat the end of the axel quite hard with a rubber mallet!

And in reading the spec sheets I discovered that the spacers between the sprockets have to go back on in a specific order (that's a new one to me): the first few are sort of like a Maltese cross and the rest simple O rings - that's fairly obvious, but the Maltese crosses themselves vary in thickness. I doubt the difference between 2.4 and 2.55mm would cause a calimity, but something to be aware of! The order is there on the web site and the spacers are labelled (if you look closely)!

Shimano freehubs? That's the dark side isn't it?
Seriously though I thought they were designed to be chucked away - they're about a tenner and just screw onto the hub with a 10mm allen key as I remember?