[donpabl0]

Can I put a good old Shimano freehub body on my AC mountain bike hub? I recently built a set of AC/819 wheels and the freehub drag is terrible. Thought it was starting to break in, but after a couple more rides it's gotten even stickier. And the AC alloy freehub body is getting chewed up by the cogs already.

 

[VT Mike]

Can I put a good old Shimano freehub body on my AC mountain bike hub? I recently built a set of AC/819 wheels and the freehub drag is terrible. Thought it was starting to break in, but after a couple more rides it's gotten even stickier. And the AC alloy freehub body is getting chewed up by the cogs already.

No, they definitely don't mix and match. But the AM Classic hub is pretty easy to service, you just need an axle vise and a 19mm cone wrench. The instructions are on their web site. Pull it apart and see if the bearings in the freehub body need to be serviced or replaced. What cassette are you using? You can't use a cassette with all individual cogs on an aluminum freehub body, the bigger cogs need to be on spider. This pretty much limits you to XT, XTR, and SRAM pg-990 (plus Dura Ace and Ultegra if you want to include road cassettes).

 

[donpabl0]

thanks

I am running a SRAM casset with a composite carrier. It's just the little cogs that bite into the cassette (and not that badly). The only real problem is the drag. People (like mechanics) I've had look at it tell me it just needs to break in. It's still really knew. I was just discouraged because it seemed to be improving and then it got stickier again.

I wonder if I should pull the hub apart, though I'd have to get the tools. I haven't seen a 19mm cone wrench for sale alone at any shops, though some sets include one. Is an axle vise expensive? I just think it's odd that this hub should need to be serviced after only a couple rides.

 

[logbiter]

I was just looking at the parktool site for shimano instructions for a refresher yesterday (they've got AC & shimano on their). You can get one their axle vises for ~$20-25 online. It's not something my LBS carries. Oddly enough, I googled to somebody that's is selling this stuff on amazon. I haven't done any comparison shopping yet though.
anyway, an axle vise isn't necessary, but helpful. If you're careful you can use a regular vise or even vice grips (carefully, I said!).

I am running a SRAM casset with a composite carrier. It's just the little cogs that bite into the cassette (and not that badly). The only real problem is the drag. People (like mechanics) I've had look at it tell me it just needs to break in. It's still really knew. I was just discouraged because it seemed to be improving and then it got stickier again.

I wonder if I should pull the hub apart, though I'd have to get the tools. I haven't seen a 19mm cone wrench for sale alone at any shops, though some sets include one. Is an axle vise expensive? I just think it's odd that this hub should need to be serviced after only a couple rides.