Know-How, Workshop - March 16, 2015

How to change the Free Hub on your Rear Wheel

Until a few years ago there was no real reason to remove your free hub, unless you needed to do maintenance on your bearings – but with the introduction of SRAM’s 1×11 groupset, riders might now need to put on a specific free hub to fit the 11-speed cassette. Today we’ll show you how to fit the SRAM and DT Swiss free hubs.

First up, the good news: changing to a different free hub is essentially pretty simple. However, certain hub manufacturers often go for different systems. Using the new SRAM Double Time free hub, we’ll show you have the classic pawl design works as well as the DT Swiss Ratchet System.

Changing the free hub on the DT Swiss Ratchet System

The DT Swiss Ratchet System is made up of two ratchet plates that are interlinked by multiple teeth within the free hub body. They’re press-fitted together by two springs. When you’re changing one of these it’s crucial to ensure that the springs are put back on in the correct direction and that the position of the ratchet plates is right.

Beim Querschnitt der Nabe ist deutlich die Position der Zahnscheiben und Federn zu erkennen. — The cross-section of the hub: familiarise yourself with the correct direction of the springs and ratchet.

Level

easy

Tools

None

How To

Viele Hersteller verbauen innerhalb ihrer Naben das Ratchet-System von DT Swiss. Auch einige SRAM-Laufräder sind damit ausgestattet. — Many manufacturers have the ratchet system from DT Swiss within their hubs. Even some SRAM wheels are kitted out with this.

Zu Beginn muss die Endkappe demontiert werden. — Firstly, remove the end cap.

Dann kann direkt der Freilaufkörper abgezogen werden. — Then you can pull the free hub body off the axle.

Sollten dabei die Zahnscheiben herausfallen ist beim Wiedereinbau darauf zu achten, dass die verzahnten Seiten zueinander zeigen. — If the ratchets come apart during this process, make sure you put back them together correctly, interlocking the toothed sides with a press-fit.

Nun kann der XD-Freilaufkörper aufgesetzt werden. — Now the XD driver body can be placed on the axle.

Dabei auf die korrekte Position der Feder achten. — Keep an eye on the direction of the springs.

Und im Anschluss die beiliegende Endkappe aufsetzen. Diese unterscheidet sich von der des regulären Freilaufkörpers. — Next, put the end cap on again. This is different to a regular free hub body.

Geschafft! Wie bereits Eingangs erwähnt ist der Umbau super simpel! — Done! As we said in the intro, it’s a very simple procedure!

Mounting a free hub body with a pawl-design.

While the first SRAM wheel models came complete with the DT Swiss Ratchet System, the new versions are built with SRAM’s own ‘Double Time’ pawl system. Changing a free hub body is easily done here too.