squeaky rear wheel

[jags]

i bough a set of wheels from wiggle a while back nice wheels  mavic 319 rims 36 holw deore hubs sapin spokes hand finished. problem is the rear wheel sqeaks  when freewheeling  quiet loud too.
any ideas what could be wrong and how do i fix it.
no point in sending it back cost to much on postage besides  it's been to long now oh yeah the problem was there from day one.

[Danneaux]

Jags,

Does it still squeak when you turn the wheel with the chain removed?

Trying to see if it is in the freehub body or the bearings themselves.

How do the bearings feel?  Is it a periodic squeak (squeak-squeak-squeak) or a continuous one (squeeeeeaaaaaaaak)?

No chance of a brake block dragging...not on your bike.

Best,

Dan.

[jags]

tanks Dan just one continius squeak if i hold the wheel in my hand holding the cassett give it a spin then you can hear the squeak  as if there was a   rubber seal twisted  no movement in the freehub  the bearings seem ok to me.

[Danneaux]

...as if there was a   rubber seal twisted  no movement in the freehub...

jags, that would be my guess, as well.

Have you tried taking it apart? If the hub has cartridge bearings, then the freewheel body is often held on by the axle spacers, which in turn are retained by little teeny-tiny grub screws that take a 2.5mm allen.  I have a set of very nice Bontrager-clone hubs like this. No replacement parts are available, but in the meantime, it is one of he nicest cassette hubs designs I have seen.

And yes, the seals can get dislodged, causing a continuous squeak. It is amazing how long it can last, given the wear that must be taking place.

Have you tried lubing the joint between the right-hand hub flange and freehub? You'd have to remove the cassette. Also, a surprising number of non-Shimano freehubs have handy little oil ports in the freehub body that become visible oce the cassette is removed, a drop of thick oil there (i.e. Phil Tenacious) wouldn't hurt.

Best,

Dan.

[jags]

thanks Dan  ok i'll have a go at that nothing beats a try but a failure

[jags]

well i took off the freehub they have loose bearings no grease what so ever so i lashed loads of grease on the bearings put it all back together and guess what it still squeaks not as bab mind you. i think i'll put some miles on it see if it will settle down.
 btw only tubes i have is 700x23 will they do my 28 tyres i know i know i should know all these things by now actually i'm sure they will but i just want   someone else to tell me so

[Danneaux]

...i took off the freehub they have loose bearings no grease what so ever...

Yikes! No grease whatsoever?!?

That would account for a good part of the initial noise. Not sure why it still squeaks, though.

only tubes i have is 700x23 will they do my 28 tyres

Short answer: Yes, they will do. Longer answer: Yes, but the tubes will be stretched much thinner and likely unevenly, thus putting more stress on them and making them more prone to failure.  Rather than a flat or blowout, you'd be more apt to see a loss of pressure in a shorter time period 'cos the tube walls will be stretched thinner. I've gotten by for short periods with this combination, but had to air-up my tires more frequently.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Dan.

[jags]

Thanks Dan i did have the proper  inner tubes but for the life of me i can't find them anywhere.
i'm heading to donegal in the morning was going to take the bike with me

[Danneaux]

You should be fine, jags, but use care on the downhills, and pack another spare tube or two just in case.

And put in the proper-sized tubes, soonest!

Be safe and sound.

All the best,

Dan.