That stuck freehub body had me soaking parts in penetrating oil for a week before it gave up.

3 comments

3 Comments

My buddy went through the exact same nightmare last summer. He tried every trick with heat and penetrating oil on his freehub, even stuck the whole thing in the freezer overnight. It was nuts, like the parts were welded together. He spent over two weeks on it before it finally made that awful cracking sound and let go. Idk why they seize up that bad sometimes, maybe salt from the roads or something. He was about ready to just buy a whole new wheel.

ben_palmer8d ago

Man, soaking parts in penetrating oil for a week sounds brutal. I read on a bike forum once that freehub bodies are some of the worst for seizing up, especially if they haven't been serviced in ages. People were saying you gotta hit them with heat sometimes too, not just oil. It's crazy how something so small can cause so much headache. I had a similar thing with a bottom bracket once, but that's a whole other story. Anyway, glad you got it loose in the end.

reese_henderson8d ago

Have you tried using a heat gun along with the oil? It REALLY helps break the seizure faster. I've seen people use a small torch but you gotta be careful not to melt anything.