New Freewheel Slipping

V_Mark

V_Mark

100 W
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
135
Location
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I put together my new bike yesterday, a rear 2806 on an older Trek 820. Got it up and running but I was hearing knocking sound everytime I would start to pedal. After some inspection, I found that when I move the cranks forward, my freewheel would turn a little bit without the rest of the wheel. It's not a lot, but probably about an inch of chain goes around before it catches. Once it does catch, it is fine as long as I am pedaling steadily. This is a new 2806 and a new DNP 7-speed 11-32 tooth freewheel. Any ideas why this is happening and how to fix it?
 
Ram it back down the sellers throat should fix it. Sounds like it's not catching, like a socket wrench handle that had a few pawls broken off. I've never seen this on freewheels, I think you definitely got a defect there.

A new freewheel sticking is common, but fixable with a shim washer.
 
Pedal slipping is pretty normal for a newly installed freewheel. You can put a lot more torque on it with with your legs and pedals than you can by hand. Mine will slip a few times every time I install one till the freewheel gets seated tight. I've had them slip days after I install one when you stand on the pedals hard. But it shouldn't happen once the freewheel is good and tight. So if it's a continuous slipping, then there's a problem
 
My DNP freewheel has done this since new. At slower speeds, it will catch and release between each power stroke. Very annoying.

The 11t gear is worth it though, in my opinion.
 
Maybe normal for chinese made ones nowdays. Iv'e never seen it, just chains slipping on worn teeth. Have you tried lubing it?
 
Haven't lubed it yet. Just installed it and took it for a quick test ride. It's definitely not the chain slipping; I can see the freewheel gears turning forward by themselves for a split-second, and then the rest of the wheel catches up.

So hopefully it works itself out after a while. If not, hopefully the vendor will replace it or else it will be a major annoyance. I feel like the big hub motor covers amplify the noise.

Any worries about damaging the hub with the sudden force?
 
I just put a DNP 11-30 tooth on and have not noticed this at all.

There is no risk of damaging the hub with a freehwheel. If anything, you may just be damaging the freewheel itself. It screws on and that's it, a solid connection.
 
I can imagine that if they used a thick grease inside the FW pawl area, or it got in there from the bearings, it could make the pawls stick down, and this would happen.

A liquid lubricant or even lubricant remover will fix that problem, but it might require soaking in it if the grease is really thickly laid in there.
 
itselectric.ca pre-greases these before they ship them out. Just sayin.
 
Maybe just the grease then? When I have bought new freewheels I never had one behave that way. Mostly, my experience is the kind you take off a junk wheel, and then dunk in motor oil for about a week, flush with wd 40, then dunk again. Then you hope you got some of the rust out from the inside. :lol: Then you find it was all wasted energy, because the cogs still skip the chain from excessive wear.

You positive it's not hanging up, it can look real similar to what you describe, when the freewheel rubs the hub cover. That IS super common. Does it spin backwards real freely when off the bike? Make any scrapy sounds when freewheeling if it's still on the bike?
 
dogman said:
You positive it's not hanging up, it can look real similar to what you describe, when the freewheel rubs the hub cover. That IS super common. Does it spin backwards real freely when off the bike? Make any scrapy sounds when freewheeling if it's still on the bike?
Click to expand...

No sounds other than the knock. The freewheel definitely not rubbing the cover. It moves freely backwards and forwards, it just slips for a second before it catches when pedaling forward. Pedaling is not any harder or easier. There is just a short delay between the start of pedaling and the movement of the wheel. It feels like a bottom bracket issue, like the cranks are loose, but it's definitely not that.

I'll try greasing/lubing & riding unassisted all weekend and see if that helps to tighten it. Hills should be fun. Anyone else see the irony in that?
 
I had that same thing happen on my BMC hub motor... what eventually ended up happening was the cheap China metal on male threaded side on the motor sheared off so the threads stayed on the inside of the freewheel and the free wheel eventually spun free, but it started out in the same way you are describing. Just something to look for.
 
Ooooh. That's not good. I had a screw on disc do that, and the cover was junk after that.
 
Got me worried now. I'll see if I can get another. Looks like I finally have a reason to buy a freewheel removal tool.
 
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