DT Swiss 240 freehub removal

[SwissVan]

Decided that my DT Swiss 240 freehub is making to much noise while freewheeling, the noise is quite handy as it warns the pedestrians, dogs, horses other trail users to my presence but anyway in the interests of preventative maintenance I would like to clean / lube the ratchet mechinsm.

 

2 problems and suggestions from those in the know appreciated:

 

1. The Cassette lockring (shimano) is very tight and I cannot get it loose to remove the cassette, even with chain whip and a BBB lock ring spanner plus my 80 kg's

 

a. Other than adding more leverage to the lockring spanner, what else can I do to help loosen it?

 

b. Thinking about it…. Is it possible to pull the freehub off with the cassette still installed

 

2. What kind of grease should be used to lube the 2 star ratchets – DT Swiss say a special dt swiss grease….

Edited August 30, 2012 by SwissVan

[Johan Bornman]

Someone, not you of course but Fritz in your local, assaulted the lockring with too much torque. You have a problem but it must come off. Use more force.

 

Put the wheel upright on the floor in front of you and lean it back against your knees. Bend over it and install the whip on the leftand the cassette cracker on teh right. The two levers should make a V shape pointing towards the floor. Now use your weight to press down. Should you have to bounce, to it carefully because either of the two tools may twist and fold. The BBB cracker is well designed and won't slip out but don't be tempted to use a large shifting spanner on it as it will collapse.

 

Good luck and curse the installer. It doesn't have to be very tight at all. I don't recommend removing the freewheel with the cassette on. If anything goes wrong and you cannot get it all back (although it shouldn't), you are in deeper trouble because if the freewheel is not fitted, you cannot remove the cassette at all.

 

Next. And this goes for ANY bicycle part. Use ordinary grease. Bicycles don't require special grease. Period.

 

You have more problems. That hub is of rubbish design. Should you have to replace the inboard bearing on the hub itself, you require a special tool that DT Swiss in its wisdom had designed by a fairy. The tool is too weak to remove the ratchet ring.

 

Other than the poor design, poor seals and poor installation, service is straight forward.

[Cruz Addict]

i had the same problem with my last cassette, old lock ring was so tight i couldn't get it loose no matter what i did, eventually i got it loose by using some wd40( q20 etc, any liquid oil should work) on the join by the thread, left for about 20 in and then took a flat screw driver in one of the teeth and used a hammer, took a few nocks and came loose, wasnt too concerned about damage to the lock ring as the new cassette came with one

[Tubeless]

too much noise

 

Welcome........ been there.

 

Grease did work.

[SwissVan]

Thanks JB and DaddyG, have done and tried all your suggestions with no success.

 

Nearly popped a vein in my forehead last night trying to loosen the damn lockring...

Even resorted to using a hammer onto the lockring tool while it was engaged.

 

Other than finding and putting a 3 foot long pipe over the lockring tool for extra leverage i dont see it budging.....Think Saturday I'll take it to the bike shop who serviced it for me last time (May 2011) and see how he starts sweating while I watch, wonder what his excuse will be....and hope its not going to cost me more than a new lockring...