Free-hub body restoration

Not all restoration work is glamorous, that’s for sure. But more rides are ruined by poorly maintained free-hub bodies than by not having the lastest bladed spokes or fancy rims, so restoring damaged free-hub bodies is a necessary task in keeping classic bikes on the roads and trails.

This is the most extreme example I’ve ever encountered of a free-hub body mechanism fouled by road crud. It was tightly packed into the ratchet/pawl cavity and machined smooth by the pawl wheel profiles.

The photos show how servicing often becomes restoration. The function of wheel has become totally impaired and the wheel cannot be safely ridden. The tools used were designed by Michael Hartley to disassemble the free-hub body, establish root cause of failure and expose the internals to cleaning. These tools were also manufactured locally and are another example of the truly unique restoration services we offer.