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Freehub pawls or ratchet : Grease or oil?
#1
Hi guys. What are your thoughts on putting heavy viscosity oil on a freehub pawls? Would it work better than using grease?
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#2
If possible, follow manufacturer's instructions. Otherwise, IIRC, you want a light machine oil, not a heavy oil and definitely not grease.
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#3
I have a Hope hub and based on their service manual, they use Mobil1 XHP222 grease on their freehub pawls and ratchets. I wanted to check if i can use slickoleum/buzz honey grease (light grease) since the XHP222 was on a bit thicker side.
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#4
I use a grease oil mix. Grease runs quieter; oil keeps grease more "fluid". But I am talking road bike with very little coasting. On an mtb you might want to stay with the manufacturer's recommendations (or experiment on a spare beater).
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#5
Heavy oil can indeed flow well and might get into all the small areas, potentially making engagement smoother and grease tends to stay in one place better. I prefer grease because I don't have to replace it frequently🚴‍♂️🛠️
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#6
I've legendarily soaked my entire freehub in synthetic oil and it works incredibly well.

It can in-fact work so well, that it will remove all the sound from the freehub.
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