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Cone replacement for WH-501

Hi

I'm trying to fix up the rear wheel of my Shimano wh-501. Not the most expensive wheels, but I will still like to fix it myself, just for the fun of it.

The one cone needs replacement and perhaps the freehub body. But I can't find a place where they sell these parts.
Are they available at all, or have Shimano made them so cheap, so they want me to throw them away and just buy a new set instead for repairing them?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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6 comments

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DaSy | 9 years ago
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The de-greaser is very likely to be the culprit that is killing your free-hub. Of all the bikes that came through my workshop, it tended to be the ones that people used muc-off or citrous de-greasers etc that would have problems with wheel bearings and free-hubs.

I always recommend an old towel, a light spray of GT85 over the chain and cassette, and then some elbow grease with the towel to clean the drive-train. If you do this regularly it doesn't build up with cack and is just a five minute job.

The lower end Shimano wheels have fairly low grade sealing between the bearings and the outside world, and the free-hub seal is just a single rubber seal that is fairly loose fitting to be honest. You can strip and rebuild them, but you need a special tool to get the cup out of the front, and it is very hard to get nowadays. I ordered mine from Japan in the end and took about three months to turn up. It's worth the effort for a Dura Ace freehub, but the cheaper ones are better off just replacing and pack in a load of grease between it and the hub when you install it, and avoid degreasers...

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londoncommute | 9 years ago
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Apologies as slightly off topic but the freehubs keep failing for me on the lower end Shimano wheels like these. I've an almost new RS10 which is now making a nasty noise and it'll be the third time I've had to give up on a wheel with loads of rim life left (in this case it's absolutely immaculate).

The only thing I can think of is that I do use degreaser on my chain and maybe it's super effective at penetrating freehubs and stripping the grease out!

As for the OP above, it's not really cost effective to replace so you end up with a new set of wheels.

Are there any bargain freehubs out there or has anyone been successful in getting new grease into them?

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unistriker | 9 years ago
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I have the same wheels, Good wheels.

It is only the rear that ended up playing up for me. £15 quid is better than buying a whole new wheel.

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therevokid | 9 years ago
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sjs cycles will have those  1

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Chris James | 9 years ago
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Only a few weeks ago I bought these wheels front AND back for £64 if I remember rightly. I like maintenance as much as the next person, but if the cones are goosed I would just consider getting some new wheels as the spare parts don't seem very economic.

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DaSy | 9 years ago
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The parts are available from Madison and are both in stock. You need the following:

4SK 9803 complete axle kit (rear) £14.99 SRP (Shimano p/n Y4SK98030)
This includes the axle, cones, seals and ball bearings.

4SK 9807 complete freehub assy £19.99 SRP (Shimano p/n Y4SK98070)
includes the freehub body, seals and mounting bolt.

They don't seem to list the cones and freehub as separate parts, or at least the pn's don't come up on the system.

Any bike shop near you should be able to order those parts from Madison.

Unless you just want to repair your wheels for the fun of it, a replacement is only £58 for the rear wheel, so for only a few quid more you get a warranty, plus new cups and rim too...

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