Hugi 240 Rear Hub Service.
Very light and well made hubs, but compared to Hope's they require a lot more servicing. The Free-hub bearings die at regular intervals, they do not have any sealing qualities, ride through rivers or deep puddles as I did at Newham park and they will seize solid.
It's wise not to remove the Cassette too often as the Aluminium free-hub body gets damaged easily.

Here's how to strip a free-hub for bearing replacement or lubrication if stubborn. Ideally you should acquire the DT hub tool, at over £90 its not cheap. I borrowed it from our superb local bike shop Richardsons cycles, who would be willing to do the job for you. If your dedicated to a life with DT Hubs, its worth acquiring your own. Consult the DT manual for Important freehub clutch greasing and assembly instructions.
 
Park do a really cool wheel shaft holding tool, its included in the DT kit, but can be purchased on its own from park. It allows you to clamp the wheel spindle in a vice.
  • Remove cassette, note the aluminium free-hub body can get notched making this stubborn, dress any burs with a smooth file.
  • with the wheel held securely in a vice, free-hub uppermost, pull of the end cap, it will come off it just needs a good grip with some pliers or molegrips.
  • If you are lucky, just pull off the freehub now. I say lucky, if you can actually do this it means that your free-hub bearings must be a poor fit over the wheel spindle shaft. Its likely you need a puller.
  • Screw an old cassette lock ring into the free-hub (don't use a nice soft XTR ally one will you) This is where you need the DT kit as you place a puller adaptor into the shaft end to allow the puler to push against. You could use a flat washer under the lock ring in an emergency.

The tool required here is a bar of aluminium with these dimensions

Dt1

  • Using a two or three leg small puller underneath the lock ring and pulling against the DT tool 1, pull off the cassette slowly. Some releasant lubricant might prove usefull for severe corrosion cases.
  • Take out the freehub ratchet parts, and clean thoroughly. There is a thin long spacer on the shaft too, it will probably be stuck, remove it if you can, if not see below.
  • Take the spring out of the free-hub, take carefull note that the bigger end presses against the bearing, now check the freehub bearings, they are most likely very worn or seized.
  • To replace the free-hub bearings you need to first get a screwdriver inside from the ratchet end and push the spacer between the two bearings to one side. Now place the freehub on a very soft base. DT again provide a tool to use as a base, but wood with a hole in will do instead. Now tap the outboard bearing out of the freehub using a drift on its inner race (this will kill the bearing so only do if replacing).
  • Now remove the internal circlip, which holds in the inboard bearing, then using the DT ring removal tool, slide it through the ratchet ring to but against and knock out the inner bearing.
  • If you have version 2 of the DT240 Hugi hub, remove the spring spacer between bearing and ratchet.
  • Bearings are 6902RS, get the best you can afford otherwise you will be doing this process regularly.
  • Assemble all parts in reverse. Don't forget the spacer first, then the inner bearing, then the circlip, the spacer and then the outer bearing. Only tap the bearings in using the outer bearing race, or you'll kill them and have to do this all over again very quickly.
Access the other end bearings or remove a stubborn freehub spacer as follows.
  • Pull the non drive end spacer off the shaft. Note the seal direction on removal, the fatter section is to the outside, clean this seal.
  • It's possible the thin drive end spacer is stuck on the shaft, if this is the case tap the shaft through from the drive end side using DT tool 1 to protect the shaft.
  • The Non drive end bearing will come out cleanly with the shaft, clean the shaft and spacer thoroughly now to remove any corrosion use a very fine abrasive paper. 00 grade if possible, DO NOT go through the shaft anodizing. This spacer should slide on and off the shaft very easily, lightly grease on installation to avoid this problem again.