Suntour hub info wanted...

[Crum]

My bike came with a Suntour XC Expert MD-8 rear hub..

I am converting everything to the XC Pro Grease Guard parts.

The rear hub I am getting(still in transit from Ebay seller) is a Micro Drive 7 speed. I would like to put the 8 speed cassette on it... Are the 7 and 8 speed bodies the same?? Would I just need to re-space the axle? If I need to change the freehub body, Are they interchangeable? If I actually had the new one in my hand, I could just tear them apart, but the suspense is killing me... I also meed to know if I have to source a 7 speed cassette before I can use them....

 

[FluffyChicken]

You need a specific MD 7 speed freehub.
8 speed will not fit in 7 speed and vice versa.

I would think you could swap the freehub body around without a problem... if you can get the cassette off

Axle out, big allen key in the none drive side (the reverse way to Shimano).

Redish ? given you would need to put a rim on the rear hub ...
I cannot remember the XC-Pro MD too much and others will be along hopefully to tell you if you need to respace it for an 8-speed length freehub body. (i.e. more axle to drive side to fit the increased length.)

 

[Crum]

Re dishing wont be an issue as I have yet to build the wheel... I have an extra NOS MD-8 hub to use for parts... Getting the cassette off is easy... Just needed two whips.. I also have a new replacement freehub body, but I think it is AP2, and I am not sure if it is compatable with MD parts....

I guess I am mostly concerned whether there are differences between the freehub on the Grease Guard and non Grease Guard hubs..

If I have to go 7 speed, it won't be the end of the world, I will just have to find a cassette...

 

[FluffyChicken]

I guessed with the dishing

The attachment is the same for the freehubs.
Wow a Suntour cassette that actually came off after all this time Normally the bottom two you spin off )in MD format) locking VERY tight and you break your tools first. Seen a few like that on here now.

MicroDrive is AP2 (AP-II) that's just the profiling on the cogs.
If it's has an 11/12 tooth combined lock on thread then it MicroDrive of course no use if you're looking at a freehub body.
The length of it will tell you. I'll see if I can find the info I posted up.
Only adding in-case you or other reading didn't know.
If it's not Microdrive then you need a different cassette to put on it.

The wait to fettle is hard!

P.S. I have a feeling it's just the length of the none drive side Aluminium spacer that you'll need to switch over if you change the feehub body to the 8 speed MD form the 7 speed MD

 

[Crum]

Well... the new hub showed up almost immediately after my last post... Now I can actually tear into them and see what is what....

I am really into these Grease Guard parts now... It is a great design.. I now have everything except a 115 bottom bracket spindle...I had to make one concession though... I couldn't find an original 1 1/8 headset, so I am using a more Modern WTB unit... I even have the pedals...

 

[Crum]

Well, I got it all sorted... Had to use the 8 speed freehub from the old wheel, and it swapped over perfectly... Only minor issue is that the non drive side spacers are the same on the two hubs, so I have no thinner one to swap in for the respacing..The difference is that the cone on the Grease guard hub stick out farther...Tomorrow I will be heading over to a friends house to use his lathe. I will take a few mm out of the existing spacer to make it work... After that, I just need to find a rim..

 

[Crum]

Unsorted.... I hate it when I have to correct myself.... I tried to save time and effort by removing the freehub and cassette together on the 8 speed wheel and bolted it straight to the 7 speed hub....
While it worked just fine, upon further investigation, I had a problem.

I was wrong about the freehubs being different lengths... They are actually identical.( I never actually measured since I didn't remove the cassette :O ).. The reason this is important, is that I realized that the freehub from the Grease Guard had two holes for the grease to flow through from the port.... That would make it half a Grease guard hub.,..

So, here I am at 2am swapping around parts and deciding whether I want to lace up the wheel tonight or wait till tomorrow.... SInce the hubs are almost identical, I am just going to re use the spokes and Campy Stheno rim that was on the old hub....

 

[rockshark]

How do I actually get the cassette off? I got a Suntour XC pro grease guard 7 speed hub, wanted to get that 7 speed cassette off, but I don't see how...

And oh, I got the axle out on the drive side, but the axle nut at the non drive side is locked into the bearing, is that correct?