We show you how to keep your star ratchet free hub running like Swiss clockwork – and how to upgrade its engagement too.

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1. Pull off end cap

Remove the end cap from the driveside of the hub. This should just pull free, but they can be stubborn.

2. Lay it out

Slide the body from the axle and remove the two star ratchet rings, springs and spacer. Lay them out in order and orientation to ease assembly. If you have 18-tooth star ratchets, consider ungrudging to 36 tooth (code: HWDXXX00N2884S) as this will halve the engagement time.

3. Clean thoroughly

Thoroughly clean each component – alcohol and a toothbrush work well her. Take care not to saturate the bearings in the solvent but ensure everything is spotlessly clean.

4. Lube it up

Apply a very fine layer of DT Swiss Special Grease (HXTXXX00NSG20S) to each component – do not over-grease. Assemble the front hub. Grease the O-ring in the end cap to ease disassembly.