Any advice on why my new hope SS hub has frozen / what to do about it

Wheel is nearly new (4 weeks) – been running fine. Been away for a week and just checked over bike to make sure OK for riding (tomorrow night). Cranks wouldn’t turn.

Released QR skewer and cranks turned ok, but every time I tighten the cranks the wheel won’t turn.

Taken the wheel off and the hub rotates ok – if a little stiff.

What’s going on?

TA

Released QR skewer and cranks turned ok, but every time I tighten the cranks the wheel won’t turn

You mean:

Released QR skewer and cranks turned ok, but every time I tighten the hub the cranks won’t turn

You have tried riding it yes? “Won’t turn” may not be so under your awesome thighs 😀

OK – It’s late!

Every time I tighten the skewer the wheel won’t turn!

I had this problem on my hope bulb. The trailside fix is to piss on it. I managed to cure it by removing the freehub body, cleaning the ratchet and pawls, and applying a very small amount of grease the ratchet. If you use too much grease the hub stops being so loud. The freehub is very easy to remove. Remove the cassette, and pop the silver end cap off of the axle. The pull the freehub away from the hub, just a few mm. Until you can start to see the pawls. Before removong the freehub completely, hold onto the pawls as you pull to stop them flying everywhere. then do the clean and regrease thing. Reverse the strip down procedure to re assemble.

thanks skalfan

I put some crap bearings in my Pro2 front & its now seized solid after a wash.

Coud it possibly be related to chainline or chain tension as it seems strange that the freehub and cranks spin freely on their own? Either that or how tight are you doing up the qr skewer you may have done something to the bearings although if its hope they are probably sealed and just clutching at straws here? I wouldnt start taking it apart if its only 4 weeks old if there is something wrong with the hub take it back to the shop and get them to check it.

Good luck!

Sorry meant a 😀 in there.

My guess is that you’ve got a seized outer bearing in the freehub. Take the wheel out, grip the axle at the brake end, and try turning the sprocket-if it turns the axle too, then that’s your problem.
Think Skaifan’s talking about “too cold” frozen, when moisture in the hub actually freezes.Doubtful it’s going to be that unless you’re somewhere pretty cold.

Too much grease makes them sticky. After a refresh and clean out it went sticky as I didn’t use it after servicing and the first attempt to ride it wouldn’t freewheel and ended up being a pain until I wiped some of the excess grease out. Enough in the pawls and a very thin smear on the ratchet

It rotates fine off the bike (if a little “heavy”) and with no load. It is just when I do the QR up even slightly free hub locks solid… Might have to go back to the shop – just a pain ‘coz its miles away!

Any thoughts on just spraying in some GT85 to see if that frees it up? Haven’t got time to take it apart tonight and want to ride tomorrow if I can… but no point in ruining a good wheel…

Have you taken it apart and lost the spacer washer that goes behind the freehub?

Haven’t taken it apart at all – been running fine ’til now… Been idle for last 10 days while I was away – just got back and was checking it out for ride tomorrow night… noticed cranks wouldn’t turn… Presumably if spacer is missing it wouldn’t have worked from when built?

Sounds like the spacer is missing, could even be a less obvious one from the non drive side?