ok i want to service my rear hub and have the Hope Video plenty of times now - They say you need the bearing tool (HTT174) - is this essential or can I just use a correct size socket as a drift?
It looks like the Seal Tool (HTT175) is needed to seat the free hub body seal.
I have stripped the old hub down and have new bearings ready to be fitted - just need to know if its worth investing in these tools?
I've never used anything that isn't sitting in my toolbox. Sockets, a hammer, screwdrivers and some circlip pilers. The seal reseats with your fingers! 
Special tool for the seal- rubbish.
You don't need the specific tools, most people can improvise.
ok i got cheap bearings off ebay - should I have got decent bearings like SKF? just that SKF are 3 times as much?
Heat the hub and freeze the bearngs
Buy cheap buy twice for bearings. there was a big debate on here about putting more grease in bearings - something to consider with cheap bearings for sure
Cheap vs pricey bearings is a can of worms, even before you consider adding more grease.
TJ, once again thats utter piffle. In order to get a bearing to shrink to make any difference you have to get them much colder than a kitchen freezer will do. Do your bearings fall out when having a subzero ride?
Main thing with installing bearings is keeping it nice and square, ickle bit of oil / grease, goes in much better.
ive had too many f-ups trying to bodge it with homemade tools. i bought the proper tools and its an easy job.
not cheap but worth the money if youre keeping the wheels for a while.
oh dear looks like i have opened a can of worms!
Re: cheap bearings - i have gone through 2 sets of cheap bearings this year on my Front 20mm Pro2 - don't know if this is because of the cheap bearings or me fitting them with a socket - not the proper tool?
scruff - MemberDo your bearings fall out when having a subzero ride?
Fall out past the end caps/skewer eh ;)?
Having done it both ways it can be done with sockets if careful - one slip and its marked hub city
The tools are nylon protected on contact surface - the hub support tool is worth it - the rest are just nylon coated sockets - some threaded bar and sockets do the same job - hammering them in even with sockets does not give the best smoothness i find they go notchy - acceptable to ride but notchy in the hand - using the press i made using parts from a santa cruz bearing press set up ! gives lovely smooth new like hubs !
A small headset press type job
Just buy the tools, they work well - and proper Hope bearings are barely dearer than cheap ones.
Changed my front earlier this year, after 2 years, and just done the rear, 2 1/2 years - although in the rear it was only the driveside/freehub bearings that had gone, the non-driveside still had the manufactures' grease on it!
On top of the Hope tools you need a soft-hammer (got mine down south...) and somekind of drift - I used a socket-bar extension.
Scruff - its not piffle - its standard engineering practice.
Of course they won't fall out when on a sub zero ride as the alloy hub will be sub zero as well and thus have contracted. The bigger the heat difference the less tight the interference fit is thus the easier it is to fit the bearings.
Old british motorcycle engine bearings were fitted like this - a frozen bearing and a hot crankcase meant the bearings could be fitted by hand. Once both were at the same temp they wouldn't shift.
Edit - of course putting them in a domestic freezer is not as good as using liquid nitrogen - but every little helps
The problem with using a socket/extension to press a bearing in is that while the outer edge of the socket fits the aperture, the end face, which is going to be hammered against the bearing, is typically chamfered and actually 1mm or so inside of it. The risk is that you're going to be applying the hammering force directly onto the seal. So it's easy to turn a socket into a decent drift, just file/machine the chamfered edge down so that the corners are sharp/square and can be seated against the metal casing of the bearing.
Just bought the Hope tools last week and fitted new bearings to my front hub. You could easily damage the bearings with just a socket, but its risk vs (small) cost
Why on earth would you buy cheap bearings when the Hope/SKF ones are only £4 anyway - mine have lasted 18 months in Scottish conditions
whre do you buy these tools from?
got mine from uk bikestore
Tools only cost about £10. Not worth not buying them.
i got the full set for £20
Why on earth would you buy cheap bearings when the Hope/SKF ones are only £4 anyway - mine have lasted 18 months in Scottish conditions
mmm would you like to elaborate? Where from?
Got both tools and then bearings from my LBS - same as online price.
Sbrock thats rrp from hope- of course your lbs may be charging more ..... Depends on the actual bearing miind some are 4 some 6 and some 8 dependant on size - front or rear etc
No you do't need the tools but it does make doing 2 set of wheels easier 
I have services my pro II without these tools but bearing replacement is def easier but you can do it easily with some sockets and a hammter - you def dont need the seal tool IMHO
I am trying to change from QR to a Maxle on the rear Pro 2 - have watched the video to service the hub but am stuck on the twisting the freehub body off - I have almost shreaded my hand - any sensible advice?
you just have to give it a dam good pull! its just stuck on, so wear your riding gloves or something to cushion your hands. mine popped off easy though?
Try fitting the cassette loosely and tapping it from behind with a drift, the seal holding it is a snap-fit in the hub and can be a bit tight sometimes(defo goes back in easier with the right tool too).
I've just done this to my pro II rear. I had a nasty experience with a mini BMX bearing and for £30 I wasn't going to risk cocking another set of bearings up. Well worth the outlay absolutley no trauma at all. The whole job took about five minutes.
I was quite disappointed really.
Three_Fish.....Spot-on. Where you hit the bearing is very important. I have seen many bearings knocked in useing a small dia. bar on the inner race. This can cause the balls to leave little indents in the races, giving you a rough feeling bearing before you even turn a wheel.
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