I’m looking at new frames with maxle rear ends and will probably convert the Pro2 hub I have. A bit of a search on here dragged up a few threads from a while back (most recent was 2 years ago) where the above had happened when used with a maxle.

Haven’t seen any threads on this recently so wondered if this is still an issue? Would I be better off in the long run buying the Pro2 EVO conversion kit?

The problem only occurred with the stepped Maxle (see image below). So long as you don’t have this the ProII axle is fine.

No new frames should have this stepped Maxle. They were only in production in 2010 and were replaced under warranty for straight ones by SRAM.

snapped mine last year (thread here about it somewhere). Sorted by what Edd said

edd – Member

The problem only occurred with the stepped Maxle (see image below). So long as you don’t have this the ProII axle is fine.

Not at all, both that I snapped were with full thickness axles (in a Last Herb and a Dare), pretty commonplace. Hope did replace them quickly, mind, and got bonus comedy points for sending me 2 replacements for “the next time it happens”. Sometimes “no questions asked” really just means “no need to ask, we know our product’s substandard”.

So, I converted to Evo, which is bang on. Not cheap to do but well worth it. This also means I have a couple of spare pro 2 135×12 axles if you’d like to go down the multiple redundancy route 😉

(might be easier and cheaper to find a used Evo hub or wheel and swap parts, then sell on the old bits as a complete hub?)

I’ve also snapped one with a standard Maxle, although it lasted a lot longer than the previous ones did with the stepped Maxle light. Hope offered free replacement with stronger steel axle upon returning broken one – not got around to sending off the broken one yet (as replaced it with a spare aluminium one) so cannot comment if this solves the problem.

Snapped 4 with a standard Maxle. Avoid, unless you can get hold of a steel one.

Also snapped a pro2 axle with a normal maxle.

Hope gave me the option of a free aluminium or steel replacement. I went for the latter. So far so good.

Only adds a few grams to the weight so thought it better to be safe than sorry.

I snapped 2 pro2 QR versions and cracked 1 pro 2 hubshell. Not had anything EVO break yet but been running those as 10mm & 12mm bolt thru’s for a couple of years.

Snapped eight in about a year until I got the EVO setup… with maxle and solid BETD bolt. No problems on the EVO in two years 8)

stevomcd – Member

Snapped 4 with a standard Maxle. Avoid, unless you can get hold of a steel one.

Yeah but I’ve seen you ride 😉

When you say ‘steel one’ do you mean BETD maxle or steel hub axle? What hub are you running now?

I broke one a couple of months back using a normal Maxle.

I emailed Hope with pics and asked if a steel replacement was available, they sent me one out immediately FOC.
It was 60 grams heavier.

No problems since.

They never offered me a steel one 🙁 They did kindly offer to sell me the Evo parts at RRP (without even deducting anything for the replacement axle they wouldn’t have to send me). Cheers boys.

I run a DTSwiss RWS bolt through thing on a Pro2 10mm axle. Is that a snap risk?

You will die FACT

Thanks Si, i’d pretty much realised that! 😉

Maybe a call to Hope and see if they will sell me a steel axle then…

Hah… Why Maxle or is the new frame decided??

They fixed mine and replaced the pawls + springs FOC while they were at it. 😀

TroutWrestler – Member

I run a DTSwiss RWS bolt through thing on a Pro2 10mm axle. Is that a snap risk?

Not that I’ve ever seen- it’s basically the same axle with a smaller hole through the middle so a lot stronger. I used a bolt-in rather than bolt-through but it had, oh, 50 times as much use as the maxle ones probably without any issues.

I don’t know if it’s true, but I remember reading somewhere that the pro 2 was designed before 12mm axles for trailbikes was really a thing, and then in order to accomodate 12mm, they just stuck a bigger hole through a part designed for a smaller hole- hence the thin walls. Seems likely enough.

Snapped a standard maxle with Evo hubs. £50 on a new maxle. How come hope are replacing them for free?

I’ve had a Pro II hub (none evo version) with a standard maxle for a couple of years now, and havent had any trouble.

If wednesday night is anything to go by you’ll spend more time on the ground than on the bike, so i wouldn’t worry too much, but on the other hand you are a fat fecker so you do put a fair old load on your bike parts. 😆
how about asking hope if they can do some steel parts for your arm while your there?
😉

Hey Si! How are things back in Blighty?

I will refer sir to the snapped inbred frame, mainly due to the ‘load’ put on it.

munky – Hope are giving some replacement hub axles not maxles.

Burchy1 – I mean a Hope steel hub axle.

I’m now using a Pro2 Evo with a maxle with no problems.

The issue with the old one is that the maxle diameter is 12mm and the internal diameter of the hub/freehub bearings was 15mm. So 1.5mm of aluminium each side…

I did actually get my old mechanical engineers hat on and do some sums on that, ‘cos I was getting frustrated at breaking so many. Lets just say it was no surprise to me that they were snapping…

Snapped a standard maxle with Evo hubs. £50 on a new maxle. How come hope are replacing them for free?

I think most people are talking about snapping hub axles (in standard Pro2 hubs), rather than snapping the Maxle itself.

Troutwrestler, I snapped one this year with a DT Swiss RWS on my Mega after a tough weekend in Scotland. Didn’t realise till I removed the back wheel and the cassette hit the floor and rolled off!

After a tough weekend in the Lakes the skewer off the RWS is now missing! Damn you bikes!!