trying to repalce bearings in my Hope Bulb. Hope tech document says the freehub body (or rotor as they call it?)should come off easily by pulling it. Can’t get the feker to budge. Any tips?

Cheers

i replaced all the bearings in mine last week, and it was very hard to get off. The outer freehub bearing had started to rust and was very tight on the axle, so i sprayed it with gt85 and left if to soak for a while. It came off quite easliy after this.

if its an older xc hub use this guide http://www.mountainbikerides.co.uk/fettling/hope_hub.htm

here is the hope guide too http://www.hopetech.com/database/Rear_Cassette_hub_inst.PDF

Could the freehub bearings be seized onto the axle? Maybe spray with loads of GT85 and try and prise the freehub off?

addendum – oops should have read willyboys post above 😉

it’s seized. support the side of the hub, place an old rotor bolt or similar in the end of the axle and ****t it witha hammer. You may have to hit it quite hard.

Stick an old cassette on it, Plus Gas it overnight, use a bigger hammer and drift on the cassette to drive it off – leave the lockring loose btw. The inner races have probably corroded onto the axle. Clean up and grease well when you reassemble. Had a similar issue with a Pro 2 recently.

Oh, and support the spokes properly while you’re thumbing the cassette…

use a bigger hammer and drift on the cassette to drive it off

Yeh cool idea – nice one BWD 😉

with nbt on hitting hard, if you leave the bearings to long then it can be really tough to get all the parts of the hub. Mrs mt did a rear hub this weekend I was called on to hit things very hard. Having the right tools makes it easier when the going gets tough (not just a hammer).

leave the lockring loose btw

sounds like a good way to strip those delicate threads 🙁 I’d say do them up tight!

thanks everyone that took the time to reply – cigar goes to BadlyWiredDog: genius

I think it would be better to drive the axle out of the hub (by hitting the non drive end) and then tackle the freehub clear of the hub and wheel.

I think it would be better to drive the axle out of the hub (by hitting the non drive end) and then tackle the freehub clear of the hub and wheel.

Yeah, you could do that. You’ll probably find that the axle comes out with the freehub anyway. The reason I used the cassette thing rather than just whacking the axle was that you could tap it sequentially and loosen it off gradually rather then just with one massive thwack. That might just be wishful thinking, but i felt happier doing it that way.

The reason I used the cassette thing rather than just whacking the axle was that you could tap it sequentially and loosen it off gradually rather then just with one massive thwack

yes, but the trouble I see is that hitting the cassette will result in an off-centre force, encouraging the thing to bind, and also putting more force on the lockring threads than they are designed to take