Replaced the freehub bearings, no worries, drive side bearing in the hub body is refusing to budge, it's pretty much just falling to bits. Is there a trick to this, or is it just smack it harder.

Pee'd off now

soak in oil
swear at it
heat the surrounding hub (hot water?)
try not to smash the bearing apart

Have you knocked it out a bit and got it on the squint? If so, drift the other side out so it's square or tap it back in and start again.

You seem to know everything when anyone else asks!!

Hmmm I've had hassle before with them, I've found a big steel G-Clamp to work sometimes, obviously you have to find something to sit on the G-Clamp clampy bits to push the bearing through and hold the hub body (if that makes sense).

First time I did it it was bloody frustrating and seemed to just be a case of tw*t harder which is horrible as you never know how far you dare take it. Like Onzadog says watch out its not going squint.

Good Luck! (and don't blame me if you do tw*t it too hard!)

Leaving it for now, just getting frustrated with it.

Heat the hub is the key thing

Bollox, bearing's fallen apart leaving outer race in place. It's borked isn't it?

nope – it still can be removed. you might need to get it to an engineering shop tho. Nothing left for you to get a drift on? there are tools to take it out still

You won't like me saying this, but really you should change the bearings as soon as you notice significant play developing ie more than 1mmm side to side at the rim. If you leave it too late, you may get a few more weeks out of it, but the risk of the bearing disintegrating when you try to knock it out it increases 🙁 Same applies to the freehub – if you can make the cassette rock more than a small amount, rebuild it.

Nah, nothing there to get a drift onto.

Funkin Hope…

there was no real movement at all in the hub body, just a little rough feeling is all. It was the freehub that was bad, and that went without a hitch…Typical really

Can you get a hacksaw blade in and slot the outer race that's left there? Only 1 cut should be enough and you should be able to bend it in with a fine screwdriver

Yeah, tried that, the race seems pretty impervious to my blades…

The race is hardened steel – very hard . You might be able to cut it with a dremmel as it will heat it enough to destroy the hardening.

Best bet is to take it to an engineering shop or return it to hope.

There are such tools as blind bearing pullers which expand into the inside of the race and will pull the bearing out or you can weld something to it or a line of weld around the inside of the race will shrink it as it cools and contracts

If I were you I would simply stop now and take it to a pro before you destroy the hub

Phone Hope. Pay them £15, get fully serviced hub back.

What an arse. Funkin cartridge bearings are more hassle than they're worth

If I were you I would simply stop now and take it to a pro before you destroy the hub

F**ked cartridge removal has stopped play anyway… 🙄

Nick – did you heat the hub? It makes a huge diference

Nah, I'll give it a go tomorrow. Boiling kettle hot enough?

Never have this sort of hassle with shimano hubs. Mutter…mutter…mutter

Boiling kettle is hot enough – tie a rag around the hub to hold the water in contact.

Thats why you couldn't get the bearings out. It makes a huge difference. I changed some recently and the bearings came out with a few taps and the new ( frozen) bearings went in by hand.

Lesson – always heat the hub

Lesson – always heat the hub

Hmmmmm, no-one (not even Hope) says this is necessary. What a pile 'o' crap. I suspect however this one's in good and proper so I'm not holding out much hope( ho ho) TBH. 2nd hand XC hub and I have a sneaky suspicion the bearings have never been changed.

If you have the right tools and a press then you don't need to but it reduces the interference fit enough to make it much easier.

It's a POP to get dissintegrated bearings out.
Sleeve anchor, hammer, vice.
Job done.

Thought a know it all like you would be able to do a simple job like changing bearings. 🙄 😉

Once you have changed the bearings you will be pleasantly surprised by their longevity in a Hope XC hub, and not having to mess around with cone spanners is a bonus.

and not having to mess around with cone spanners is a bonus.

Right, and spending a day trying to get cartridge bearings out is a sooo much better way of spending my Saturday… 🙄

What in the name of **** is a sleeve anchor?

Chill dude.

Sleve anchor or blind bearing puller – its an expanding widget that goes into the bearing race to grip so you can pull it out

http://www.diseno-art.com/products/tools/blind_bearing_puller.html

edit – you might be able to get a grip on the remainder of the race with an expanding bolt and / or shims

What in the name of **** is a sleeve anchor?

It's what you need to use to get a bearing case out. 😉

I'll set them up, you knock 'em in…

🙂

Hmmmm compare and contrast Shimano hub prices to sleeve anchors/blind bearing pullers…

Hmmmm compare and contrast Shimano hub prices to sleeve anchors/blind bearing pullers…

it's up to you, but I think you were unlucky to have this happen without warning – I've only had one bearing collapse and that was a freehub which I'd let get very wobbly. I wouldn't consider Shimano as none of their freehubs has ever lasted me more than 9 months 🙁

Nickc – or ( I do apologise) learning the correct technique for removing bearings?

Hmmm, followed Hope's instructions. Used the right equipment, what's wrong with this picture? Crap bearing perhaps?

Dunno, loose balls seems like less effort all round. Gonna build me a new wheel I reckon.

You have the correct hope drifts? YOu didn't heat the hub which I find makes all the difference between an easy job and a hard one

Yep, bought all the drifts, as I had a feeling this wouldn't be straightforward, (old Hub, not serviced regularly) and I didn't want to arse about with it.

Live and Learn, eh?

On a lighter note, the apple and cinnamon loaf I made earier worked perfectly. I'll stick to bread in future

YOu didn't heat the hub which I find makes all the difference between an easy job and a hard one

too much faff, just HIT it 🙂 Wearing ear defenders helps.

too much faff, just HIT it

I suspect this may have contributed… 😳

Had this same problem with some frame bearings. LBS mechanic applied some heat and it popped straight out.

Boiling water didn't work. Partly I think as there's still not enough of a lip on the bearing race to get a drift onto, and partly I suspect boiling water isn't enough to make a difference.

I suspect TJ, your bearings would've have probably gone in and out without all the messing about

Probably nickc – but heating the hub even with boiling water makes a significant difference to the interference fit. On the two hubs I have done it made the difference between hitting the bearing hard and a couple of gentle taps.

I have changed many an interference bearing over the years in motorcycles including engine and gearbox bearings. heating is the standard way of doing this and does make it easier.

Once you have got the point you have where you have very little left to get purchase on the blind bearing puller is the best bet.