I am clearly not the chosen one because there is know way in the world my hope pro 2 freehub is going to come off. The original problem was that when I tightened the qr the compression caused the freehub to stick. When the qr was not engaged the freehub would spin smoothly but turn the axle too. Having soaked it all in penetrating spray the freehub will move independently of the axle again but there is no way it’ll come off to allow me to replace the bearings.

I know this topic has been covered before but I’ve tried all of the methods mentioned but had no luck. It was bad enough getting the end caps off which were totally seized on but the freehub is just not budging. I have ran out of ideas, Im sure that the hope service video with the guy simply popping the freehub off a new hub has been made simply to torment me! 🙂

Knock the axle with freehub attached out of the hub and then knock the axle from the freehub?

Have you tried using 2p pieces? Put a cassette sprocket on, put 2p on end of axle, put lockring over 2p, tighten lockring. Should start it off. Undo and add more coins as required.

I have tried both of those methods without success. Have tried hitting the axle through with far more force than I ought to and it didn’t even budge a millimeter. I also have a lot of very concave 2 pence pieces.

I also tried putting an old cassette on and using a bearing puller. I now have a very bent old cassette.

Am I missing something obvious? It’s there anything else that needs to come off apart from the end caps?

Have you tried switching it off and back on again?

Might be time to take advantage of some of that legendary Hope customer service. I sent 2 hubs off to them last year (7 year old hubs, I might add) and they basically sent me 2 new ones. Posted them 1st class to them on the Wednesday and got them back by Fedex on the Friday, with no charge whatsoever. Can’t ask for anymore that that.

Just had this issue last week servicing a pro2 rear that has been used for the last few years. In the end soaking overnight in penetrating spray followed by 2p trick(using washers) really hard with a long spanner. Then pulling on half a cassette with the wheel against my feet finally did the trick.

Although the axle was still stuck in.

How about heating up the hub with a hair dryer?

Good luck.

There isn’t any cracking type damage on the freehub is there? Mine was slightly out of round…

None that I can see. There are the usual notches caused by the cassette but nothing other than that. I would send it back to Hope but that’s mean dismantling and rebuilding the whole wheel. Might end up taking it to LBS but I can’t think what they’re going to be able to do either.

<bookmarks page to see if more suggestions come forth for me to try with my stubborn Pro 2>

Never have I had a bike incapacitated for so long as I have currently. I think for future wheel builds I might avoid (Hit and) Hope and get something that can be taken apart with a spanner rather than a hammer.

When I couldn’t get mine off with my hands I put the 2p in the end of the freehub and secured it in place with a cassette locking.

I then put an old rear QR through the axle from the other side so it was up against the inside of the 2p. A single blow from the hammer sent that freehub flying down the garden.

I’d recommend putting a bag over the freehub to catch it, or aim it at the neighbours cat.

I’m going to give that a go tonight. I’m amazed at the amount of effort so far without any indication that it might come off. It makes the idea of hope hubs being easily serviceable seem a bit of a joke really. I’ve just serviced my campagnolo hubs and it was just so much easier.

I think it’s probably time to ask how much repair work you’re expecting when it does come apart?

If you don’t mind rebuilding the wheel, returning it to Hope might not be a bad plan at this point…

How do you manage to neglect a hub for this long to make it that bad? I tend to do nothing with mine until the cassettes wear out and the free hubs come off by accident when I’m fighting to get that off from the scored free hub. Then I find the free hub bearing and spacer has disintegrated, or one of the main bearings has.
The most I’ve ever had to do was clamp the free hub in a workmate and yank the wheel. I think I have 5 pro2 wheelsets.

You can send the whole wheel to Hope, if I remember correctly. They’ll dismantle and rebuild it. Will cost you a few more quid in postage, but you’ll probably be needing some new internal hub bits anyway.

I think the solution is hit it harder!

I had to use a 2.5lb lump hammer to get the bearings out of my Hope XC, taking proper swings at it.

What are Hope like for older spares ?

One of my older Pro2 front hubs has a peice of the flange cracked off, meaning only 31 spoke holes. 😐

Can’t you warm the free hub body with a hair drier or torch then use the 2p trick?

How do you manage to neglect a hub for this long to make it that bad?

I suspect the inner race of one of the bearings in the freehub has corroded onto the axle.

I wouldn’t necessary put this problem down to neglect. If you were a super hope fan you could argue is an unfortunate downside of having to take your hub apart so infrequently.

Yes of course, because all Hope stuff is a paragon of reliability and never ever goes wrong……

Progress! Not had much time to look at it but the skewer and 2p combined method worked so thanks for the tip. It took a good whack with a lump hammer. Just got to get the axle and bearings off now. More of the same methods I think.