If I fit a Shimano HG-61 12-36 9spd cassette to my Hope hubs will it destroy the free hub body thingy?
which hope hub? If one with an aluminium freehub body then yes, it'll do this sort of thing (and worse) to it
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If you've got an alloy freehub body and you push hard then the sprockets will dig in to the splines making the cassette hard to remove in future.
However, beyond making cassette removal slightly harder the damage is essentially cosmetic, and I'd not be too worried about it.
It isnt going destroy it, but it will definately dig in to the alloy. Problem will come when you try to remove it. Can be a real struggle getting it off. You wil find the splines on the freehub pretty chewed.Small file will sort it out.Best not to go there IMO.
So long as I'll be able to get it off (eventually) when/if I manage to wear it out that'll be fine.
Granted it's quite heavy but the rest of my 9spd drive train is pretty new XT stuff so I don't want to go to the expense of buying a new XT 10spd mech & shifter just to get the easier gearing when I go with a single ring upfront.
Oh yeah it's a Pro II Evo
Freehub's the same either way. It'll be fine, as above, 2 chain whips (or a screwdriver) and a few minutes with a file when you remove the cassette and it'll be fine.
If you're worried about it invest in a steel freehub body and you won't get the gouging, you'll soon save the cost of it with cheaper cassettes.
Personally it never bothered me, once you've got the knack of dislodging the cassette from the freeehub body it makes the jb of changing cassettes no harder.
njee20 - Member
However, beyond making cassette removal slightly harder the damage is essentially cosmetic
Not really- once it gets bad enough the sprockets can move around on the freehub (which also accelerates the wear). Does take a very long time for that to happen though. Hope will sometimes replace a badly worn one on warranty but it seems a bit luck-of-the-draw.