[Closed] Hope (older) rear hub falling apart.

but, what is holding the freehub in place when they are refitted?

The frame 🙂

As SDB, the freehub always falls off when out the bike.

Thanks, thats strange as it has never come off before.

The axle, bearings, and qr end cap all help hold the freehub on. It's all down to tightish tolerances.

As they all become worn (obv at different rates, i.e. the qr end cap shouldn't really become loose unless your taking it on and off daily) then it's more likely that the FH will come off.

New bearings would probably help. Though fingers crossed the FH bearing hasn't seized, as it will have been wearing away the aluminium axle....I've seen one that had worn a 1-2mm deep groove in the axle.

While it's apart change all the bearings too, you'll have to do it eventually anyway. Get a new seal for the freehub/hub junction. There's nothing more satisfying than the click that ring seal makes when you pop it in 👍

There'll be a thin O-ring inside the end cap that locates in a groove on the axle, it may have worn or broken. Freehub seals on the XC hubs are pressed into the hub shell before fitting the freehub, so don't get too worried about not getting a satifying click 🙂

Pawls and springs you can get pretty much anywhere. CRC,ebay(new) wiggle, etc etc About £15 total
New seal ring i dont know about, but if you go to..... sod it... here it is...
Officially called the 'Ti-Glide lip seal'. Part No HUB501.
Exploded diagram - Find the part, go to bike shop who sell/deal with Hope and order the bits there.

HOPETECH.COM "https://www.hopetech.com/_repository/1/documents/XCRearHubExploded.pdf"

Most parts are still available on ebay, as some of the shops deal with hope.

Drive side spacer for XC(Plus Sport, Bulb,etc etc, seems to be the same for all those early models.
https://activesport.co/epages/80c85f8f-7a95-4b1c-9c30-e64b314f3f2e.sf/?Locale=en_GB&ObjectPath=/Shops/80c85f8f-7a95-4b1c-9c30-e64b314f3f2e/Products/HUB407&ViewAction=ViewProductViaPortal&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvqb5zPHP7AIVWeDtCh0fbAbBEAQYASABEgLZgfD_BwE

None of it should fall apart/separate when out of the frame.

Assuming you've not snapped the axle (freehub should still have to slide off the axle to come off) based on comments above but sounds like you might have done.

No, axle has not snapped, just a loose freehub and springs and pawls pinged out.

On the older XC hub (I have one from 2004) the three pawls sit inside a very small lip on the hub (not sure if it's machined or some kind of pressed in ring. Iirc there's a knack to sort of twisting/loosening them but I could imagine on higher mileages/well worn pawls that interface may no longer be holding the freehub body in.

@GD
You mean the ratchet ring ? the other half that makes the click and that drives the hub ?. That screws in.
The freehub is suspended, the pawls on their springs effectively float. There is a spacer on the axle the innermost freehub bearing sits against it to transfer the load from the outside spacer, down through the bearing center ring, the other is in the middle.

When the freehub is placed on the axle, even if there were no pawls fitted, the freehub would remain square and have no sideways play in it.

@Alanl
I've got boxes of Hope spares,despite recently selling 2 grands worth 😆 so its Ill likely have new pawls,springs and just looked and yes have a new Ti Glide inner lip seal you need if you want to change them.
If its in unbuilt form just send the hub to me and ill sort the parts out(U include new bearings) I've the hope drifts and all.

Thankyou all, and thankyou Dyna-ti for the kind offer.
I'm in a bit if a rush with this, so I'm bodging it for today and will order new parts later today, but thanks for such an offer.

Righto. But if you struggle to find the lip seal, costs pennies to send in an envelope.
Best of 😉