I’ve recently changed the bearings on my hope xc for the 4rd time (well mainly a mate of mine while i watch 🙂

I’ve noticed that there’s sideways movement on the cassette (as in there’s play if i move it forwards and backwards) also if i try and backpedal it doesn’t move backwards freely and the chain kind of gets stuck and doesn’t move the cassette.. IS this because:

* We’ve messed up with the bearings somehow and they’re in too tight?

* freehub body is worn ( the ridges) hence movement

*pawls aren’t greased correctly

something else?

Actually we did notice that the quick release skewer is very hard to get in. Orignially thought the skewer was bent but tried my mates brand new xtr one and it was very very tight. We’re thinking that maybe the axle is slightly bent which is causing my bearings to go so often (every 6/7 months i get play)

sorry, that’s kind of 2 questions

Something is badly wrong – infact I would suggest two things. Even with a damaged freehub body you should not be able to rotate the casette on the body by hand – the lockring should do it up tight enough.

Freewheeling should be smooth and you should be able to backpedal. Did you get all the bearings seated correctly and IIRC there are two almost identical spacers that have to go in the right order. Does sound like a possible bent axle – easy to check but you will have to strip the whole thing down – roll the spindle across a flat surface – even slight bends will be obvious.

I had this problem with the bearings being too tight in the hub. check the bearings turn in the hub before fitting the axle.

The skewer may be hard to get in because the axle was slightly mushroomed when hammering it in.
The cassette problems sounds like the spacer was missed out or the spacers swapped round. I can’t remember the order but I have missed the spacer out with similar issues occuring. If this is the problem then it will spin OK when not in the frame but binds up when the QR is done up.

I rode it in the peaks a few weekends ago (i wanted to sort the bearings before this trip) but just noticed recently that it doesn’t feel right.

We followed the bearing guide on this site
http://www.mountainbikerides.co.uk/fettling/hope_hub.htm

But i’m thinking maybe we pushed the bearing in too tight? (as in smacking in with a spark plug socket till you can here it touch against the metal (the tone changes)

Dustcap could be knackered.

Doesn’t explain QR or sideways movement, but would explain freewheel not back-pedalling properly

sorry.. should have explained better.. The movement is rotation of the cassette clockwise and anticlockwise (not sideways as the type of movement you would have on a bottom bracket – shit at explaining these things)

dust cap for the bearing/hub?

Tricky disco – that is the right way to seat a bearing so long as you only hit the outer race of the bearing. They need to be snug to the seat.

I’ve got a spare axle (and spacers) from a ti glide (which are the same) that you can have for postage if you want to see if its the axle.

I’ve had a similar problem before, freewheel not “freewheeling” freely, noticeable when in frame with QR tight. That was the hub bearings not having been seated properly* – once they were whacked in hard then they were fine.

Freehub “play” sounds like knackered or sticky pawls not engaging. Pawls should have a light oil, rather than a grease.

* wheels bought as “just service by my local shop” from classifieds – which apparently means hub bearings not seated and freehub bearings completely bashed to crap… ho hum 😉

There’s a small washer that sits between the hub bearing and the freewheel. Have you missed this out?

EDIT – Ah. Not sure about that now
http://www.hopetech.com/database/xc_hub%2Bcass_ass_explo%2Btab.jpg