Free hub body, Alu or Steel?

About to order a new Hope pro 4 hub and wondering wether to go for Alu or steel?

I guess Alu will be a bit lighter and softer but is there much in it?
An 11 speed XT cassette will be going on it it if makes any difference?

Recommendations please…

Steel, unless your really fussed about weight. Cassettes that have loose sprockets tend to dig into the aluminium ones, making removal of cassettes a bugger, and replacement of freehub often.

#VoiceOfExperience

Individual cassette sprockets cut into alloy freehubs fairly quickly, worse if the cassette lock ring is not adequately tightened.

I’d go the other way round, sure cassettes dig in (and Hope’s are softer than most) but it’s not usually a problem, as long as you tighten the lockring. XT has the lowest (ie most strained) gears on a spider and I think most of the rest are riveted together so it’s only the highest and least torqued gears that are individual.

I’d go steel, I’ve had that exact set up torqued to 40nm and scarred the alloy freehub more than I’d expected after only a few months. Why they make the small cogs individual is beyond me, makes no sense.

I would aks yourself how long you’re likely to be keeping the wheels for, if you’re thinking long term then steel but short term perhaps stick with aluminium

I’ve stripped splines and cracked alloy freehubs at pawls, so I’d lean towards steel if available, but not a worry either way especially if spares are easy to get hold of.

Another +1 for ‘steel if you can get one.’

Steel for me too

I’d always choose durability over weight loss (from the bike)

I’d go steel, I’ve had that exact set up torqued to 40nm and scarred the alloy freehub more than I’d expected after only a few months. Why they make the small cogs individual is beyond me, makes no sense.

I’ve been assured on here that torqued up properly cassettes won’t eat my free hubs but they all seem to.

Aluminium for me. Digging in happens but has never caused the death of a freehub for me.

High cadence pedalling style, low torque = alloy
the opposite, then steel.

but in general for me, steel. With such a small weight penalty it’s not really worth talking about.

With the XT cassetts with their plastic carriers, it should not be much of a problem; at least I’ve never found it to be so. Perhaps my puny legs are unable to do too much damage.

In the olden days the Deore cassettes and below did not have carriers, in that case you need steel.

xc race or a bike you’re trying to keep light and nimble, go alu. Everything else go steel.

There’s only about 40g of weight difference (if that) between them. You’ve still got two stainless bearings sat in them whichever way you go!

Whichever one the hub comes with – in my experience it’s not worth the faff or changing it to avoid a bit of wear and tear – I’ve never had one break through and a few dents in the splines effect nothing but aesthetics.

Having said that I don’t wrap my frame either and I suspect the 2 are linked.