Hi guys,

I have been rebuilding a newley acquired set of hope bulbs. I thought it would be a breeze but it turned out to be a right faff. It still isn’t done as the site I got the info suggested there was only one being in the freehub body but there are actually 2. The front was easy enough but the rear just seems like a really poor design, is there an easy way of getting the rear bearings in and out the freehub. I managed to smash the inner one though the outer bearing face but it scored the surface, When putting them back in would it just be best to get it really hot in the oven and hopefully the bearing will glide through?
Cheers

Proper tools are your friend. Takes me about 15 minutes to do a rear with new bearings .. tbf I have probably done 50+ by now though.

I totally agree about the right tools making life easier but I had enough tools at my disposal to make it relativley easy. You have to admit the dual bearing surface inside the freehub is a faff. What is the tool like for the seating and removal of those? Is it exactly the same size as the hole on the back of the freehun so when you drift it out it comes out straight?

The bearings are a very mild interference fit, going by what you’ve said regarding

smash the inner one though the outer bearing face but it scored the surface

it sounds like your not mechanically minded/sympathetic so if i were you i’d take it to a bike shop and get them to do it.

I not asking you to judge my workmanship. I am a very competent mechanic trust me. But even with the tools I had the inner freehub body just seemed like a poor design and I just wanted to know of peoples solutions to these problems. And trust me smash the right word in this case. What harm is a little score on the face going to do.

Correct sized drifts and a press

Not at all an issue. – but its not really a job for a hammer , constant force across the outside face is your friend.

Like rorscharch i must have done 50 sets.

The issue is more when folk let them get into a hellish state through ignorance and bad maintainance and i get tasked with removing the remains of a colapsed bearing…..although at least you have that chance, ignorance with shimano hub gets go a wheel rebuild 🙂

Did you remove the circlip that holds the inner most bearing in?

As AlanF said above there’s a circlip in between the two bearings (a spacer too)

I’d you’ve ‘smashed’ a bearing past this and claim its a poor design I suggest you stick to something more relevant to your mechanical skills- rocks maybe?

Hope tech docs would have told you everything you needed to know

Why is everyone so quick to slate me and my abilities? That’s the problem on here there are so many idoits just waiting to put people down and prove the supposed superiority. Like I say I don’t want your negative feedback.

Cheers for that guys that helped and yes I have removed the circlip I was using a proper guide.

the problem on here there are so many idoits just waiting to put people down and prove the supposed superiority

At least three of those idiots have and do work in bike shops and know what they are doing. 😉

http://www.hopetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/BulbRearHubExploded.pdf

HUB512 Rotor body circlip.

I wasn’t having a dig, I just know from previous experience that this can be missed and cause issues.

I’ve had my bulbs apart a few times and never had an issue with the design.
I assume then that the freehub must have been left to deteriorate to an extent where this is the result when trying to rebuild.

Maintenance and keeping on top of it will most likely have been the problem here by the previous owner.

I’m gonna have to agree with Rorschach on this one.

the problem tom is your opening. you got wrong third party info, hope site has it all. when things started to go wrong you should have stopped at that point and asked for help which people would have freely given.
but you then went on to say that you took the fred flintstone approach to a highly machined piece of equipment. this is a red rag to many people on here and is a part of the forum
remember right tools right information and always ask before then people are much more willing to help
worse thing to do is now go defensive as it is help you need not a war of words
lets hope the damage you have done has no further impact on the hub and you get it all back together.

Ha this is exactly what I am saying and the variety of posts above just prove my earlier case of the mix of people on here. I haven’t slated anyone and your calling me a dick?

My hub is perfectly fine and I would not have gone to the extent of damaging it. I was just asking for a bit of advice to see if anyone else has had issues. Thanks to the guys who have provided me with information I was after.

Thing is that your slating it as a bad design, but with the right tools it’s easy. You don’t have those tools, yet claim you have enough tools to do it. You may have enough tools to get by, but it will be harder and you’re at greater risk of damaging components (nothing wrong with this if you’d rather take the risk than fork out for the tools – I’ve done it in the past), but why start complaining about the design when it’s really the lack of correct tools that is the problem.

Tom – It’s a few years since I’ve done one, but I found home servicing a Bulb rear hub a total faff when I had one, even when following the Hope guide. The sealing around the freehub is poor and that and the awful pawls/springs arrangement made me switch it out for a different hub pretty quickly.

Patience, a variety of drifts and a press will help, but practice is probably best of all.

I haven’t slated anyone and your calling me a dick?

pretty sure you were the one to use the word “idiots” but to be fair you were the first one to refer to yourself as a dick too.

It’s not the most user friendly hub to work on but as many have said, patience, and the right tools or some improvised tools and it isn’t the worst.