This is annoying. All bearings replaced, now when I put the wheel in the frame the freehub doesn’t spin freely (imagine if you pedalled backwards and the top part of the chain just looped downwards). This is not so bad if the QR skewer is slackened, but then of course the wheel would fall out.

I thought I’d maybe missed out that 2mm spacer that goes on before the cassette barrel but when I opened it up again the spacer is there. Any ideas what I’ve messed up? Bearings not seated properly (they seem to be)? The drive side seal seemed to seat a little too easily, last time I had to use a piece of waste pipe or something and this time it just needed a bit fingernailing. Or something else?

check the rubber oring that goes behind the freehub is seated properly

Did you chuck a load of thicc grease in there? If so, then its probably this – ride it out, it will thin with time.

Is it an XD cassette? Does jt have a wobble when it spins?

Did you put the washer back in the freehub body.?

https://www.hopetech.com/_repository/1/documents/ProIIEVORearExploded.pdf

@neilsonwheels if you mean part # 11 (2mm barrel spacer) then yes, that’s in there.

@bigrich the only o-rings in this hub are part # 4, one on each side. Both in.

@gingerbllr I used enough grease to hold the pawls and springs in place and a bit smeared all around the inside of the ratchet ring. Not too much but I don’t think it’s that because the freehub is sticking when the QR is tightened.

@honourablegeorge it’s an XT cassette, I didn’t notice a wobble but can check tomorrow.

The freehub seal (part 3) most likely isn’t seated correctly. When it’s a little worn it can look like it’s fully seated with the hub off the bike, spinning freely etc, but when you tighten the axle the whole lot compresses, the seal flexes then binds. The way to tell is to fit the wheel without a cassette on it and check to see if it’s still flat or not. There’s a special tool for fitting it but the waste pipe technique you used last time will work. As the seal wears it has a nasty habit of sitting further in to the hub but not quite enough time seat fully.

I have had this issue before and it was the seal

Did you take the seal off the freehub to clean it? Did it go back on the right way round?

If the spacer is in there, its either the plastic freehub seal not seated or in backwards, or its a bearing not seated fully.

Thanks all. The seal is the right way round but it’s almost like the outside diameter of it has decreased marginally over time, it just doesn’t seem to “click” into place like a new one. I tried putting the wheel in with the cassette off and didn’t notice any dishing of the seal but I’ve ordered a new one anyway because it doesn’t seem right.

Hopefully it isn’t the bearings as I don’t have the official tools either. I just drift the old bearings out, then mostly use those to seat the new ones. I’m a bit loathe to drift out the new bearings in case I damage them as I do and also I binned the old ones 🙁

what scienceofficer said

Just fit the freehub without the plastic seal and see if it still drags.

If it does continue to drag it’s the bearing not fully seated.

If it doesn’t drag it’s the plastic seal.

@reggiegasket I hadn’t considered trying without the seal. Have now done so, still dragged so went for the easy bearings (the ones in the hub body) first and the outside one wasn’t seated properly. All good now, thanks again people.

The new seal still hasn’t arrived yet, that can live in the spares box till next time.