Hi

Following a cry for help last week due to a rear wheel with some play in it, I have completely stripped and rebuilt my Hope XC hub with a whole new set of bearings. Guess what. Still got play in the wheel. Will probably give Hope a ring in the morning but anyone got any ideas? Do the axles wear out?
Ta

presume you changed the ones inside the free hub too ?

should be 4 bearings to change.

other than that theres nothing else in to create play …other than if you fitted the bearings badly …

Changed all 4 bearings even tho’ the old ones were in pretty good nick, but I had play before and I’ve got play after. I noticed it before I even put the freehub back on to be honest. I’m fairly confident I fitted the bearings properly so I’m a bit stumped and can only think there is some wear somewhere else.

Bearings seats ovalised?

Had this happen to an Aireal hub a few years ago that had had a very hard life. Usually pretty easy to tell i.e the bearings are very easy to fit/remove.

The freehub bearings have no effect on wheel play only cassette play. You have to remove the axle to change the bearings, so you’d have noticed if it was broken. This leaves loose spokes… or I suppose limp QR

Broken spindle? 😥

Almost certainly a worn axle.

I had exactly the same problem a few months ago……the axle had worn were a couple of the bearings sat.

In answer to some of the observations above, I can confidently eliminate spokes and freehub since I can feel play in the axle with just the hub body bearings and axle fitted. The bearings were a tight fit in both their bearing seat and around the axle. I suppose it’s worth trying a new axle…