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So for how long semifluid grease will last in freehubs such as Hope and all the other noisy copy paste cartridge bearing hubs? NLGI2 doesn't last longer than 20-30 miles. Last time had no other choice but to experiment with NLGI0 grease in a Chosen 120POE hub but in the last moment dicided it's not worth the risk and had to get a Shimano hub with a typical freehub unit. Shimano with Lucas Engine assembly lube (similar viscosity to Phil Wood Tenacious oil) is still just as quiet as freshly lubed after 90 miles so far.
I just put ordinary castrol LM in mine several years and many thousands of miles ago.
It's this for the bearings or the pawls? I thought the pawls needed oil?
Some manufacturers recommend grease, some oil. I've used both and the hubs are still working years later.
NLGI2 doesn’t last longer than 20-30 miles.
How do you mean "doesn't last longer..." What happens to it?
It gets loud again after 20-30 miles.
Probably gets more efficient after 20-30 miles is what you mean?
It gets loud again after 20-30 miles.
Yes - thats how they are
A silent one has too much grease in it and the pawls might not engage properly. Its intended to be a light smear of grease only. A silent one has a liklihood of failure under high load because of excess grease
IIRC Mavic said to add light oil to cover three of the drive ring teeth in the hub body on their ITS-4 hubs i.e. not very much oil at all.
Turns out 9 years ago Rock'n Roll Super Web grease was recommended for Hope hubs to silence them for one season by someone on mtbr forums. I think Shimano should stay quiet for many years to come with nothing but high viscosity oil such as Phil Wood Tenacious oil or Lucas engine assembly lube since it's slightly harder for the oil to leak out from the freehub unit due to inherently better sealing. NLGI0 or NLGI00 should flow back where it's supposed to be but might wash out or spin out more easily when used in non-Shimano hubs. Seems like there are no definite answers to this issue when even manufacturers such as Hope said to pack it with any sort of grease if our trademark sound is so unbearable.
Seems wierd that there are only two choices on the market, either plug and play cartridge bearing hubs that are noisy or fiddly Shimano cup and cone ones which are said to be at the scale 1 (0: Onyx, 7-10: cartridge bearing hubs).
You could try expanding foam.
Expanding foam in a hub shell? Tried mass loaded vynil on the outside without any effect.
It's nothing to do with the bearings though is it? It's the pawls in the freehub.
You don't want grease gumming up some pawls but not others so that not all of them can engage properly.
I've never greased or applied oil to a freehub before. I've probably got at least 25,000km on one set of hunt wheels at the moment and they still spin smooth and freely. Original bearings too and ridden in all weathers.
Genuine question - am I missing something? Would I gain anything with the extra TLC?
Would I gain anything with the extra TLC?
You'd get them to shut the hell up for about 3 rides, that's all.
The hope tech site tells you to add a bit of grease.
But hope are a noisy hub. If its silent its not working properly.
Seems wierd that there are only two choices on the market
This does appear to be the clarion call of people who're actually saying "A generic product sold in the millions doesn't do what I specifically want, so therefore it must be wrong"
See also, Non telescopic front forks, drive train that isn't chain and derailleurs etc etc...