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* PRO 4 not EVO 4*
Hi all,
Strange issue and wondering if anyone knows a way round:
New (to me, but unused) Hope Rear Pro 4 700c road/cross wheel. Standard. 12mm end caps & axle.
Standard Shimano fitting cassette body
I cannot tighten the cassette, i.e the cassette tool does not fit through the end cap, so far I've tried:
1. two different tools
2. remove the end cap to tighten the cassette, but same issue of course
3. three different lockrings
Anything obvious I'm missing here?
No such issues on the other RS4 wheels I use and the end/axle caps look identical
Thanks in advance!
Are the end caps on the correct ends? I’ve never had an issue with hope hubs
thanks for the suggestion - pulled off and they are identical in size/depth. Odd
First issue with Hope's ever too, although probably user error..
Sorry the title hasn't helped on this! The crux of problem is that I cannot get the cassette lockring to be tight as it gets fouled by the axle end. The actual cassette/spacer aren't the issue here
I think @andrewh your suggestion could be it. I've a Park FR-5 and a basic (multi tool kit jobby) deeper type
Thanks for the replies
2. remove the end cap to tighten the cassette, but same issue of course
I don't get how you have the "same issue", surely if the end cap isn't present, it can't interfere with the lockring tool?
Might need pics for this one
@andy - I know, I thought it that would work, but the end cap doesn't fit back through the lockring unfortunately. The axle end cap diameter is slightly greater than that of the lockring diameter.
will try and get some pics in the interim!
Which lockring tools have you tried? Many older ones don’t fit over the axle for lot of hubs, for the cassette or for the centrelock rotors. Never had a problem with Hope hubs even with older tools though. Photos of the tools might help…
I know, I thought it that would work, but the end cap doesn’t fit back through the lockring unfortunately.
So, with the end cap off, you can do up the lock ring, but you can't get the end cap back on?
... that's kinda not the same issue.
pulled off and they are identical in size/depth
In the picture thats an NDS disk side end cap (if its correct at all), so the wrong end cap.
DS is always silver and slightly shorter. NDS is always black. Simple way to tell which goes on which end.
AFAIK RS4 & Pro4 use different adapters? Not checked that though
@aidy (not Andy sorry!) - Is it not so? if it could be tightened without the axle cap in (due the fouling), then put the axle cap back in post tightening then that would be a way round, but that didn't work. The pics probably do a better job of my rambling...
A new cassette tool would probably help.

Old tool on left, newer tool ( Shimano TL-FW30 ) on right.
You've got the wrong end cap there. It should be silver.
Nothing to do with the tool. See my comment above. Its the wrong End cap. Drive side x12 endcaps are always silver
Is it not so?
It's still an issue, it's just not the same issue. If you couldn't do up the lockring with no end cap in place, I'd have guessed you were trying to get a 11 speed cassette on a 10 speed freehub, or without removing the spacer.
As it is, I think Andy probably has it right - wrong end cap. Possibly previously had the freehub swapped and caps mixed up.
If it helps... For Shimano Hyperglide freehub drive side SILVER end cap should be 17mm wide. Non drive side BLACK is 20mm wide.
Yeah, unless that’s some funky boost conversion, the drive side end cap should be shorter than the non-drive side.
Thanks again all - that'll also explain needing to 'open the frame' a tad when seeing if would even fit (without the cassette obvs)
Both the above caps are 20mm. On the hunt I go!
A mate had offered his slim line park tool cassette tool but think it'd be prudent to sort the problem first.
Thanks!
That’s 100% the issue. ALL Hope hubs have silver DS and black NDS caps.