[Closed] Hope'splosion

Generally if the ring has been damaged, Hope will fix it under warranty, however often a new set of pawls and springs is all that's needed.

A friend of mine is currently chasing this issue up with Hope as a major problem as he's done 3-4 hubs himself all with the same problem which Hope are denying is widespread.
If you contact them regarding it just enquire if there have been many other problems as I know for a fact they are aware of the situation!

I've stopped using hope hubs. They're not bad and as we all know spares are easily available, but I got fed up with low pick up, average bearing life, persistently annoying leaf spring failures and bendy axles/hub flex resulting in this.

I'd seen that on my Hope freehub too, always wondered how it happened! I couldn't honestly believe that the hub would flex enough that the freehub body would make contact with the drive ring?

What other explanation is there?

My Pro2s used to do it a bit, but it was more a cosmetic mark. My Pro 4s were taking gouges out. There was sufficient material displaced that I thought it best practice to take a file and make the free-hub smooth again.

I can see it happening once the drive side bearings blow, but that above picture is from a 4 month old hub.

Yeah not disagreeing with you at all, it's just the first time I've seen someone else having experienced the same marks on the freehub body.

For balance, my DT Swiss 350 with 54T ratchet shat its pants last night and left me not being able to pedal at all!

isitafox
Free Member

A friend of mine is currently chasing this issue up with Hope as a major problem as he’s done 3-4 hubs himself all with the same problem which Hope are denying is widespread.

So, the thing about Hope...for literally the entire time that you could buy a Pro 2 with a 12mm axle, they snapped axles- because they designed it for QR then to make it work for 12mm just stuck a bigger through the axle, leaving it too weak for the job. But when they broke, they fixed them quick on warranty. The result? Loads of positive word of mouth about the good warranty response, and the people who said "but my expensive hub shouldn't break like this" were drowned out. They literally sent me 2 replacement axles once "for the next time it breaks", had a moan on the internet, was called a "hater"... How long could you buy a Pro 2 with a 12mm, or find them in an OE spec? A decade maybe? And for that entire time they weren't up to the job but it became a selling point.

Meanwhile practically nobody had a DT240 warranty story and that weirdly became a downside.

Shove some new pawl springs in and keep riding...? Everything else will probably be ok. Easy enough to pull it all apart and inspect it.

What other explanation is there?

Shagged bearings perhaps?

I have a set of Pro2 hubs that snapped a 12mm through axle, but it was replace FOC with a steel axle. Still works, and the QR endcaps fit it. They should have just used a steel axle in the 12mm kit to start with.
I have a set of second hand Pro4 on the hardtail. No issues.
I have a set of Pro4 on the HB160. Only issue to date has been an inner shell bearing that disintegrated after I ignored warning signs of failure. I didn't need the swords of a thousand men and a muckle expensive tool to fix it.

Happy to still use them and will buy again if the need arises.

Ive also seen those marks on the older ti and steel freehubs from ti glide to XC to bulb. Those axles are solid, so are we sure it entirely down to flexing 😕

That said, most were of 2nd hand hubs, so i wouldnt know their history.

What other explanation is there?

Shagged bearings perhaps?

Re-read my comments and 'pay attention at the back'.

This one also has those same marks on the freehub. Bearings are fine so yep, must be axle flex..

I've had those marks too - I think they happen after one of the pawl leaf spring breaks, and the free hub gets pulled into the hub body by the chain.