UKC

so i have some hope xc hubs, and my rear is almost dead. i put new bearings in but since it takes so much force they got damaged in the process, i also didnt put them in the freezer. there is also some damaged spokes and a ding in the rim. so i gave up and took it to my LBS. they think i need a new wheel. seems a bit of a waste of a hub to me. plus im a student and dont want to pay £200 for a equivilent wheel. re-build or cheap shimano wheel?

In reply to Anonymous: Freezing bearings shrinks them making them easier to fit.

In reply to itsThere: Hiya, I'd stick with what you've got. You can live with a ding in the rim and replacing a few spokes is easy. You can get the bearings cheaper from a bearing shop rather than a bike shop. They won't get damaged if you put them in with the correct drift, I think you only need one size for an xc.
I live in Perth. In the unlikely event you're near, you can borrow my drifts and I can give you some spokes too.
Good Luck! Ross.

In reply to ross: how can you tell if the bearings are in the correct place, one of the problems i have is that the wheel now wont go back on the bike. i didnt know how far to push them in. i was using a 20ton press and it didnt sound happy pushing them in. i could use a ruler or a caliper but i dont think it would be enough since only 2mm out and the wheels wont go back on.

In reply to itsThere:

The bearings in these hubs push in up-to the relevant shoulders, you shouldn't need to use anything like a 20 ton press, using a little thought you can easily drift them in and out with sockets, a few bit of woods and a small hammer. The hope service kit makes it easier mind.

It is possible to put the spacers or the end caps in the wrong order so you cannot fit the wheel in the frame, and the c clip can give you a few issues if you forget it's there.

If its not fitting, have a good look at it and maybe you need strip it back down to see how it rebuilds correctly, don't force owt more than what feels right, If you get stuck. I'm sure hope have a good documentation on their website.

good luck

In reply to itsThere: Hiya, by coincidence I did an xc rear this afternoon. I hammer them in with a lump hammer and drifts. It's pretty obvious when they hit the shoulders against which they butt. I would imagine 20T would be more than enough!
There is a good exploded diagram on Hope's site and there are bound to be youtube videos from Hope and others. It's easy to get the spacers the wrong way round as they are very similar in size-perhaps this is your problem.
I've never managed to drift bearings with a socket without damaging them because of the chamfer on the leading edge. Though I did grind a few mm off a socket once and this worked.
Good luck, let us know how you get on, Ross.

In reply to ross: i had the diagram from hope. i was only on a 20T press b/c the eng labs at uni had one. i did use sockets to put them in, that prob didnt help. think i might invest in some drifts

In reply to itsThere:
Bearings are quite cheap so try again. Just make sure the driving force comes on the side of the bearing that is tight not on the other side (a suitable sized socket can often help with this if the end isn't too rounded.

In reply to itsThere:

Nobody needs to use a press. There is no need to freeze the bearings. I couldn't fit a freezer in the workshop anyway. They are only a "tight sliding" fit. A socket is the wrong thing to use because the edges are chamfered. These can be turned down flat anyway. You only need the Hope drifts if you are doing them in hundreds. You can get away with a short length of brass rod or steel or even a wide (6mm) engineers flat head drift/punch.

In reply to unclesamsauntibess: You don't need a lump hammer either. That's what brickies and thickies use. A standard cross or ball pein hammer (No 1) weighing 8oz is sufficient.

In reply to unclesamsauntibess: so i got it back today and walked round the corner to another bike shop. told them the story. they said the problem was that since its not been trued in a while all the spokes are overtightened. so its replace all spokes + rim(if i wanted to) or new wheel. thanks for the help.

In reply to itsThere:

Hell man i've got a complete set you can have for £80,new bearings in both hubs and not a ding or dent to be seen,plus i just put in a load of new spokes.