Hope Aluminium Freehub/Cassette Compatibility

[EasyPeez]

I've got Hope RS2 hubs on my road bike and interchange between a 10 speed 105 cassette (11-28) and a HG-500 (11-32) depending on what riding I'm doing.

Just now I saw this:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hope-pro-2-and-stuck-cassette-help/

Nothing that came packaged with the hubs mentioned anything about needing to use only cassettes with an alloy carrier, nor did my LBS who built my wheels.

Both my cassettes are recently bought and pretty much good as new - do I need to stop using them?

I'll be a bit miffed if these components are essentially incompatible. I've searched the Hope website in vain for any mention of cassette compatibility issues, including the RS4 hubs manual pdfs etc.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Andy

 

[Levo-Lon]

Be fine
What happens is the cassette digs into the freehub as the freehub is softer metal.
So it wont simply lift off.
Only happens with soft lightweight free hubs.
When ive had this i simply got a little bit of wood like a hammer handle and tap the cassette in anti clock direction.
Short shatp tap and it should release.
Apply the strike to 9 O,clock when you strike it in an downward action.
Very common with steel cassette and soft alloy freehub

 

[Yellow Saddle]

This is what happens when the narrow steel sprocket is not supported on a wide aluminium spider.

Those steps in the splines are where the steel sprocket has eaten into the freehub body under pedaling torque.

This shows how the sprocket then has to rotated to get unlocked before it can slide off.

It is a legacy problem. When Shimano first designed the splines they were meant to be used on steel freehub bodies. Then the silly weight weenies came along with their little gram scales and started to weigh hubs. The lightest hub was deemed the best. Manufacturers followed the herd and made the wrong bits from aluminium instead of steel.

Shimano has since changed the splines to be deeper, but now some minor backwards compatibility issues come into play.
Campag solved the problem right at the beginning with deeper splines. This allowed alumnium to be used.

American Classic solved the problem with a steel insert on every second spline.

You can make your problem go away by buying an expensive stainless steel freehub body from Hope.

 

[Threevok]

A stainless steel freehub body won't completely solve your problem

I have them on both my geared and single speed MTB bikes and there is still some degree of sprocket bite present, more so on the single speed (obviously)

 

[Yellow Saddle]

A stainless steel freehub body won't completely solve your problem

I have them on both my geared and single speed MTB bikes and there is still some degree of sprocket bite present, more so on the single speed (obviously)

That's interesting. I'd like to see how much damage the SS freehub body sustains. Could you possibly take a photo sometime? I know it is a chore but see it as a deep clean/safety inspection task that has to be done.

 

[Threevok]

That's interesting. I'd like to see how much damage the SS freehub body sustains. Could you possibly take a photo sometime? I know it is a chore but see it as a deep clean/safety inspection task that has to be done.

Will do, although it's not a SS freehub, but a normal 10 speed Freehub

 

[EasyPeez]

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

Given that I swap cassettes 4 or 5 times a year I think I'll just keep a close eye on it for now, and go with @meta lon's advice.

Regardless of this issue, do freehub bodies need replacing periodically anyway? I would have thought just the bearings need perodic servicing rather than the body itself, but if I'm wrong maybe I can nurse it along until I need to replace the freehub body and then upgrade to a steel one. I'm certainly not inclined to splash out on a stainless steel one so soon after buying the hubs, if it might not solve the problem entirely anyway.

In terms of cassettes, does anyone know exactly which 10 speed Shimano and SRAM cassettes use alu carriers? I'm looking now but not certain which do and which don't.

Thanks.

 

[Levo-Lon]

They can last years, bearings can and do fail tho so its sometimes easier to just buy a hub.
For example ive just bought a new XD driver hub for my Hunt Wheels so i can fit 12speed 10-50 £39, for a standard shimano type there £29

Bearings and hassle of fitting could end up costing nearly as much if it a hub that need a specific tool like some DT hubs do i believe

 

[Threevok]

Not sure about RS2 road hubs, but MTB ones (or at least Pro 4) have replaceable bearings for the freewheel, that come in the same kit as the main bearings. You simply replace them at the same time you do the rest of the hub (should they require it).

The (Hope) tools to do it on the other hand can be expensive. I think I priced the kit and a set of bearings for my rear Pro 4 at around £60

 

[Threevok]

That's interesting. I'd like to see how much damage the SS freehub body sustains. Could you possibly take a photo sometime? I know it is a chore but see it as a deep clean/safety inspection task that has to be done.

As promised here are two photos of the steel hub from my single speed setup bike.

Note the groves, the deepest part probably caused by the thinner 14t cog and the wider marks caused by the thicker Surly 22t. Thinner cogs take some wiggling to get off. The SLX cassette on the 10 speed bike marks just as much and it takes some wiggling to take that off too. I think XT and XTR MTB cassettes have a "cage" inside to stop this happening.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

As promised here are two photos of the steel hub from my single speed setup bike.

View attachment 489712


View attachment 489713



Note the groves, the deepest part probably caused by the thinner 14t cog and the wider marks caused by the thicker Surly 22t. Thinner cogs take some wiggling to get off. The SLX cassette on the 10 speed bike marks just as much and it takes some wiggling to take that off too. I think XT and XTR MTB cassettes have a "cage" inside to stop this happening.

Thanks for taking the trouble. Yes, more expensive cassettes do have spiders which have several sprockets riveted to them. However, there are still some loose ones too but usually only on the smaller ones which experience less torque and thus cause less damage.

Hope manufactures these things with CNC machines and that stainless steel is probably pretty soft, considering how high-grade SS eats tool bits.
The best solution is to get rid of the legacy design or use heat treated steel.