Hope RS4 front hub lateral play

[Mr. Cow]

This week after all this wet weather my front hub appears to have developed some lateral side nock/play, I would say of about 2mm. It's quite noticeable in the forks and you can move it side to side quite freely, and also nocks if you lift the bike and tap the wheel on the ground. The QR skewer is on tight

I'm not too bad with bikes mechanically but have never touched hubs and would like to have a crack at it. At a guess I am hoping I can get away with just tightening something...? 🤔

 

[Levo-Lon]

Bearings have worn most likely.
Pop the caps off and you should find a bit of play in the bearing ,back and forth.

Hope may be lifetime warranty?

New bearings will sort it

 

[Cycleops]

This video on how to service the hope hub might be useful:

View: https://youtu.be/tHKcBm0bRd8

 

[Yellow Saddle]

The bearings and axles on those hubs don't last long. Bearing life is particularly poor (and expensive), but axle damage is even more expensive. Remove the axle and look for worn areas where the bearings seat on them. If there is visible damage on the axle, a new axle is needed since new bearings on a worn axle will still cause play in the wheel.

 

[Nigelnightmare]

If you follow the Hope instructions, using the correct tools, you shouldn't have any problems.
I've been running Hope hubs for years (from 2002 ICE trike hubs, XC, Mono RS & Pro 2 EVO) and have had no problems with worn axles as such.
I have damaged an axle when removing the bearings, once, before I had the special tools.
Replacements are available from Hope.
With replacement bearings my advice for a longer life is to get the best quality you can and remove the rubber seals to pack with grease before fitting.
Some bearings come fully packed with grease while others only have a very small amount in them.

 

[e-rider]

There is a good chance the end caps have just come loose. RS4 hubs esp front ones are prone to this. I cant find torque settings but I use 5Nm certainly dont use more as it's just soft alloy. If you can unscrew them by hand try just tightening them up a bit with two Allen keys. It might be that simple.

 

[iluvmybike]

Hope may be lifetime warranty?

There is never any lifetime warranty on bearings! They wear - fact of life. These need replacing. Very easy to do