Hope pro 4 bearings

Talk about anything.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

User avatar
BigdummySteve
Posts: 2974
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:16 pm
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by BigdummySteve »

Just prior to the winter event I discovered my rear bearings were shot again, under a year and ceramic as well. I’ve gone for standard this time, any idea why I could be getting such short life?
My installation was carried out without the hope tools, I chilled the bearings down to-28, warmed the hub shell then gently seated them making sure not to touch the inner race. Any issues here?
We’re all individuals, except me.

I woke up this morning but I’m still in the dark
u02sgb
Posts: 240
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:14 pm

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by u02sgb »

I usually plan on them lasting about a year. Get better than that if you use a seal pick to take off the seals and pack them with extra grease.
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by sean_iow »

What sort of conditions and mileage are you getting from them. I don't keep detailed records but the pot of old bearings on my bench shows how often I have to replace them. I cover between 5000 and 6000 miles a year in all weathers and with plenty of mud.

If you get the Hope tools, which aren't expensive, you can change a set in minutes. Does the cooling to -28 affect the seals? If you spin the wheel before the seals have warmed back up does it damage them at that temperature as they would be less pliable?

I now use the Brand X bearings (CRC own brand) as they seem to last as long as the genuine Hope ones at a fraction of the cost.
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I use SKF and they tend to last long enough that I don't really question it.
May the bridges you burn light your way
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by redefined_cycles »

My hope pro (forget which year) were swapped with the proper tool (ie. No chilling needed) in a few minutes and it had lasted about 3 years in many conditions prior to that ..
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by redefined_cycles »

*rear hub that was Steve...
User avatar
Mike
Posts: 2989
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:36 am

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Mike »

Had no probs with mine, been in two yrs or more now and still fine done a few miles on then 😃
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by whitestone »

I've a Pro 4 hub on the Spearfish which has done 3200km so 2000 miles and Cath has one on her Stooge which has done considerably more and both are still OK. I've not recorded conditions for rides but it's been a mixture of sunshine and showers (and fords).

Anecdotally I don't think the Pro 4 hubs are as reliable as their Pro2 Evo predecessors in the Hope line up. The Pro 2 Evo hub on the Solaris has done just shy of 16000km so even if the bearings went now I'd have got decent use out of them.

The toolkit is the same for both the Pro 2 Evo and the Pro 4 but the bearings are different between the models.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I will just add that I see no problems wirh the way you fitted them Steve, standard engineering practice really.
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by sean_iow »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:09 am I will just add that I see no problems wirh the way you fitted them Steve, standard engineering practice really.
I've also fitted loads of bearings this way but never with seals on them. The ones I've fitted are buried deep inside gearboxes and machinery and would have been back up to normal temperature before they were put into service. I was just curious as to whether the freezing might have an affect on the seals or maybe even the grease?
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

The only problem I ever foresee with heating / coolong is the formation of condensation. Usually very obvious on the outside but hard to determine how much forms on the inside?
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by whitestone »

Seals at that temp might be my only worry. The very thin layer of grease next to moving surfaces will be up to operating temperature with a few spins of the wheel - the remaining mass of the grease might take a little longer but by the time you've finished the job everything will be at ambient temperature anyway.

I keep spare bearings in the freezer at -20C and you have to be quick in getting them presented to the shell before they "expand" as there's so little mass combined with a relatively large surface area for heat exchange/gain to take place. Anything over a minute and you might as well not have bothered.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Oh yes speed is very much of the essence Bob. Very similar to 'pressing' cylinder liners in. If you're quick, they'll generally just slide into place, 30 seconds later and the 3 ton press is coming out :wink:
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
BigdummySteve
Posts: 2974
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:16 pm
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by BigdummySteve »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:45 am Oh yes speed is very much of the essence Bob. Very similar to 'pressing' cylinder liners in. If you're quick, they'll generally just slide into place, 30 seconds later and the 3 ton press is coming out :wink:
it is a bit of a rush...at one place I used to use an industrial pipe freezer to shrink them, made to job easier. my bearings have lasted a bit over 2000miles so not too bad, I buy skf/enduro from industrial suppliers (wych bearings) so cost isn't an issue. I was slightly disappointed in the ceramic jobs though, still only 2000miles, a suppose the super hard balls just eat the race :roll:
We’re all individuals, except me.

I woke up this morning but I’m still in the dark
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by sean_iow »

BigdummySteve wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:04 am I was slightly disappointed in the ceramic jobs though, still only 2000miles, a suppose the super hard balls just eat the race :roll:
I had some ceramic bb bearings, I don't think they lasted any longer than normal ones so don't bother with the extra expense now. I think ceramic are meant to have less friction so make you faster :???: In events that are won by a fraction of a second maybe that helps. In the 2018 HT550 I came in 32 hours after the winner, I would need a lot of ceramic bearings to make up that difference :lol:
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
User avatar
BigdummySteve
Posts: 2974
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:16 pm
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by BigdummySteve »

Good point, well put :grin:
We’re all individuals, except me.

I woke up this morning but I’m still in the dark
techno
Posts: 1611
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:31 am
Location: Hull

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by techno »

this guy does a good dissection of the hype around ceramic bearings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7iZVfSDbiA
He's an aerospace engineer who manufactures BBs for pro teams so his knowledge of bearings is pretty comprehensive.

gotta love his tactful rating system too:
Untitled.jpg
(70.66 KiB) Downloaded 1291 times
Image
User avatar
Cheeky Monkey
Posts: 3915
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:48 pm
Location: Leeds ish
Contact:

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

Do Hope still do their ceramic BB?
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

It's often the cages themselves that corrode and cause failure - ceramic will make no difference to that as the cage is still the same.

I don't think push bikes ridden by old men was the intended end user for ceramic bearings. :-bd
May the bridges you burn light your way
User avatar
Mart
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:57 pm
Location: Oot 'n' aboot

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Mart »

Not a Hub bearing experience, but bottom brackets bearings

I bought a Hope Stainless bottom bracket a couple of years ago
Seemed expensive at the time, but Ive not touched it since fitting, whilst std Shimano I was changing twice a year

I did consider ceramic at the time and thought it wasn't worth it for the extra £
Glad I didn't as Ive had good service out of the stainless bearings
2924 miles per Gallon
User avatar
Bearbonesnorm
Posts: 23904
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:53 pm
Location: my own little world

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I bought a Hope Stainless bottom bracket a couple of years ago
Probably one of the best bike related things I ever bought.
May the bridges you burn light your way
Cyclepeasant
Posts: 231
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:56 am

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Cyclepeasant »

FWIW. Ceramic bearings are bs in my experience. Particularly on cycles. As stu says ,pay for std
branded bearings, skf,nsk etc.
Ceramics appear to fail earlier than STD in my experience.
One exception...I fitted a hope ceramic BB to my enigma MTB (as soon as they were released)after several SRAM and Shimano failures, amazingly they are still goin strong.
But all other road etc bikes had failures.
It's wise to prise a rubber seal off and add some grease with cheaper bearings,some manufacturers skimp on grease! (Every penny counts when trying to undercut a branded product).
Pressing bearings in is fairly straightforward. Press only on outer race which is what you guys are correctly doing.
If you have a pillar drill,it's perfect for pressing in bearings squarely. ( I have a cheap Lidl/Aldi one. ) I also have a press,but it's too bulky to use for small wheel and BB bearings.
U can use sockets to assist.
BE WARNED... socket's are tapered on outer edges,grind this down carefully. Otherwise the"pointy" part Will press on the seal and not the outer race and damage it .
Hope this helps some of you guys!
RBBB
Insanity over vanity
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by ScotRoutes »

It's possible that the hub shell itself is misaligned. This has happened before with Hope hubs and they've replaced them under warranty.
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by redefined_cycles »

Another thing - this is becoming a rather comprehensive Hope hubs thread :-bd - I think I've had 2 hubds now where there was a hairline crack in the hub flange. One I noticed and another was noticed by my ebay biidder/buyer (which I then confirmed after accepting the return). Hopefully its not this issue for yoursefl but worth a (careful) look
Cyclepeasant
Posts: 231
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:56 am

Re: Hope pro 4 bearings

Post by Cyclepeasant »

Doh! Apologies guys. I failed to state using a pillar drill to press bearings in is only possible if hub is unlaced.
However BB bearings are still ok. Easier if an assistant is available to help hold frame or operate "press", otherwise use "old school" hammer and socket to "tap" bearing in.
It's not really required to freeze bearings to insert them on cycle components,the interference fit is minimal.
As usual an old duffer telling teenies how to suck eggs!!! 🥚🥚🥚🥚 :???:
Insanity over vanity
Post Reply