Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?

[pliptrot]

The Superlube grease recommended above will do the trick. I've used it for years to keep freehubs quiet (and everything else on a bike).It does not dry out and is tenacious enough to do the job for some time. Those suggesting grease should not be used are talking about mineral grease, which is not really ideal for any of the applications on a bicycle.

[toontra]

Excellent suggestions all. Yes - I had considered an oil/grease mix but thought there may be issues, but from what people say clearly not if done with the right products in the right combination. I was thinking maybe initially concentrate the oil in the springs/pawls and grease around the ratchet (although they will obviously co-mingle pretty quickly).

[toontra]

The Superlube grease recommended above will do the trick. I've used it for years to keep freehubs quiet (and everything else on a bike).It does not dry out and is tenacious enough to do the job for some time. Those suggesting grease should not be used are talking about mineral grease, which is not really ideal for any of the applications on a bicycle.

Sounds perfect. I think this will be my first trial.

[toontra]

Took the springs & pawls out and gave everything a good clean. I was right in that they looked never to have been serviced since new - horrible dark gritty stuff. Reassembled using a moderate quantity of Superlube grease as recommended above and happy to report a vast improvement. I'd say the noise is reduced by 30%, to the point where it's tolerable. Engagement still seems instant. A few road tests at freezing and below temperatures should confirm there is no risk of sticking.

Thanks for all the advice!

[fastpedaller]

Some folk pay good money to get a noise freehub! I have to say I don't see the attraction. But one thing...... if you're freewheeling you aren't trying

[tenbikes]

Hope hubs are greased, not oiled. If grease is good enough for Hope, that's good enough for me......the original stuff is green....

[pliptrot]

Having paid over the odds for Hope hubs I found that the front hub had play in it - a push together design with no adjustment possible- and the rear hub freehub kept slipping. Separate enquiries to Hope were met with dismissal. When a flange broke I was told it was down to corrosion, which is hilarious given that those hubs had only ever lived in Texas where salt is never used. I never even got them wet. I'd love to support the home side, but I'll never go near Hope again.

[Brucey]

Having paid over the odds for Hope hubs I found that the front hub had play in it - a push together design with no adjustment possible- and the rear hub freehub kept slipping. Separate enquiries to Hope were met with dismissal. When a flange broke I was told it was down to corrosion, which is hilarious given that those hubs had only ever lived in Texas where salt is never used. I never even got them wet. I'd love to support the home side, but I'll never go near Hope again.

IIRC Hope have used some tiny front wheel bearings in the past, of a size that is more often to be found in a roller skate.
New bearings usually sorts it if there is any free play. The rear hub slipping could have started via wear in the bearings, dried grease, faulty springs/pawls etc. However, once slipping starts it isn't long before there is so much damage that it won't ever stop unless a load of new parts are fitted, and the original cause can remain unknown.

I don't really understand why Hope didn't treat you better, although the usual arrangement is that the first point of recourse is with the retailer, not the manufacturer.

I think I do understand why your hubs cracked though; as a mateials scientist I can tell you that making lightweight hubshells, flanges etc. from 2014 bar stock and then anodising them wouldn't exactly be my first choice. In fact it is arguably just asking for trouble. I have a whole boxful of broken Hope hubs which are mute testimony to this. The particular kind of trouble would be SCC (stress-corrosion-cracking) and in most cases with bar stock in this grade, you are entirely at the mercy of whatever inclusions have been left in the material. At one time you basically couldn't buy 2014 bar stock that was any good; it might have met spec. when tested, but there some things (Hope hubs being a case in point IMV) you couldn't expect to make using this material. Plenty of UK hubs did fail via corrosion, but if the stress is high enough (eg. from spoke tension) and wheelbuilding has turned inclusions into tiny cracks, it is only a matter of time before something is likely to break. The humidity and temperature can be high in texas, quite high enough to assist SCC in vulnerable materials.

Any cracks in any aluminium alloy do tend to oxidise as they grow, such is the affinity of Al for oxygen. Technically it makes the material susceptible to SCC even when it appears to be dry.but even trace amounts of other chemicals can be enough to cause real trouble. Sea air can be deadly in a SCC-prone situation. A splash of oil can likewise appear to work wonders.

[tenbikes]

Over the years I have had about 15 pairs of Hope hubs, and currently have 10 pairs.

All are used off road, all year.

No problems at all.

[Brucey]

IIRC Hope's use of tiny bearings (and very small flanges) was restricted to their 'road' front hubs. IME it usually takes some exposure to salt (eg. road salt) to cause an actual breakage.This all means that bad cracking is most often seen in 'road' hubs (or hubs that have been used on the road), not 'MTB' hubs used for MTBing.

[Grumps]

Used Car LM grease in freehubs for years. Never had one stick and it shuts them up. Try it, if you don't like it go back to oil.

[Brucey]

Used Car LM grease in freehubs for years. Never had one stick and it shuts them up. Try it, if you don't like it go back to oil.

it is nearly always worth mentioning what hubs/riding style/lubrication method you use. IME if a standard shimano two pawl-freehub is packed with #2 grease, it'll be somewhat 'missy' and prone to damage, especially if it is a bit cold. If there is any damage then the freehub body will need a rebuild at least. By contrast, a freehub with stronger springs in it might have been fine. It can be very easy to cause damage inside a freehub mechanism by using a lubricant that is too thick.

[plancashire]

A noisy freehub can be a useful addition to a bell on shared-use paths, of which we have a lot in Germany. People recognise the sound. Pedal backwards for even more volume.

[hoogerbooger]

A noisy freehub can be a useful addition to a bell on shared-use paths, of which we have a lot in Germany. People recognise the sound. Pedal backwards for even more volume.

Or just very irritating when you're out to enjoy the sights and sounds of the countryside.......

[pwa]

Reading people's thoughts on this subject, over several posts and several years, the conclusion that I have arrived at is that if you value a quiet drivetrain (as I do) the only simple way is to have a Shimano rear hub. And for me that resulted in a cost saving, when I told myself that attractive Hope hubs would not give me the low noise freewheeling I enjoy with Shimano.