most realiabe rear hub under $180?
- Thread starter Strelok
- Start date
I think that MOST modern hubs can be considered to be reliable ...
Most SHIMANO rear hubs share the same modular design and are consequently extremely easy to service ... if you have the necessary parts.
Shimano hub bodies tend to be robust, and due to serviceability, 'I' would subjectively say that they are the most reliable.
Also, if by "reliable" you mean that you want rear wheel whose hub can be used 40 years from now, then almost Shimano rear hub should be considered as the first choice.
To address vspa's suggestion of a Campagnolo Record hub, although it has been decades since Campagnolo created a beautiful-but-known-to-failure Track hub AND some of Campagnolo's early MTB components seemed too robust ([COLOR= #808080]i.e., heavy![/COLOR]), since there are currently no available disc hubs from Campagnolo, Campagnolo hubs are not a choice at the moment.
I love DT SWISS hubs ...
However, they had a problem 6+ years ago where numerous hubs had flange failures. Many-if-not-most were certainly replaced under warranty. However, I had one fail front hub fail last year on a Road wheel which had less than 1000 miles of use ([COLOR= #808080]thankfully, the wheel was in storage & not being ridden at the moment when the flange failed ... a modest 32x3 lacing[/COLOR]), but they said too much time had transpired for a warranty replacement ...
FYI. DT SWISS rear hubs have at least two different "pawl" mechanisms ... the Star Ratchet and a standard pawl mechanism. While my fading recollection is that their ONYX rear hubs have three pawls ([COLOR= #808080]maybe, it is four!?![/COLOR]), I read that ONE of their recent hubs has only two ([COLOR= #808080]so, that would possibly mean three rear hub designs if the ONYX hubs are still being made[/COLOR]).
I have a rear wheel laced to a "first generaton" DT SWISS 340 rear disc hub ([COLOR= #808080]basically, a 240 hub with a steel freehub[/COLOR]) and I reckon it is close to same weight as an older, non-Center Lock SHIMANO XT front disc hub ([COLOR= #808080]Center Lock hubs are surprisingly light, BTW[/COLOR]).
Most SHIMANO rear hubs share the same modular design and are consequently extremely easy to service ... if you have the necessary parts.
- I don't know what it takes to actually get a Shimano freehub body to fail-or-wear-out, but replacements are readily availalbe so that means that there must be SOME failure rate, however modest ...
Shimano hub bodies tend to be robust, and due to serviceability, 'I' would subjectively say that they are the most reliable.
Also, if by "reliable" you mean that you want rear wheel whose hub can be used 40 years from now, then almost Shimano rear hub should be considered as the first choice.
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To address vspa's suggestion of a Campagnolo Record hub, although it has been decades since Campagnolo created a beautiful-but-known-to-failure Track hub AND some of Campagnolo's early MTB components seemed too robust ([COLOR= #808080]i.e., heavy![/COLOR]), since there are currently no available disc hubs from Campagnolo, Campagnolo hubs are not a choice at the moment.
I love DT SWISS hubs ...
However, they had a problem 6+ years ago where numerous hubs had flange failures. Many-if-not-most were certainly replaced under warranty. However, I had one fail front hub fail last year on a Road wheel which had less than 1000 miles of use ([COLOR= #808080]thankfully, the wheel was in storage & not being ridden at the moment when the flange failed ... a modest 32x3 lacing[/COLOR]), but they said too much time had transpired for a warranty replacement ...
- DT Swiss said that it wasn't due to a bad batch, but hubs since then appear to be made whose actual flange is larger in circumference by about 2mm ([COLOR= #808080]the drilling is the same[/COLOR]) to bolster the flange.
- Because not all DT Swiss hubs fail, I would still tend to describe it as "poor batch" which probably have been "recalled." Regardless, the redimensioning of the flange diameter suggests that there was a probably-or-certainly-possibly a poor understanding by someone of the inherent flaw of CNC'd vs. forged aluminum ... at least, as 'I' understand the differences. Despite my disappointment that the particular front hub was not replaced under warranty, DT Swiss has, IMO, one of the more responsive Customer Service Departments ... as is Shimano's excellent Customer Service Department ...
FYI. DT SWISS rear hubs have at least two different "pawl" mechanisms ... the Star Ratchet and a standard pawl mechanism. While my fading recollection is that their ONYX rear hubs have three pawls ([COLOR= #808080]maybe, it is four!?![/COLOR]), I read that ONE of their recent hubs has only two ([COLOR= #808080]so, that would possibly mean three rear hub designs if the ONYX hubs are still being made[/COLOR]).
- The Star Ratchet mechanism can apparently fail IF maintenance is poor ([COLOR= #808080]i.e., the reciprocating piston [[/COLOR][COLOR= #ff8c00]I don't know what DT calls it[/COLOR][COLOR= #808080]] has fairly tight tolerances, so dirt could be a problem on a poorly maintained or previously improperly serviced rear hub)[/COLOR] , but [COLOR= #0000ff]it can be serviced on-the-trail if you know what you are doing[/COLOR], so THAT counts for a lot.
I have a rear wheel laced to a "first generaton" DT SWISS 340 rear disc hub ([COLOR= #808080]basically, a 240 hub with a steel freehub[/COLOR]) and I reckon it is close to same weight as an older, non-Center Lock SHIMANO XT front disc hub ([COLOR= #808080]Center Lock hubs are surprisingly light, BTW[/COLOR]).
- I don't know what "pawl" mechansim is used in the DT 350 hubs.
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While there may always be a more interesting choice ([COLOR= #808080]e.g., you want a red, white, blue, or whatever colored hub[/COLOR]) -- When in doubt, choose Shimano.
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