Hub cassette body durability

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psycling
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:30 pm
Location: Mountain View, CA

by psycling

I have a DT Swiss 240s hub with the standard Al cassette body. I use a Dura Ace 10sp 11-28 cassette and I tighten the lock ring per spec with a torque wrench. My problem is that I typically need to replace the cassette body every 18-24 months. This is because it starts to wear from the rotational torque of the cogs. At first this wear results in creaking. If I wait long enough, the cogs will rotate back and forth, causing shifting issues and slippage when engaging a cog.

Do others have this problem? Am I doing something wrong or is it typical wear?

I believe that DT Swiss used to offer a steel cassette body, but I can't find this part anymore. What would you suggest for getting better life out of this? Should I look at a different hub? Should I use a one piece cassette, such as the one from SRAM? Should I try to pedal more lightly? ;-)


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Multebear
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Joined: Sat May 02, 2015 10:11 pm

by Multebear

psycling wrote:
1) Do others have this problem?

2) Am I doing something wrong or is it typical wear?

3) I believe that DT Swiss used to offer a steel cassette body, but I can't find this part anymore.

4) Should I look at a different hub?

5) Should I use a one piece cassette, such as the one from SRAM?

6) Should I try to pedal more lightly? ;-)




1: All riders, who are generating a significant amount of watts have this problem.

2: No, you're not. It's normal. Only light riders with low watts can avoid this.

3: Don't know, haven't heard of or seen a steel version

4: That's what I would do. White Industries T11 and Shimano Dura Ace both have titanium body, which don't get chewed up by cassettes. I've bought one of each, and they both are really great, well performing and very durable hubs.

5: You might, but they are expensive. And if you only need a new cassette every 18 months, it's not overwhelming.

6: Definitely not. You should pedal as hard as you can.

7: This topic belongs in the "everything wheels" section.

psycling
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:30 pm
Location: Mountain View, CA

by psycling

Multebear wrote:4: That's what I would do. White Industries T11 and Shimano Dura Ace both have titanium body, which don't get chewed up by cassettes. I've bought one of each, and they both are really great, well performing and very durable hubs.

Interesting, thanks. I hadn't considered the Ti body options. I'll look into those.

Multebear wrote:7: This topic belongs in the "everything wheels" section.

Good point, sorry about that. I don't see a way for me to move it. Perhaps a moderator can help if they agree?

mattr
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Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

If the cogs are rotating back and forth with the lock ring tightened, it's probably not tight enough.

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F45
Posts: 1077
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:08 am

by F45

Use torque grease on the lock ring to ensure you are getting the correct clamping force for your torque reading.

You can also use the paperclip trick.

psycling
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:30 pm
Location: Mountain View, CA

by psycling

F45 wrote:You can also use the paperclip trick.


What is this?

mattr
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Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Staples work better.

psycling
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:30 pm
Location: Mountain View, CA

by psycling

mattr wrote:Staples work better.

:noidea:

mattr
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Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Sorry. Was a bit busy. And i thought it'd be a good wind up :wink:

If you flatten a normal office staple out and place it on the drive face of the freehub between the cassette and freehub spline it increases the life of the freehub significantly. Just replace when you remove/refit the cassette. Last time i could be bothered i got two in. On opposite sides of the freehub. The cassette/lock ring hold it in place.

I think American Classic used to offer it as a retro fit kit of steel "blades" and I've seen at least one manufacturer that has a single half steel spline to toughen the freehub up.

mattr
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by mattr

F45 wrote:Use torque grease on the lock ring to ensure you are getting the correct clamping force for your torque reading.
torque grease? End loads are usually calculated with clean, lightly oiled, threads.
So do that if you want an accurate endload.

Multebear
Posts: 1395
Joined: Sat May 02, 2015 10:11 pm

by Multebear

mattr wrote:Sorry. Was a bit busy. And i thought it'd be a good wind up :wink:

If you flatten a normal office staple out and place it on the drive face of the freehub between the cassette and freehub spline it increases the life of the freehub significantly. Just replace when you remove/refit the cassette. Last time i could be bothered i got two in. On opposite sides of the freehub. The cassette/lock ring hold it in place.

I think American Classic used to offer it as a retro fit kit of steel "blades" and I've seen at least one manufacturer that has a single half steel spline to toughen the freehub up.


Would you mind posting a picture of this? I've read about this trick several times, but I can't quite image, how it is done.

mattr
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by mattr

I've not got any bikes with this on it anymore. I'm pretty much exclusively steel or ti freehubs these days. And the three aluminum ones i have are very much race day only.

mattr
Posts: 4671
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 6:43 pm
Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/i ... body_1.jpg

That's how AC do it. Just try to imagine a thinner strip of steel where the insert is. Wedged between the spline of the freehub and cassette.
You could probably, given patience and accuracy, grind a mm off the freehub to get a proper strip of tool steel in there.

sanrensho
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:54 pm

by sanrensho

Multebear wrote:Would you mind posting a picture of this? I've read about this trick several times, but I can't quite image, how it is done.


Here's an entire video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCIe9fgFDTA

There's this thread too.

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54146

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sugarkane
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by sugarkane

shimano has never produced the design in alloy theirs have always been steel or Ti, basically any aftermarket hub with an alloy free hub is a consumable item.

the campag design works in alloy the shimano one does not have enough material thickness

by Weenie


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