Destroyed Chris King R45 Rear Hub - Your Expert Opinion Solicited UPDATED

[Mr.Gib]

I never understood why CK doesn't use titanium for the freehub. At the the price premium over for example Dura Ace, it should be a tougher material. I never put Shimano cassettes on my CK hubs for this very reason - only Sram.

[sugarkane]

They stopped making those alloy 'campag' freehubs a few years ago.. because they cracked, brakes and generally shat themselves. They make the new version from stainless steel now and you won't break on of those.. also if you have a good realationship with the person who built the wheel and it got the hub from still Chris King will Warrenty that..

[bikerjulio]

Campy freehubs are alloy, and I've never heard of that kind of problem with them. Did CK make the wall thinner perhaps? Inferior material? I'm just saying that this isn't inherent to the Campy splining. There has to be some difference.

[Mackers]

Take the large CK bearings that Shimano's cassette body design allows and stuff them in the smaller diameter Campy-splined body like CK did, and this is what happens.

CK will replace it.

[bikerjulio]

Looking at the first photo again. If that's the wall thickness we are seeing, then it looks ridiculously thin. No wonder.

Here's the real thing. Spot the difference?

As well as the paper thin shell of the CK, notice that the inner corners of the splines are machined at a sharp angle whereas the Campy's are chamfered.

[TheDarkInstall]

@bikerjulio

Good observation, you are right.

[beeatnik]

After one call to Chris King, I was sent a new stainless steel driveshell. They now have 4 splines a la Tune's Campy freehubs. Fortunately the hubshell bearings weren't damaged. Simple install and the wheel is back on the road.

[Svetty]

Sounds like exemplary response from CK.

[MJB]

Good news! - we need more of it!

[Supersix56]

Chris King R45 hubs are total junk.
Best colors ever but the rear hubs are infamous for coming loose. Wiggle any R45 hub side to side in any bike and feel the slop.

DT Swiss or Bitex all the way.

[kode54]

Impressive power to crack that freehub. You didn’t crash or anything, did you? It’s also nice that CK sent you a stainless steel replacement. I didn’t know they had a stainless version freehub, so you shouldn’t have any issues going forward.

I’ve never had any issues with the CK R45 hubs. Even slop. I adjust the preload nut after the wheel is in the bike. I’d admit that I had slip a few times but that because I forgot to tighten the preload and road it finger tight and not locked down.

[Cannoli]

Chris King R45 hubs are total junk.
Best colors ever but the rear hubs are infamous for coming loose. Wiggle any R45 hub side to side in any bike and feel the slop.

DT Swiss or Bitex all the way.

I have two sets of R45's and haven't experience this at all. One on a set of Zipp 303's and one on a set of Enve SES 5.6. They are both solid and spin smoothly.

[Broady]

Yeah, I've got a few sets of R45s, brilliant hubs, fit and forget for me.