Randomly the thread on the axle of my FH-M775 stripped itself today. The replacement part seems as expensive as the hub itself.

What alternatives are out there as a replacement for an XT rear hub? Something in a similar price bracket. Would prefer centrelock, but essential.

Any good recommendations at this price, all I ever hear about is bl00dy Hope Pro 2’s (don’t get me wrong, would like to use, but too expensive for me).

Another XT?!

superstar

erm, pro 2?

If the pro 2 cost twice as much but lasts three times as long it’s better value.

On one have sone centre lock fulcram red metal 5’s for 99 quid a pair!

Got a pair just to see – and they look very good for the money!! Will see how long they last but look as good as my superstars and a bit cheaper 😯

ps. also just got some pro 2’s 😳

The pro2 does appear to be one of the most adaptable to all these different front and rear standards, if you’re prone to changing frames. there is a new pro2 evo coming out in the new year, which will probably be even more adaptable. They’re affordable and not too heavy.

Edit: and British

ps. Hope are putting about 5% on the trade price from Jan 1 … of eveything 😯 and thats before the extra VAT

i’ll give you a fiver for the freehub?

Pro2s are good, but if you change your hub that’s a wheel rebuild, probably new spokes too for that, so no change out of £50 most places if you’re paying a shop to do it. Wiggle have the hub for less.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-xt-m775-centre-lock-disc-rear-hub/

Shimano spares are a bit harder to track down, is this the bit you need?

SHIMANO 3CZ 9802 XT 775 Hub Axle Unit – Right Hand

See, buy the hub from Wiggle, sell the freehub and skewer and it’s cheap!

Shimano SLX (centrelock only) can be had for £35, 1.5 times as fast as a pro II, though still 4 clicks per revolution slower than a current (centrelock) XT (36)

EDIT, at wiggles price, looks like the XT one is the one to get

if you can get XT rear hubs for £5.99 I’ll take 100 please.

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/21508/Weldtite_Rear_Axle

midlife – yeah, thats the only place apart from SJS i can find the axle! £6 postage? Bet they do loads of trade. Good point re the build costs too.

Looks like a new XT hub. Least I’ll have spares then!

Something to do over xmas I suppose!

fuuny how only 2 people made a recommendation other than Pro2’s. Hope must laughing all the way to the bank!

Or just buy a deore level hub for a few quid and use the axle from that?

Except deore axles are completely different.

Get an old style LX or XT hub, cheap as chips and last longer.

whatever you do stay AWAY from superstar hubs, work great for a couple of months, then start self destructing. Get a Hope XC hub, you should be able to pick one up for 40-50 quid and theyre just as good as pro 11’s bar the axle changing ability

also bear in mind that if the flange size on the new hub is significantly different you’ll need new spokes too.

Those big, identical sized (left and right) spoke flanges on the XT hub mean that changing to a different hub will almost certainly need different length spokes. Most rear hubs have a larger rotor side ring than the drive side, so spokes end up roughly the same length left and right. Add about 80p per spoke to the price of changing to a new hub as well as the lacing cost. It’s probably then getting cheaper to buy a whole wheel.

also bear in mind that if the flange size on the new hub is significantly different you’ll need new spokes too.

Rule of thumb: 10mm difference in flange = 1mm on spoke, so unlikely.

Rule of thumb: 10mm difference in flange = 1mm on spoke, so unlikely.

XT with, say, an XC717 rim, change hub to Hope Pro 2 – left spoke 2mm shorter, right same length. I’m not saying you’re wrong, and I’d put up with the 2mm error, but I’ve no idea if a pro wheelbuilder would be happy reusing the old spokes.

Most rear hubs have a larger rotor side ring than the drive side, so spokes end up roughly the same length left and right

change hub to Hope Pro 2 – left spoke 2mm shorter, right same length

Confused, of Edinburgh.

Always happy re-using old spokes (former pro).

Yoiu mention expense twice in your OP. What you fail to factor in is the price of a new wheel build that would be required if you bought the new hub (unless you are going to DIY and reuse the rim and spokes). I would bite the bullet and buy the replacement axle. In so far as cup and cone hubs go XT is about as good as it gets, sure their is plenty of bling out their but they don’t really need to be upgraded. Not at this time of year at least.

Except deore axles are completely different.

oh yeah, I hadn’t realised on the 770 and later hubs Shimano had changed the axle design.

FWIW, I’d just buy a new Shimano XT hub and use the rest of the parts as spares – you could replace the balls and cones from the new one now, and use the freewheel mechanism when your current one fails.

as above – unless the bearign surfaces in the hub are damaged I’d always try and repair.

I’ve found with shimano hubs it’s easier to buy a new hub and break it (you get new axle, bearings, seals and freehub) than but the compenents – particularly if it’s an older one that CRC et al are selling off cheap.

Shimano hubs are gash. They’re disposable. Disposable parts are fine as long as they’re not attached to other expensive bits, that then have to be binned with them.

I’ve built a couple of sets of wheels using these hubs

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=12048

Unbelievable value for money. The quality is as good as Hope’s at half the price. Sealed cartridge bearings instead of primative cup and cone nonsense. Look at the complete wheel builds at CRC using these hubs. An absolute bargain

How’s durability/spares availability & price on those binners?

Al. I’ve run a set for about 18 months (including through Peaks grinding paste) and they were still as smooth as the proverbial babies bum, with no play in them. I’d imagine they’ll be standard bearings when they do need replacing.

Certainly worth a punt at that price. They’re in another league to Shimano. They really are as good as Hope’s IMHO.

They sound as too. Noisy buggers. In a good way 🙂

quite heavy tho! (and I think you’ll find the weight is as big factor in people choosing Pro IIs)

oh.. and why can’t the generic 10mm QR axle I linked to be used on the OPs XT hub (sorry haven’t looked at a new XT hub in years)

Fair enough binners, I’ve just seen too many great white hopes (pun not intended) fall over as soon as someone needs spares.

GW I think the new XTs have some silly new axle standard.

What? Shimano developing some silly standard? One that nobody else uses? Surely not! That’s not like them 😉

GW – there is a new style axle on m770 and later rear hubs (and poss front, I’ve not looked!).

ah, ok. IMO the only good thing about them was that you could switch to a nutted axle easily.

binners – Member
I’ve built a couple of sets of wheels using these hubs
<LINK TO SUN RINGLE HUB>

Saw you recommend these a while back, but I’m sure you eventually had some issue with them though? Or was it the importer being rubbish? Canne remember what, but it meant I stopped thinking about em..

topangarider – Member
fuuny how only 2 people made a recommendation other than Pro2’s. Hope must laughing all the way to the bank!

Or maybe unlike the OP, the ‘owners’ of the Hope kit are extremely happy and feel that they should recommend a decent product they’ve used, when asked. I have a set of Hope XC, Bulb’s & Pro II’s and can’t see a good reason to buy anything else. There been extremely reliable, and extremely easy to fix/service even for a ham fisted muppet like me.

z1ppy – no, all I’m saying is people MUST be using other hubs than Pro2’s (and Ringle) – just wondering why no-one’s recommending them? Maybe they’re poo, and that’s fine – let me know that too! But there must be some other good stuff out there too?

Out of interest – how does the pro2 compare to a hope xc? Much difference? Just I’m not that bothered about all that interchangeability.

I’m using some from On-One at the moment though have used DT in the past. Both are good and do the job. As said above though, some hubs are more versatile than others when it comes to 15mm axles etc. Depends what you’re going to use it for and if you like a silent hub or not. I started out liking my previous Hope hub but ended up hating it’s whirring (great for commuting / alerting pedestrians though).