UST Wheel Building

Norm said:
Thinking about this rear hub:
http://cgi.ebay.com/WTB-Laser-Disc-...ryZ36143QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

A lot of people use it, WTB Laser Disc Lite 32 hole. It's used, said to be in excellent condition. But even if it needs to be repacked, it's apparently an easy hub to work on.

Thoughts?
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I have a pair of Laser disc lite hubs laced to dt swiss 4.1d rims. Never had a problem in 3 years of use. The only things I dont like is the sound when they engage, it sounds like a "ding". Also they require 2 19mm cone wrenches to adjust bearing load on the rear hub. On the plus side, they spin with next to no friction, front and rear. Very quiet rear hub, if you like that sort of thing.
 
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Wobbegong said:
I have a pair of Laser disc lite hubs laced to dt swiss 4.1d wheels. Never had a problem in 3 years of use. The only things I dont like is the sound when they engage, it sounds like a "ding". Also they require 2 19mm cone wrenches to adjust bearing load on the rear hub. On the plus side, they spin with next to no friction, front and rear. Very quiet rear hub, if you like that sort of thing.
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Thanks for the feedback. I'm leaning towards Hope hub in the rear at this point as some people recommend them over WTB. I may keep the WTB for the front. Not sure why but I'll probably build 1 at a time so they don't need to be symmetrical. Plus I think the WTB is cheaper and the front is much less susceptible to problems with mud/water/etc.

I like quiet. Noise = friction. More stuff to break or wear out, IMO. Silence means things are operating more efficiently.

I'm currently leaning to this build:

Rear wheel
Hope Pro II 285g
mavix xm 819 disc 32 hole 465g
DT Supercomp 2.0/1.7/1.8 159g
DT Swiss Brass nipples 16mm 34g
923g

Front wheel
wtb laser disc lite 32 hole 145g
mavix xm 819 disc 32 hole 465g
DT Supercomp 2.0/1.7/1.8 159g
DT Swiss Brass nipples - 16mm 34g
803g
 
My WTB rear hub does not make any strange noises when engaging.
The Hope hub has a quicker engagement I believe.
You may want to think about going with the Hope for the front as they can be converted to a 20mm thru axle if you ever decide to go that way.
Why brass nipples? Aluminum is 3 times lighter.
Also, Stans rims do not use the spoke cups like Mavic's. They do use a special rim tape to seal the spoke holes though.
 
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ytc100 said:
My WTB rear hub does not make any strange noises when engaging.
The Hope hub has a quicker engagement I believe.
You may want to think about going with the Hope for the front as they can be converted to a 20mm thru axle if you ever decide to go that way.
Why brass nipples? Aluminum is 3 times lighter.
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Its not that its strange, it just rings when given a hard kick to the pedals. Sort of like a bell
 
ytc100 said:
My WTB rear hub does not make any strange noises when engaging.
The Hope hub has a quicker engagement I believe.
You may want to think about going with the Hope for the front as they can be converted to a 20mm thru axle if you ever decide to go that way.
Why brass nipples? Aluminum is 3 times lighter.
Click to expand...

Dumb question. What's the 20mm thru axle difference/advantage?

Not sure why brass. I seem to remember them being suggested for UST, though it may have been the 16mm suggested for UST not brass. If it doesn't make a difference I go with aluminum.

That guy shiggy on the wheels/tires forums doesn't seem to love WTB and recommends Hope instead. Your experience from a service/reliability standpoint?
 
Norm said:
I like quiet. Noise = friction. More stuff to break or wear out, IMO. Silence means things are operating more efficiently.
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Kings are pretty loud yet seem to last a lifetime & are quiet efficient, not opinion, fact.

I had the old Hope XC hubs & have nothing but good things to say about them. I rode them for 4 years with not 1 issue & only serviced them once or twice. Spend a little extra for the front Hope hub.

It's going on your race bike I'm assuming so you won't need a 20mm thru axle. Advantages are they're are much stiffer (less flex) than a standard quick release. Disadvantages are the fork with the TA would be heavier & can be a pita for a roof rack.
 
Thanks Kirt. The cost is minimal overall so it's no big deal. If they're just flat out better it's a no brainer. It's definitely going on the race bike.

I'll give you that you Kings last a long time. On efficiency I'm still dubious. Any noise is going to be friction which hinders efficiency. Obviously not a "show stopper" as they say. I wonder if anyone has compared various hubs and their efficiency.
 
Norm said:
Dumb question. What's the 20mm thru axle difference/advantage?

Not sure why brass. I seem to remember them being suggested for UST, though it may have been the 16mm suggested for UST not brass. If it doesn't make a difference I go with aluminum.

That guy shiggy on the wheels/tires forums doesn't seem to love WTB and recommends Hope instead. Your experience from a service/reliability standpoint?
Click to expand...

Still in my first season with them, so far no problems other than my cheap cassette eating into the freehub a bit. Initially the freewheel itself was a bit "tight" but broke in nicely after a couple of hundred miles. Not noticeable while riding but in the stand the wheel would move when backpedaling in higher gears.
The Hopes have a better reputation. My other choice would be DT swiss 240.
 
Good deal. Thanks for the feedback. The WTB seem to have a bad rep from years past but a lot of people say they've gotten over that.
 
ytc100 said:
Still in my first season with them, so far no problems other than my cheap cassette eating into the freehub a bit. Initially the freewheel itself was a bit "tight" but broke in nicely after a couple of hundred miles. Not noticeable while riding but in the stand the wheel would move when backpedaling in higher gears.
The Hopes have a better reputation. My other choice would be DT swiss 240.
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Another vote for DT hubs from me!
 
The DT Swiss is another price ballpark. The WTB can be had for like $140, Hope a bit more, but DT Swiss is in the $300 realm.

But holy crap 150g lighter? What's it made of balsa wood?
 
Norm said:
Good deal. Thanks for the feedback. The WTB seem to have a bad rep from years past but a lot of people say they've gotten over that.
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Yes they used to be a re-packaged American Classic hub with an apparently undersized spring in the freehub which would break. The newer WTB hubs are of their own improved design with a much larger spring and other mods to the shell.
 
The 20mm thru axle gives you a lot more stiffness in the front end. Better for technical terrain and cornering from what I understand. Have not tried it personally but I'm thinking it will be on my next bike.
 
ytc100 said:
The 20mm thru axle gives you a lot more stiffness in the front end. Better for technical terrain and cornering from what I understand. Have not tried it personally but I'm thinking it will be on my next bike.
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I just swapped my front hub to a 20mm thru axle a couple weeks ago. I feel more confidence now on the real sketchy stuff, which I guess is a result of the stiffer front end. My old Marzocchi fork wasn't particularly flexy either, but the difference is definitely noticeable if you like the rocky technical trails.

The other factor that kept me away from 20mm was the hassle in taking off the front wheel. Now, with the RockShox 'maxle', I can remove my 20mm wheel faster then with a standard quick release. Sweet.
 
mtbdawgJeff said:
I just swapped my front hub to a 20mm thru axle a couple weeks ago. I feel more confidence now on the real sketchy stuff, which I guess is a result of the stiffer front end. My old Marzocchi fork wasn't particularly flexy either, but the difference is definitely noticeable if you like the rocky technical trails.

The other factor that kept me away from 20mm was the hassle in taking off the front wheel. Now, with the RockShox 'maxle', I can remove my 20mm wheel faster then with a standard quick release. Sweet.
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You guys just make it harder and harder...

Now the prebuilt American Classic wheelset is starting to look attractive. If only they had UST it would be easier, or harder. Not sure.
 
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