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Looking for a rear hub with a strong freehub body

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Looking for a rear hub with a strong freehub body

Old 10-15-21, 07:37 AM
  #1  
dwsmartins
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Looking for a rear hub with a strong freehub body

First of all, let me put the variables on the table: I'm definitely fat (134kg/295lb, down from 157kg/345lb, but still heavy), my neighborhood is filled with 15%+ climbs everywhere, I'm used to climb these hills on a daily basis and I carry groceries on my bike panniers (never more than 30kg/65lb). I've posted this on the mechanics forum, but was advised to seek help here. I've built a bike with the intention to hold my weight. All parts installed on it where chosen for durability, but I'm having a hard time selecting a proper rear hurea

Back in mid 2018 I installed a FH-RM30-8 which lasted about 11000km/7000mi until I managed to literally crack open it's freehub body in mid-2020. In retrospect, it had a reasonable life span, at least from my experience since then, but I really expected ait to last longer. Maintenance was OK, cleaning and repacking of the bearings was done every 6 months, replaced the ball bearings once, as they became dull, but the cones and cups where OK. Never opened the freehub body, as I couldn't find a suitable tool and Shimano doesn't recommend that anymore.

I replaced it with a FH-M430 (contact seals on non-drive side and up in the Shimano lineup, so I thought it was an upgrade). It's freehub body locked up (distorted pawl seats, like it was above it's design load or the metal was out of specifications) after 6 months during social distancing, when I rode less than 1500km/1000mi (on my original post I've overestimated as 2x this, but I checked my logs and this number came up).

I thought it was a bad batch, so I bought another FH-M430 to caniballize it's freehub body (a spare freehub body here in Brazil is hard to find and almost the same price as a complete freehub). The parts are from the local Shimano distributor, so I really don't think they're fake. Fast forward another six months until today: the current freehub body just locked up, just like the previous one! That raises some questions: * Is there anything wrong with the FH-M430? * Am I wrong assuming it should be stronger than a (cheaper, without contact seals of any kind) FH-RM30-8 or a (about the same price, with external rubber seals) FH-RM70? * On the other way around, am I wrong assuming a FH-M590 or FH-T610 should be stronger? I'm not searching for less weigth, just longer durability. I only have these options around here, despite the M590 and T610 are imported from Germany by courier, this fact alone doubling it's cost relative to the other options. Could you tell me your personal experiences with these hubs or similar situations?
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Old 10-15-21, 10:33 AM
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Middle group parts usually have more durable finishes and seals as you note, and that keeps out the weather and keeps in the grease. There’s nothing about them that confers extra strength.

For your mileage and weight you might be better off with a more heavy duty hub made for e-bikes or tandems. Might be hard to find those in QR 135 though.
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Old 10-16-21, 05:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
Middle group parts usually have more durable finishes and seals as you note, and that keeps out the weather and keeps in the grease. There’s nothing about them that confers extra strength.

For your mileage and weight you might be better off with a more heavy duty hub made for e-bikes or tandems. Might be hard to find those in QR 135 though.
I'm quite on this line of yours, also. The RM30-8 I've had lasted about six times any of the M430, despite being marketed as inferior and not having contact seals of any kind and even unpolished cones.
I found some rather old stock RM70 around here, while the RM30-8 are getting hard to find. Thinking I should give it a try, what do you think?
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Old 10-16-21, 09:51 AM
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Check Out Zinn Cycles in Boulder, Colorado...

They have subsets rated for 450 lbs....

They specialize in big / tall bikes and parts

look at their Clydesdale Hubs......
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Old 10-23-21, 02:18 PM
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Bicycle components are vastly overbuilt in even the lowest product lines. If you want to climb 15% grades you either walk up or use gearing meant for that kind of gradient. Those don't come OEM. My latest bike came stock with a 42/32/22 triple and an 11-32 cassette. That is something 'I' might take on a 15% gradient but were I the o.p. I'd be looking into a cassette with a 40T or 42T top cog in addition to the smallest granny consistent with the bolt circle of my crankset.
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