Originally Posted by
canam73
Follow up question: What do you make of these comments from Fair Wheel's hub review:
Hub shell material: Even though not every manufacturer will state the alloy they use, most manufacturers use a very high strength alloy (usually 7000 series), and at first glance this seems like a good idea. Stronger is better, right? In some applications though, we believe that 6061 might be a better choice. The reason is that 6061 has higher corrosion resistance, and more importantly resistance to something called “stress corrosion cracking”. The spokes exert concentrated and variable forces at the holes in the hub flanges, and high strength is a less important factor than ductility and corrosion resistance. Another advantage is that the softer alloy will deform more readily providing better support for the spoke in the flange. If you live and ride in a particularly corrosive area, anodized 6061 hubshells would likely last the longest. As far as we know, only White Industries and Alchemy use this alloy. Chris King won’t divulge the series of alloy they use for their hubshells stating only that it is proprietary.
Full artictle:
http://fairwheelbikes.com/c/forums/t...ad-hub-review/
Corrosion resistance? I live on an island surrounded by sea water. I've never had to deal with this problem.
The key phase I see is DEFORMATION. If the holes in the flange are drilled properly there should already be a perfect seat for the spoke. Why do I want my holes to deform any more than they already do with 7000series alloys?
The real issue with regards to deformation is when the flanges pull on the bearing bore and push it beyond tolerance. This means lateral play in the bearings once tension has been reached.
I have built several wheels using a popular brand of hubs and had this issue develop in the truing stand and about 100 kgf. Why? Cheaper alloys. Even if play doesn't develop bearing life will be greatly reduced.