f4rrest

So, what should I do with my poor Easton EA 90 SLX wheels? They're on my beater/backup bike (2008 Allez), so I don't want to spend a bunch to fix. But I also ride it in remote areas, so I don't want it failing on me either.

Bought new in 2012, rims are still excellent and true, but the hub ratchet ring is toast. They now skip when I stand to sprint or start quick off a light, but I like how they ride. Pawls and spring replaced with a slight improvement. New chain and cassette, too, so I'm convinced it's the ratchet ring. Plus, I can see the teeth are visibly rounded.

I'd like to find a replacement hub and rebuild. Maybe take the opportunity to learn to do it on my own.

The original R4 hub is not available online, and Easton refers non-warranty customers to local LBS authorized dealers -- I'm guessing a rebuild would be close to $300 with parts, which is about what the bike is worth, so not my priority option.

Would it be worthwhile to attempt a rebuild with another hub? I see new 105 hubs for $50, but the Eastons are straight-pull 24 spoke, so this would require new spokes, and I'd have trouble picking lengths. I could probably justify a "nicer" hub that would closer match the original (straight pull) and last longer. What should I consider?

davidad

https://www.bikenashbar.com/ProductD...&storeId=10053

fietsbob

drive train Shimano?Shimano Hub , Sram ? maybe still a Shimano hub.

you can find shimano freehub parts ..

will you feel shame in your clique for using an ordinary 32 spoke wheelset.?

AnkleWork

Shoppin' ain't easy!

gsa103

For $200 there are many many better options.

cpach

There's no harm in asking a local shop to see if they can order you a new hub. Even if they aren't in warranty I'd guess that Easton will probably sell the hub discounted to the shop in your situation. I'd bet that this is your most cost effective option if you can do your own building.

Note that Easton specs really high ds tensions (160kgf on most models), which is accomplished by tensioning the DS first then bringing the wheel into dish turning only nds nipples.

Kimmo

My criteria for a good wheelset is, in order of importance, a Shimano-style rear hub (steel or ti splines, cassette body as stressed member rather than floating outside DS axle bearing), butted or bladed spokes for elasticity, preferably straight pull.

Off the top of my head, I can't remember if Shimano does a 24h straight pull rear, maybe for MTB. If so, I'd be tempted to make one 130 and see if I could reuse the spokes.

f4rrest

Thanks for the recommendation, but
I'd like to try to salvage my wheels, because they're light and I like how they ride.

I have a set of Fulcrum 5 as backup.

f4rrest

Shimano chain, SRAM cassette, both new.

I have the original 32 spoke wheels as well, which I use for dirt roads. They are heavy and surprisingly less robust.

f4rrest

I will ask next time I go in.

The high tension probably makes this less than ideal as my first build attempt.

f4rrest

So, there's a thought. I have c24 dura ace on my nice bike, which are straight pull. Some day the rims will wear out...

Kimmo

20h, like every straight pull Shimano road rear wheel except their 2:1 jobs, which are 21h.

Trevtassie

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hub-spar...1-hub/?geoc=AU

Now there was a universal ring removal tool I saw on Ebay, but can't for the life of me remember what it was called! Anyway, you can heat the hub with a heat gun to loosen the loctite holding the ring in and remove the old one. Red loctite the new one in.

f4rrest

Wow.

I bow to your Google skills. I looked and looked and couldn't find one. Thanks!

Can you tell if those are threads on the outside?

Trevtassie

Yeah, it's threaded. Loctited into the hub, the heat gun is the go. I wish I could I could recall what I searched for on ebay in terms of the removal tool. It had two projections with the teeth profile, with a spreader in the middle. Tighten the spreader, then there was a set of flats to put the tool in a vice and unscrew the ring.

Trevtassie

Here you go, no guarantee as to quality! https://www.ebay.com/itm/24-30-36-Te...-/272089792438

f4rrest

Thanks!

It seems the part at sjs is out if stock until November, but I'm not in a rush.

Kimmo

Wow, nice one.

Trevtassie

https://activesport.co/Easton-R4/M1-Hub-Rear-Drive-Ring

Might be worthwhile asking Niagara Cycles if they can get one in, part number is 8004577

cpach

I would recommend learning to build on another wheel, but if your do decide to rebuild the Easton, you basically lace the wheel with the nds spokes completely slack, bring the DS to basic working tension as evenly as possible, true for radial only using the DS spokes, balance spoke tension between paired spokes, re true for radial, etc until the wheel is radially true within about 1mm and spoke tension is even, with perhaps some minor outliers, especially around the seam. Bring DS tension to about 100kgf in increments, double checking radial and evenness. Then bring nds spokes to basic working tension as evenly as possible and true for lateral using only the nds spokes. Balance paired spokes on the nds and retrue for lateral. Once the wheel is laterally true and the nds spokes are fairly even, start bringing the wheel into dish my tightening the nds spokes, rechecking lateral true and evenness a you go. When the wheel is in dish DS tension should be around 160kgf, and you should have a fraction of a millimeter tolerance laterally, 1mm tolerance radially and in dish, with even tension on both sides.

This is how I build most dished wheels anyways, but the very high ds tension makes it hard to make any corrections on the DS after the nds is tensioned.

f4rrest

Thanks so much for sharing your technique. If you were nearby, I'd probably become a customer.

f4rrest

This is unfortunate.

I wonder if it was a common part? There are other 36T drive rings that look similar.

davidad

If so, why not show them. You would have trouble buying the components for that price.

f4rrest

Easton replied to me quickly.

I'll still check a couple LBS, just in case, but I think my options to keep using the wheels are to either find a similar R4 hub on eBay or replace the hub with something like Bitex.

I wonder if the Bitex BX301R would handle the high tension?

gsa103

Sure.
Shimano RS010 Road Wheelset | Chain Reaction Cycles
Campagnolo Khamsin Asymmetric Road Wheelset 2018 | Chain Reaction Cycles

There's nothing special about Open Sport rims. The 105 hubs are nice, but I'd rather have a lighter wheelset. With more modern features.

Honestly, the best deals in <$200 wheelsets are "new" take-offs from a stock bike.