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How consistent are rotor mounts between hub manufacturers?

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
I want to build a second set of wheels - my current set has a Hadley rear hub which I know is both expensive and not particularly easy to get hold of in the UK.

If I get something completely different (prob a Hope Pro 2) and mount a 2nd rotor on it, will things line up perfectly when I swap my wheels over, or do rotor mount positions on hubs vary a bit?
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
It sometimes works, sometime doesn't, even with the same friggin' hubs. There is just not that much room for error, and even the slightest variance will leave you with rubbing pads.
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
Yeah I was thinking about shimming the rotor, I'd be reluctant to since obviously it puts more strain on the bolts, but I guess if it's only fractional it'd be ok.

Are the differences typically <0.5mm (enough to make it rub, but little enough that the brakes should re-centre and/or I can shim the rotor) or are we talking 1mm+?
 

Sir_Crackien

Turbo Monkey
Feb 7, 2004
2,051
0
alex. va. usa.
from my experience its pretty damn close, but like the others have said even a minute difference will make the brake rub. i personal have had very good luck and rarely have to move the brake.
 

big-ted

Danced with A, attacked by C, fired by D.
Sep 27, 2005
1,400
47
Vancouver, BC
Seb, as you know I used to regularly switch between a pro 2 and a bulb on the back of my bike without needing t re-shim the rear brake. I just transferred the pro 2 to my other bike, replacing a Shimano hub, and the Bulb is now on my downhill bike, to which I just fitted a back-up wheel consisting of some no-name basic rear hub. At no point in all this swapping did I ever have to re-shim a brake.

Maybe I got lucky, but experience tells me my luck isn't that good! ;)
 

frorider

Monkey
Jul 21, 2004
971
20
cali
i switch front wheels on my bikes all the time. i just use the shim kits (got mine at universalcycles.com) to make all my wheels directly swappable. works perfectly. the difference between hubs is very small in my experience (so only a thin shim is necessary) but can create rubbing if you don't shim or respace the caliper.
 

MattP.

Monkey
Jun 27, 2005
197
0
Shim the rotor. The rotor shims are nearly paper thin, fractions of a mm, so I would worry about it putting additional stress on the bolts.
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
Cool, cheers guys.

Anyone know how many engagements a pro2 has? My hadley is 48 I think, I'll be reluctant to go to anything much less - I rode a hire bike in Whistler one day which had an XT hub on it IIRC, 18-engagement or something - I fell over the first time I tried to pedal out of a tight switchback, lol :D
 

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
Cool, cheers guys.

Anyone know how many engagements a pro2 has? My hadley is 48 I think, I'll be reluctant to go to anything much less - I rode a hire bike in Whistler one day which had an XT hub on it IIRC, 18-engagement or something - I fell over the first time I tried to pedal out of a tight switchback, lol :D
haha you can't be serious... engagement points are pretty much a wank for everyone except trials riders. I'd seriously challenge anyone to notice in a blind test on a DH run.
 

worship_mud

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2006
1,464
2
another question:

did anyone experience any difficulties with the freehub-side on the rear wheel, i.e. re-adjusting the gears when switching wheels?
 

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
Certainly once you're moving you wouldnt notice much difference, but from a start or in a really tight corner it's very noticable imho.