# Am I wasting my money with a Shimano m8000 hub?



## Jsmith1 (Oct 23, 2010)

I have the opportunity to build up ss with a frame I have and also have a geared bike. I was looking at getting a wheel built up with a Shimano xt hub. Am I just wasting money on that hub or should I save more for a different hub. If it matters I am a 260lb clyde.


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## JeffL (Jan 25, 2009)

Nothing wrong with an XT hub. I've built several wheels with them. Just make sure to pack the bearings and get the bearing tension right. They are higher maintenance than a sealed bearing hub.


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## Jsmith1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Glad to hear you had good luck with them. Maintenance would be fine. I enjoy working on my bike.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Well, not sure on the M8000, but I know on previous generations the freehubs had a tendency to explode under heavier riders, so not sure I'd try them being you are so heavy, I'd save for something better and trusted, especially for an SS setup where you'll be putting some serious stress on the freehub. I'd look for a dedicated SS hub if you really want a strong build and if by chance you want gears down the road, you can normally fit 5-7 gears on the shorter freehub.


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## DIS40 (May 30, 2015)

I believe the cracking free hub problem has been rectified some time ago.

General you will find about 50/50 of opinions for cup and cone verses cartage bearings.

But it seems to come down to that if your not able or can not be bothered with maintenance then go cartridge bearing but if your happy to do regular servicing then shimano can be very good hubs at a very reasonable price compared to similar alternatives.

I personally use m8000 hubs on my SS without issue. But before winter and after winter I do a full strip, clean and re-grease. In addition over the winter months (I live in a wet England!)every 6 weeks or so I may do a quick check of non drive side bearings (only takes five min) to make sure no water has got in. Not so bothered about drive side as bearings sit in free hub with is replaceable but non drive side cup is not and therefore if this gets pitted then new hub time.

For the little bit extra work I get a hub that is 1/3 of the price of something similar and spins a bit nicer. (unless you have a very very nice cartridge bearing hub which would a lot more expensive)

The free hub can need replacing bit more often (not very serviceable) than a alternative hub such as hope but does not work out much more than a full bearing replacement for a hub such as the hope.

Some people may say you get a stronger wheel build with specific SS hub which is true but I have never had or seen many problems with normal hubs and really do not think it is that relevant. Good rim choice for your style of riding and a good build are far more important.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Hope or DT Swiss 350 will be much stronger. I killed a Shimano hub two years ago and I'm only 205lbs. If your on a tight budget, check out Bitex. I have 3 hubs, while not perfect they're good quality and affordable.


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## dgaddis1 (Jul 1, 2007)

My advice: spend the money on something good, and only spend the money once.

260lbs SSer is gonna be hell on whatever hub you get, you're heavy and will have a LOT of power. To deal with the weight I'd *highly* recommend doing a 36 spoke build w/a geared hub or a 32H or 36H SS hub. And get a good hub that can take the power you're gonna be throwing down. White Industries or Hadley are both great, 36H options are available and the titanium freehub bodies are stout. King's Ring Drive mechanism is also a great fit for heavy and powerful riders, and they offer both 36H geared hubs as well as 32 or 36H SS hubs.

White, Hadley, or King are all a lot more expensive than an XT hub (especially one you already have). But they'll last. 

DT's Star Ratchet is clyde proof too, but there's no 36H options, and only the 240S hub is available in a SS specific. For what the 240S hub cost I'd choose one of the US-made options with way faster engagement any day of the week.

If you do a 32H build w/a geared hub use an asymmetric rim. The higher tension on the low-tension side of the wheel means the wheel can support more weight and is less likely to go out of true.


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## Jsmith1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Thanks for all the information. I have a friend who has a ss King wheel set he might want to sell. We'll have to see how good of friend he is. More than likely way out of range even used.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

Personally, I would go with DT. You can find them used for reasonably cheap for the quality of the hub. They're easy to service, they're quiet, and they retain value well.

The 540 is a seriously bomber hub that comes in 36H although this seems a bit overkill to me. But 240 or 350 are hard to go wrong with.


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## chuckha62 (Jul 11, 2006)

dgaddis1 said:


> My advice: spend the money on something good, and only spend the money once.


This! I always regret settling and then having to spend the money on what I should have bought, anyway.

To paraphrase an old adage, "I'm too poor to be cheap."


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## Jsmith1 (Oct 23, 2010)

I agree, buying once and getting what I really like is better. It will just take longer to save. I shouldn't rush it. I still have plenty of winter to go.


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## iowamtb (May 17, 2014)

I have a set using these same hubs and they have close to 4000 miles on them. I took them apart right out of the box and cleaned up the factory grease and repacked with Lucas red n tacky which is a waterproof marine wheel bearing grease. I have taken them apart once and inspected and even though I had no issues and grease was still clean and gooey I added a touch more grease. Still going strong. I really like these hubs.


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## MidnightFattie (Jun 13, 2017)

You might also consider the Hope Trials/SS hub. I have one which I've been riding the last year, it has been put through a lot of abuse including sand and saltwater exposure, hard trail riding, and it's no worse for the wear. It also has threaded bolts to secure, in place of a quick release, and a steel freehub body rather than aluminum, for added strength in the SS application. Better yet, they have 84 POE which is a big improvement over the Shimano hub, because ratcheting happens more often when riding SS. Only downside about this hub it that's it's on the heavy side, if that matters to you. They can be had for around $200, which is a nice middle ground between the ~$400 high end stuff and the cheaper hubs.


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## socal_jack (Dec 30, 2008)

dgaddis1 said:


> My advice: spend the money on something good, and only spend the money once.
> 
> 260lbs SSer is gonna be hell on whatever hub you get, you're heavy and will have a LOT of power. To deal with the weight I'd *highly* recommend doing a 36 spoke build w/a geared hub or a 32H or 36H SS hub. And get a good hub that can take the power you're gonna be throwing down. White Industries or Hadley are both great, 36H options are available and the titanium freehub bodies are stout. King's Ring Drive mechanism is also a great fit for heavy and powerful riders, and they offer both 36H geared hubs as well as 32 or 36H SS hubs.
> 
> ...


Have you surveyed the available rim choices in 36h lately? Not much out there and even less much good. I'm a clyde, build my own wheels, really the 32h rims are more than enough if the wheels are built well.


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