# Deore M525 replacement



## zmogedra (Jun 1, 2010)

Hi everyone. So my rear hub got tired and needs a replacement. Could you suggest something similar that would fit and wouldn't very expensive (not over 80$). Maybe something with sealed bearings. It would be best that it would ship free to UK or whole Europe:]


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

What exactly 'got tired' on your M525?

I don't think you are going to find a better hub than a Shimano with (or without) sealed bearings for $80 or less. Anything that will be a noticeable upgrade will cost about twice that much or more. If you want to upgrade, the next true step from the Shimano will be a Hope Pro II hub and it will cost you $163.33 from Chain Reaction in the UK.

The flange sizes are not too much different on the Hope Pro II, so it would be worth checking the numbers to see if it would lace back into your existing rim using your existing spokes. No guarantees from me on that.

The M525 is infamous for having issues with freehubs not being real strong and many Shimano hubs have the jam nuts of the bearing cones come loose on the drive side just inside the freehub body. If you catch that in time, it's easy to re-adjust with a 15mm and a 17mm cone wrench.

If you get a Shimano XT M756 rear hub, it should be able to be laced into your existing wheel using the same spokes (but I would use new nipples). These have a stronger freehub body, but it's a good idea to double check the jam nut on the drive side right off the bat so it doesn't come loose later down the road.

JMHO.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

i think i might take a slx or xt hub over a pro2. you could almost buy 4 slx hubs for the price of a pro2. 

shimano isnt very flashy, but their new 32 point freehub is pretty nice.. and a 5 dollar upgrade to XTR/DA grade bearings really makes a shimano hub spin nicely. 

if shimano ditched the silly centerlock, i bet people would be all over the new shimano lineup. its light, cheap, high engagement, and strong.


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

One Pivot said:


> i think i might take a slx or xt hub over a pro2. you could almost buy 4 slx hubs for the price of a pro2.
> 
> shimano isnt very flashy, but their new 32 point freehub is pretty nice.. and a 5 dollar upgrade to XTR/DA grade bearings really makes a shimano hub spin nicely.
> 
> if shimano ditched the silly centerlock, i bet people would be all over the new shimano lineup. its light, cheap, high engagement, and strong.


Yeah, I thought I'd try one too and laced SLX hubs (M665 and M668) into Flow rims for my new 29er last fall. I babied it until about January, then started pouring the coal to it. It lasted until April and I grenaded the freehub. I was not impressed. Same part number freehub body as the M629 hub too.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

1) I actually find centerlock pretty nice.
b) you can put a new XT freehub on if you're having problems with gear engagement. 

I think the problem we're all having is we don't actually understand what the issue you're having with your hub is. For what it's worth, I would never spend money on a cup/cone Shimano hub if I needed to rebuild a wheel. There are simply too many options that will last longer than to use Shimano's archaic and short life expectancy technology.


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## zmogedra (Jun 1, 2010)

Problem is real. My one hub cone had a little crack, the bearings were smashed and cup had some small holes. Other side had the same problem but only less worse. My friend who works at bike shot savaged from old broken tire bearings, cones. And told me that I should by the end of the year change my hub. 
P.S. So what would you buy for under 80bucks, because I got a bit confused:]


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

jeffj said:


> Yeah, I thought I'd try one too and laced SLX hubs (M665 and M668) into Flow rims for my new 29er last fall. I babied it until about January, then started pouring the coal to it. It lasted until April and I grenaded the freehub. I was not impressed. Same part number freehub body as the M629 hub too.


thats the first slx failure ive heard of. thats too bad, i had much higher hopes for them. 

i have a brand new 665 freehub if you're interested (but im guessing thats covered under warranty?)


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

One Pivot said:


> thats the first slx failure ive heard of. thats too bad, i had much higher hopes for them.
> 
> i have a brand new 665 freehub if you're interested (but im guessing thats covered under warranty?)


Check :thumbsup:

But it's always in the back of my mind. I rode the replacement freehub for a couple months, but now I'm trying a DT-Swiss 240s hub to see if I can blow that up. I'm pretty smooth and don't abuse my gear other than being large and finally getting strong enough to pedal my heavy self up the short steeps. It seems to be those relatively short, but brutally steep climbs that kill off freehubs for me. From April 2009 to April 2010, I killed off the freehubs on an XT M756 (mine), an M525 (on a demo bike I had for a few weeks) and then the M665 (mine also).



zmogedra said:


> Problem is real. My one hub cone had a little crack, the bearings were smashed and cup had some small holes. Other side had the same problem but only less worse. My friend who works at bike shot savaged from old broken tire bearings, cones. And told me that I should by the end of the year change my hub.
> P.S. So what would you buy for under 80bucks, because I got a bit confused:]


I'm curious as to what type of riding you are doing and how much moisture your hubs are being subjected to?

You need to get the right tool for the job.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Buy a wheel, not a hub; unless your bike shop friend is willing to throw in the wheelbuilding labor for free.


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## zmogedra (Jun 1, 2010)

He told me that he could lend me his tools and show me how it's done. I ride XC bike. Now I'm trying a bit of light DH with it, because in my country most people say, that you don't need a DH bike, you can ride all the tracks with XC:]


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