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Anyone here have experience with Elitewheels carbon wheels?

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#241 · (Edited)
MataM91 said:
I recently got a set of Gnar SR with EW branded hubs. With both wheels on and off the bike, compared to my "old" Crankbrothers Synthesis Alu wheels with their own brand hubs, it seems like the wheels are not spinning nearly as freely as much. Maybe I'm hallucinating, but it also seems like rolling resistance is poorer as a result. Especially the rear wheel - if I try to turn the wheel by hand holding the 2 but caps, it has a lot of resistance. Seems ok when the wheel picks up rotation, but I'm wondering if this is normal. Do you think something is wrong with the bearings and should try replacing them or is there maybe a period after when they should become smoother? I can't feel any grittiness in them, but compared to Crankbrothers require more force to turn.
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I have had a pair of EW Pro36 for six months (received in late Dec 2023) and have been very pleased with them. When fitting I noticed that the front wheel bearings were slightly rough and the rear was (as you have experienced) tight but smooth. I packed the front bearing with some extra grease because a few owners had found they they did not have much grease and some started to fail in the first 6 months. I have just stripped the hubs and found that the original bearing findings have not changed. I have ordered some new front and rear bearings and will report back on any improvements etc. Ref: #246
 
#242 · (Edited)
kwarwick said:
So for what its worth, there are two different types of DT Swiss ratchets from what I've seen. There is the type that has a flat back side, typically used in 350s and then there is another type with the back side hollowed out which is used in 240 EXT hubs... the 240 EXT hubs also use a different type of spring that is meant to sit down inside that hollowed out back. Seems like a lot of the current Chinese hubs are going with that style, so I think if you were to try to mix the flat back ratchets with the springs meant for hollow back ratchets you're going to have a problem due to the different lengths of those springs.

I've got a Gnar Trail SR wheelset coming soon, and a few DT Swiss ratchets to play with so hopefully I can do some experimenting to see what combinations work.
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The classic style DT Swiss 350 ratchets should work and as you point out, there are two styles of ratchets, one of which is "hollow" and the other has a shoulder, the latter being the a direct copy of the Classic DT Swiss design. Where the design is hollow, the spring/s are longer and parallel and sit inside the ratchet, whereas the shoulder type has conical springs to prevent binding. The EW ratchets are "hollow" units. The EW Pro hub utilises a nylon washer/spacer sitting against the DS bearing and the inside ratchet plus a spring on the outer ratchet held by a sliding collar on the spacer. Mine did not have a rubber O ring and functions fine. Photographed at over 1000miles.
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#243 ·
lesoudeur said:
The classic style DT Swiss 350 ratchets "should" work but the confusion seems to be that people end up buying the EXP version that has a screw-in pawl/spline ring. The EW pawls are identical units but I could not find any reference online to the part numbers. The EW Pro hub does not use two (non-parallel) springs either side of the pawls but relies on a PTFE washer/spacer sitting against the DS bearing and the inside pawl plus a parallel spring on the spline side held by a collar. Mine did not have a rubber O ring and functions fine.
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Looks clean for 6 month of riding... of course that depends on how much distance you've ridden in 6 months.

The most important concern would be how the faces of the ratchets look... any chipped/rounded edges?
 
#244 ·
kwarwick said:
Looks clean for 6 month of riding... of course that depends on how much distance you've ridden in 6 months.

The most important concern would be how the faces of the ratchets look... any chipped/rounded edges?
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Probably around 1500 miles. I photographed it after getting most of the old grease off. Minimal signs of any wear on the interlocking teeth but then again I cleaned and regreased it 3 months ago when I was installing a plastic washer at the back of the Shimano cassette whilst looking for a reason why a creak had developed. It was the rear axle that needed more torque. I also put a pair of Maxis Forecaster 2.4WT TR EXO on whilst I had the wheels off. Fitted without the need of any tools.
 
#245 ·
Bought these ratchets from AliExpress for my Elitewheels with ratchets, been running them for 150 miles so far and been solid. Did not use the spring that came with the kit. You do use the spring, plunger and spacer that came with the wheels. Made sure to use Slick Honey on the actual teeth and regular DT Swiss everywhere else. They are loud but cannot risk filling the teeth with grease.


Dice roll for $20 but keep the original 36t ratchets in my kit just in-case for the 5 min swap out.
 
#246 · (Edited)
Breakdown of EW Pro Front Hub 110 x 15mm (Wheelset Pro36 Dec 2023)
Findings: NDS bearing had some very slight roughness from new but did not get any worse after 6 months. The wheel was still spinning freely with no play and the bearing would probably have lasted for ages.
No problems with drifting the bearings out of the hub (using the axle and soft head hammer) and sliding the bearings off the axle.
Bearings are no-name 18307 LU/LB. Seem good quality with grooved/stepped outer and inner races and well fitting seals. Differential protection seals (orange LU) and grooves for outer facing.
Although not absolutely needed I replaced both bearings with Enduro LLB ABEC3 and the wheel spins with no discernible roughness.
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Breakdown of EW Pro Rear Hub 148 x 12mm
Findings: Axle rotated smoothly but seemed a little tight.
Removal of ring nut (lockring) using 300mm adjustable spanner, 385mm spanner extension and ring nut lockring tool. Spanner extension gave sufficient leverage to remove without use of vice. Ring nut is Al alloy marked as TOCF12AEN-JLH-002 (looks like an HCDXXX00S1110S) with that side installed up to receive a push-fit lipped seal (looks similar to an HSOXXX00N1031S) for freehub interface. Reverse side of ring nut is recessed to miss DS bearing outer race and tightens down to hub facing.The seal is specific to the EW Pro hub, has a rubberised external coating and does not need to be drifted into position. EW informed me that it is designed this way to make replacement/maintenance easier. Spares are available from EW.
No problems with drifting the bearings out of the hub and sliding the bearings off the axle.
Bearings felt very smooth. Inner DS axle bearing 6902 BL/BL (black/black) TPI China; Outer NDS 6902 DL BT/DL ST (black/orange) TPI Taiwan.
DS bearing fitted first. You can use the ring nut/tool with the markings facing down as a final press fit. The ring nut markings must be facing up on the final fit otherwise the freehub will bind on the seal. Fitted seal by pushing it firmly into position.
NDS bearing fitted with drift and then checked axle rotation for any tightness. It required two light taps from non-drive side to remove tightness.
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I have contacted EW and recommended that they provide a maintenance/spare parts list video/PDF for people that have this hub.
DT Swiss manual is worth a read. DT Swiss Ratchet Hub Manual
 
#247 ·
OttaCee said:
Bought these ratchets from AliExpress for my Elitewheels with ratchets, been running them for 150 miles so far and been solid. Did not use the spring that came with the kit. You do use the spring, plunger and spacer that came with the wheels. Made sure to use Slick Honey on the actual teeth and regular DT Swiss everywhere else. They are loud but cannot risk filling the teeth with grease.
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Just curious, why not DT Swiss special grease everywhere?

My Gnar Trail SR wheelset arrived last week with 60T ratchet already pre-installed by EW. Only had one ride on them, but so far engagement felt very solid.

I'm skeptical that the 60T ratchets will be durable, so will be on high alert for any indications of slipage. Considering ordering another set of ratchets just to have in reserve, since they are relatively cheap on Aliexpress.
 
#248 · (Edited)
OttaCee said:
Bought these ratchets from AliExpress for my Elitewheels with ratchets, been running them for 150 miles so far and been solid. Did not use the spring that came with the kit. You do use the spring, plunger and spacer that came with the wheels. Made sure to use Slick Honey on the actual teeth and regular DT Swiss everywhere else. They are loud but cannot risk filling the teeth with grease.


Dice roll for $20 but keep the original 36t ratchets in my kit just in-case for the 5 min swap out.
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I have also recently installed the Fovno brand 60T DR-106 ratchets. It came in a metal box with two springs and a red alloy collar (neither of which I needed/used). I fitted the ratchets with the existing EW Pro collar, spacer, spring, nylon washer, some Shimano freehub grease and it is working fine and have covered around 100miles. Instructions in Chinese for a two spring arrangement were on the bottom section of the box. What I was interested in was the ninth instruction which I managed to get translated to "9: 500Km regular teeth cleaning, adding new special grease." It seems a bit of pot luck if you receive any grease etc but it is interesting that it recommends cleaning and relubricating every 500Km.

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#249 ·
lesoudeur said:
I have also recently installed the Fovno brand 60T DR-106 ratchets. It came in a metal box with two springs and a red alloy collar (neither of which I used). I fitted the ratchets with some Shimano freehub grease and it is working fine and have covered around 100miles. Instructions in Chinese were on the bottom section of the box. What I was interested in was the ninth instruction which I managed to get translated to "9: 500Km regular teeth cleaning, adding new special grease." It seems a bit of pot luck if you receive any grease etc but it is interesting that it recommends cleaning and relubricating every 500Km.

View attachment 2105530 View attachment 2105531
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Interesting that it shows to use two springs. The stock elite wheel only use one spring. I have used this Fovno brand 60T with one spring and it failed after around 150 miles. Now, I use the other brand 60T (the black one like post #242) with two spring. so far so good for few hundred miles now. Not sure if the two spring make difference or the ratchet itself.
 
#250 ·
hhjj134 said:
Interesting that it shows to use two springs. The stock elite wheel only use one spring. I have used this Fovno brand 60T with one spring and it failed after around 150 miles. Now, I use the other brand 60T (the black one like post #242) with two spring. so far so good for few hundred miles now. Not sure if the two spring make difference or the ratchet itself.
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Initially I didn't understand why EW used only a single spring, but having seen lesoudeur's breakdown on the rear hub, and specifically that it uses an alloy ring nut I would have concerns about wear on that ring nut if two springs are used since the inboard ratchet will be moving when it wasn't intended to do so with their design.

It would be interesting to compare the length and strength of the single spring EW uses vs the dual springs used in others to understand if that's why your Fovno brand failed with just one spring. Did you use the spring supplied with the Fovno ratchets, or the EW one?
 
#251 ·
kwarwick said:
Initially I didn't understand why EW used only a single spring, but having seen lesoudeur's breakdown on the rear hub, and specifically that it uses an alloy ring nut I would have concerns about wear on that ring nut if two springs are used since the inboard ratchet will be moving when it wasn't intended to do so with their design.

It would be interesting to compare the length and strength of the single spring EW uses vs the dual springs used in others to understand if that's why your Fovno brand failed with just one spring. Did you use the spring supplied with the Fovno ratchets, or the EW one?
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I used the EW one on the failed ratchet.
Now, using EW spring + spring from the black ratchet which looks like same spring from Fovno.

I don't think wear on the side slot of inboard ratchet is a concern. There is no load on it when it is moving(hence the little spring can move it). If the ratchet wear out just from sliding, the teeth would have wear out much more faster.
 
#252 ·
hhjj134 said:
I used the EW one on the failed ratchet.
Now, using EW spring + spring from the black ratchet which looks like same spring from Fovno.

I don't think wear on the side slot of inboard ratchet is a concern. There is no load on it when it is moving(hence the little spring can move it). If the ratchet wear out just from sliding, the teeth would have wear out much more faster.
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Actually my concern is the steel ratchet wearing the alloy ring nut... steel sliding against aluminum can't help but cause wear over time. If durability of an alloy ring nut was not a concern you can be pretty sure DT Swiss have done this already to squeeze a few grams out of the weight of their hubs.
 
#253 · (Edited)
kwarwick said:
Actually my concern is the steel ratchet wearing the alloy ring nut... steel sliding against aluminum can't help but cause wear over time. If durability of an alloy ring nut was not a concern you can be pretty sure DT Swiss have done this already to squeeze a few grams out of the weight of their hubs.
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The inside (NDS) ratchet with the EW design does not move (it emulates (but does not copy) the single spring design principle of the DT Swiss 240 EXP) and is held in place by being inside the ring nut at all times. To summarise, the inside ratchet is static within the ring nut with the outside ratchet moving in and out under spring pressure to engage with it and on freewheel, to disengage with it. One Up have just produced a new hub that also follows this principle but have taken it one step further by actually machining the Al alloy (7075 T6) hub to act as the ring nut. DT Swiss have used an AL alloy ring nut (HCDXXX00S1110S, HBDT843) for some time in their "two spring design" hubs.
 
#254 ·
lesoudeur said:
The inside (NDS) ratchet with the EW design does not move (it emulates (but does not copy) the single spring design principle of the DT Swiss 240 EXP) and is held in place by being inside the ring nut at all times. To summarise, the inside ratchet is static within the ring nut with the outside ratchet moving in and out under spring pressure to engage with it and on freewheel, to disengage with it.
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Yes, I understood the EW design. What I was commenting on was replacing the EW ratchets with ratchets that uses the more standard design with 2 springs, which apparently hhjj134 is doing. Do you know which DT Swiss hubs use an alloy ring nut? I thought they all used steel for this part.
 
#255 ·
lesoudeur said:
One Up have just produced a new hub that also follows this principle but have taken it one step further by actually machining the Al alloy (7075 T6) hub to act as the ring nut.
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Yeah, One Up's design is rather interesting... the one downside I see is it complicates servicing the drive side bearing as it has to be done from the non drive side. This means pulling out the non-drive bearing first before you can access it. And then when pressing in the new drive-side bearing you have to essentially press it twice... once to go through the non drive side bearing bore and then again into the bore for the drive side. All this has to be done carefully using special tools to keep the bearing aligned properly during this process. If the bearings they used end up being durable, then not such a big deal but there are some concerns about them using Enduro bearings so we shall see.
 
#256 · (Edited)
kwarwick said:
Yes, I understood the EW design. What I was commenting on was replacing the EW ratchets with ratchets that uses the more standard design with 2 springs, which apparently hhjj134 is doing. Do you know which DT Swiss hubs use an alloy ring nut? I thought they all used steel for this part.
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Apologies, I was repeating what you knew. In relation to the two spring design, I have seen that some people have adopted it for the EW Pro hub when getting replacement/upgrade ratchets (both hollow/parallel springs and with a collar/conical springs) without problems. I do not know which DT Swiss hubs use the Al alloy ring nut because DT Swiss do not include that level of information in their tech manuals but do currently list both steel and Al alloy as spares for both the 28mm dia and 26mm dia axle bearings. Some sellers do state that the AL alloy version is used for the road 240s hub and others just mention the 240 and some list it as "DT Swiss External Screw Thread Ring Nut for V2 180/240/350 Ratchet Hubs - Aluminium - M34 x 1mm". Hmm. I would surmise that the lighter ring nut would have been used in the lighter (pre EXP 240, 180) hubs but now available both as a replacement part and a retrofit on the heavier 350 models. I think that when the ratchet patent ran out Chinese companies either just copied it exactly as the DT Swiss system, some thought to improve the design with hollow ratchets/longer springs and some removed the need for two springs (after looking at the "improved" EXP design?). I have even seen the size of the ratchet perimeter teeth made larger to fit some Chinese hubs. I like the hybrid ratchet design of the EW Pro hub and have had no problems at all either with the standard 36t and now with the Fovno 60t ratchets.
 
#257 · (Edited)
I've had my EW Gnar Trail SR wheelset (with factory supplied 60t ratchets) for about a month and put a little over 200kms on them so far. Yesterday I experienced what may have been slippage half way into my ride... hard to tell if it was the freehub or maybe some debris got into the chain/cassette briefly. Whatever was going on seemed to resolve by itself, which is not exactly reassuring, so I decided an inspection of the rear hub was in order.

Grease in the freehub was black, but not gritty. After disassembling the ratchet "cartridge" and giving the ratchets a good cleaning this is what they look like:

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Do this seem like a fair amount of wear for only 200kms? I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on things going forward and I'm already considering purchasing some extra ratchets for backup purposes.
 
#258 · (Edited)
kwarwick said:
I've had my EW Gnar Trail SR wheelset (with factory supplied 60t ratchets) for about a month and put a little over 200kms on them so far. Yesterday I experienced what may have been slippage half way into my ride... hard to tell if it was the freehub or maybe some debris got into the chain/cassette briefly. Whatever was going on seemed to resolve by itself, which is not exactly reassuring, so I decided an inspection of the rear hub was in order.
Grease in the freehub was black, but not gritty. After disassembling the ratchet "cartridge" and giving the ratchets a good cleaning this is what they look like:
Do this seem like a fair amount of wear for only 200kms? I'll definitely will be keeping a close eye on things going forward and I'm already considering purchasing some extra ratchets for backup purposes.
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These are photos of my 60t Fovno ratchets for comparison when new and after the first 200 miles. I am using Shimano freehub grease. After regreasing I will run them for a further 300 miles and then service them again.
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#259 ·
lesoudeur said:
These are photos of my 60t Fobno ratchets when new for comparison if it helps. I have only done a little over 100kms on them to-date but if I can get out this next week and add another 100kms I will take them out and photograph them for comparison. I want to do that anyway because I used Shimano freehub grease so interested in how it all is holding up.
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Its difficult to compare due to the different finishes, but those look to be in better shape than mine. I always felt that gold titanium finish is mostly for looks and would quickly wear off, just like with drill bits with that finish, but surprisingly its almost completely intact.
 
#260 ·
kwarwick said:
Its difficult to compare due to the different finishes, but those look to be in better shape than mine. I always felt that gold titanium finish is mostly for looks and would quickly wear off, just like with drill bits with that finish, but surprisingly its almost completely intact.
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The photos were taken before the ratchets were installed so should look intact. i hope that they look as good when I take them out at the end of next week for inspection and relubrication.
 
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