The original dt swiss upgrade kit weighs 14g with springs. I always use the special grease for freehubs as a thicker grease may cause the freehub to slip.
Great video, I just swapped mine from 18 teeth to 60 teeth and what an incredible difference in the engagement, I’m a technical mountain biker and this makes a HUGE difference. I found with the 18 teeth I would potentially crash or wipe out in certain terrain and conditions because the cranks had to much of a delay that the 60 teeth have completely removed this problem. I will be sticking to the 60 teeth for good.
Many people have been asking about the reliability of the 60T. Did you buy the ZTTO or the dt swiss? I'd be curious to hear your results on the long term of either!
@@WeRideSouth I bought the “ found “ brand that are gold in colour and dipped in titanium. They look like excellent quality and will let you know how they fair in time,, I will keep in touch!
The degree of engagement at the crank is dependant of the ratio : number of teeth of the cog the chain is on / number of teeth of the chainring the chain is on. So what you measured is the least amount of engagement at the crank. When you are on the larger cog, the ratio is usually larger than 1, so you have more than 6.666 degree at the crank. For a mountain bike, it is even more important. For my bike, when I use the 51T 1st cog with a 32T chainring : With a 18T ratchet = 51 x 360 / 32 x 18 = 32 degree at the crank With a 54T ratchet = 51 x 360 / 32 x 54 = 10.624 degree. Huge difference.
this did not worked well for me. At first it felt great, but on first serious climb it started skipping, and could not go uphill. Replaced it with original DT Swill 36T, and had no problems at all for the last two years.
Just installed and it feels great! Love the instant engagement. Even got some PRs on some local DH as it helps coming out of corners. But…did slip a couple times, up and down. Do I need more grease? I didn’t put too much.
The ratchet system is made of steel. But from everything I have seen and experience with, the ratchet system is one of the most durable systems. Hope this helps!!!
My experience with Chinese 54T ratchet: It failed after couple of months. Pieces of broken teeth where stucked between the ratchets so it could not engage. I had to stop, open it, wipe the pieces out and it worked again - easy quick fix. Then it worked on remaining teeth for 2 years without any problem. Then again, similar thing happened. After the wipe, I had no problem to finish my ride, but the teeth look really worn out, so I do not have confidence to ride it much longer. I will put back original 18T, to see If I can live with that. If not, I will probably buy 54T from DT Swiss . Chinese cost one third of original DT, so actually it is not super cheap anyway.
My eBay purchased 54T generic brand lasted 4 rides. Several teeth became worn or chipped. I returned (they were great with return process… just need photos) and now installed the DT Swiss brand.
That's terrible news! I am glad you were able to get a refund. Here's a photo of the ZTTO after 950 miles, they are still going strong: instagram.com/p/CMFbHbfnHMu/
This is true lol. It's not a huge savings, but a savings none-the-less. The ability to reduce the point of engagement is the major upside of this, I'd say the minor weight savings is just an added bonus.
@@Abdullah-ou7bp i just peed 6g of urine while laughing at the ingredients of an overpriced energy bar. There was a famous rally team who worked out the cheapest way to save 25kg from the vehicle was to bribe the copilot £25,000 to quit drinking beer.
I've ridden the 54t ztto over 10,000km.... They recently started to chip and no longer engages when I pedal forward, just skips. I had to change back to the original 18t ratchet. Very disappointed.
Sucks to hear that. I'll be sure to keep an eye on mine as I'm only about 2500km and they have shown no sign of chipping or slipping yet, but time will tell!
$33.40 divide by 10000km. That's a good effective price per km ratio. Also remember to regrease it after every 1000km. May even last another 1000km to make it 11000km total. After that probably buy another set as standby and slot it in your trousers as they are so light you hardly will feel it once you have cycled close to 9950km or 10950km depending how well you regrease it so you can replace them on the fly. Otherwise get the 'ol 6 pawls.
My og DT 54t upgrade was about 40grams with the spring iirc ... (I chipped one tooth and they started rounding) Back to the titanium coated Chinese 60t
@@WeRideSouth after an exchange with official fovno (laborious but we figured it out) apparently they are imitations of the hollow 60t Fovno upgrade I have on my most used bike... China is not what it used to be 😂
What a great video, I’ve been using ZTTO 54t in my hub for a few years, love it. I just took the hub apparat today and still looks new. Do you reckon having more teeth slows the wheel down? Having to drag over more surface and probably elevation too, than on the 18t, What front chain ring/cassette combo are you using on your bike? Is that a 42 rear, 42 front?
I just ordered a set of ztto 54 t ratchets from aliexpress for my dt swiss 370 dt swiss that came on my new strive cfr with a 18 t ratchet , did yours last ? I will use them for freeride and enduro
Help please! I've purchased ZTTO Ratched 54T with springs but it doesn't fit. The ratchet fits the hub too tight and spring doesn't work. The ratchet stays inside and cannot come out by the spring force. What did I wrong?
Another person commented that they had to file down some teeth. Mine was a direct drop in and if it doesn't fit I would return it for a full refund or another set.
using grease instead of oil helps to reduce the sound. Great review I had no idea this product even existed even though I've had the DT Swiss 54T for over a year but good to know.
I'm guessing that DT Swiss hubs are made in the same factory in China as those ZTTO ones. ZTTO might be an off-shoot brand of that factory in China. They probably thought thought "Hey, we got the designs from DT Swiss to make hubs, why don't we use that and make our own hub, of course with some minor modifications". If you don't know already ZTTO ratchet system goes up to 60T so that maybe their minor modification to DT Swiss' design Just wanted to know were you tempted to get the 60T ratchet system from ZTTO since DT Swiss only makes them up to 54T?
You may be right, I have never inspected a ZTTO hub, but I did have them on my mind for an XC MTB build. I thought about the 60T, but I only decided against it because of the price. In my opinion 6 more teeth didn't add enough value for me to justify spending roughly $30 USD more.
The 60T are harder to make and are more brittle, ZTTO explains that in their official store when you buy the 60T model. They state something like "we did the 60T because of customers requests and tried to make them as close as possible in terms of reliability compared to the 54T, but there's still a difference on that regard in favor of the 54T"
On the other hand I've had them for around 2000Km with no issues so far, I'm using their own hub though, but the ratchet is the same as in the video. There's always some issues in terms of durability when it comes to high engagement star ratchets, even DT Swiss you'll find people with chips and dings here and there, maintenance has also a part on it as people sometimes use oil instead of grease to make them noisier and, if not maintained quite more often, that adds more friction to the system than it actually requires.
Your 16t ratchet is the older model. Now all 350 and 240s come with hollow aluminum ratchets. My wheels have both 54t genuine ratchets fitted and also I have an exp wheel hub upgraded from 36 to 54. Always use the red special grease that has a special viscosity and doesn't turn into oil.
I have the 60T also from eBay. I rode it today and it slipped 5x in a 16 miles, 2k’ elevation ride. Not during heavy pedaling. Only during flat sections of the trail. I used the DT Swiss grease and I didn’t apply too much. Now I’m thinking to use slick honey because the DT grease feels thick for 60T.
I rode my bike again with the 60T the following day but this time I removed the red DT Swiss grease, replaced it with Dumonde grease and stretched the springs just a little. Then I took my bike on some Black trails with some technical up hills. The 60T never slipped on hard pressure. Not even on quick ratcheting techniques while climbing. Always on flat sections when there’s very minimal pressure. That day I did 16 miles, 3.1k’ and it slipped 2x on flat sections. I ordered the DT Swiss 54T already because even though the 60T got better, I lost the confidence climbing techy stuff. I feel like its going to give out one of these days. I’m currently carrying the 18T in my pack untik I get the legit DT 54T in. I wonder if a staggered type teeth made by DT would work. For example, have one face of the star ratchet with 30T on top and then 30T in the bottom, staggered. Then same on the other side. Less teeth, same engagement as the 60T I have now. Probably no slippage but maybe wears out faster (I don’t mind replacing it after 2k miles for this engagement). Better yet, 40T top/40T bottom. That will lead to 4.5° POE. That would be nice.
@@tjay_mac Yo, i bought this ZTTO 60T kit too on AliExpress and i have the same problem! It's been slipping and feels like it disengages from time to time. i rode roughly 5km last time and it slipped/disengaged i think every 4 pedal stroke on flat sections. It happens to me when i put quite some pressure on the pedals (heavy pedalling). Did your problem get fixed by using the official DT SWISS 54T ratchet upgrade? Cos i swapped my old DT swiss ratchet on it, NO PROBLEM at all 😟
Am I'm reading this correctly that DT Swiss brand 54T ratchets are made of aluminum? Is this confirmed? I would think aluminum would wear quickly. My 18T is steel.
@@WeRideSouth I've been wanting to upgrade to the 54T as the "play" bugs me. I called DT Swiss in Grand Junction , CO this morning and spoke to a rep. He told me they are made of steel. Planning to pick up some at my local bike shop today. When I do I'll confirm.
@@WeRideSouth I didn't see your request to weigh them until after I installed them. DOAH! They are definitely lighter than the 18T. Probably due to the fact that the 54T are "dished/hollowed" out in the center. A magnet test shows that they ARE made of steel. I'm not much of a weight weenie so it doesn't matter much to me. As a matter of fact, I put the 18T's in my "extra parts baggie" I keep with the bike they are installed on-just in case. My thinking is that yes, maybe the "cheap Chinese" may work just fine if they are of the same quality of DT's. However, it wasn't worth it to me to possibly have them fail and potentially damage my 240s hub.
@@craigcarroll7790 no worries, I'm almost positive DT is lighter another viewer commented that they were in fact 14g. Chinese or DT the engagement upgrade is definitely worth it.
I don't think the DT Swiss 54t is made of AL. I don't even think 7075 AL would hold up to that beating. I believe it's the same steel as the 18t and 36t ratchets, just hollowed out for weight savings. My ZTTO 54t ratchet didn't drop-in. I had to knock down the outer teeth about 1-2 thousand of an inch for it to drop in. Mine runs very quiet, must be the grease I used. Good vid.
I am pretty sure the EXP 54 POI ratchets are made of steel. I got them with my new wheels and Dt Swiss 240 hubs. You need special tools to swap the 36 ratchet for the 54 ratchet.
I’ve been using ztto hubs for the past 3 years with no problems, until I bought the 54t ratchet hubs that is. The original 6pawl hubs have been faultless. Recommended. I built a set of gravel wheels on the dtswiss-like 54t ratchet hub and the ratchet failed in under 500km of riding. My take is that to triple the number of teeth from 18 to 54 and retain the free rotation angle, the engagement face is much shorter, hence why it can slip after some rotation wear. Ztto have promised to send me a replacement ( I’m asking for what I reckon is the more reliable 18t) when I place my new order. Buy one get one free stylee. I have the original dt 350 36t ratchet hubs on my trail bike wheels with no issues although the guts look identical, including materials. Anyone else experienced ratchet failure? Or are 6pawl hubs just more reliable? This is the first hub failure I’ve had since the early Mavic aluminum rubbish 20 years ago, and I ride TOnS.
My first 54T ratchet failed after 5 months, They sent me a replacement, But i asked for a 36T hoping it would last longer, It arrived yesterday, Today I went to test it and it failed again at the first 20km, I had to walk back home because the ratchet just slips with any force at the pedal, The teeths are completely worn out and chipped every where, Very dissapointed
@@MrBubba3494 what did you end up doing? trying another 36T from ZTTO? how did that go? My experience with both 54T and 36T is that there are equal chances of having a set of good ones, or a set of bad ones. I've looked at the ZTTO's compared to the DT's under a magnifier and the back of the teeth is different.
@@jsoeh7558 Ztto sent me another replacement after the 36t failed, This time i asked for 54t as it was the one that lasted longer, It arrived on August 6, 2021, And I have been using it to this day with no issues so far... My advice would be to use DtSwiss Grease, Or mix any light grease with some drops of mineral oíl as I did with mine to make it less sticky, I used regular grease with the pair of 36t ratchets that failed on one day And I noticed that Both of the ratchets were not springing back, But just stuck into place because the grease was too thick and the springs did not have enough force to push them in/out, And most likely the ratchets were only catching by the edges of the teeth instead of the full teeth, which u should clearly see here imgur.com/a/axeNTO1
@@MrBubba3494 thank you for the follow up! we've used transmission fluid only, and i agree, most of the damage we see, is from the teeths not meshing completely and running on the tips
@@WeRideSouthhappy to hear tgat they lasted , i just ordered mine and have seen some comments saying that they are bad , hope that they will last for my enduro bike (strive cfr )
Thank you so much, I never know about how that can be relate to crank movement. I always though it is normal to have those amount of play and it is just manufacture use what level of parts. But now, it is in fact just a ratchet making this a lot different and also power transfer. I will save this video for education purpose for myself and for others who also want to learn about bicycles (I bet a lot of people do not know about it, unless they went to bicycle mechanic school) BY the way, I really like Shimano 105 5700 series, it may be old model but it is super quiet, no sound at all and I like that way when riding, pure enjoying the ride without noises. Which rear hubs are sound-less like it?
There are many different types of systems. I think the most popular is the pawl system. This can get pretty quiet. There are also companies developing instant engagement as well as silent hubs too. Thanks for watching!
I have used mine for thousands of miles with no issues, but others in the comments say they haven't had good luck. I posted a photo of mine after 900 miles on my Instagram a while back. They look as good as new.
Will this work as a replacement in DT350 hubs? I think they have 3 pawl. This upgrade is not available anymore at the link you provided. I can't find the 54T for less than $47.90 now.
DT350 should have the ratchet, if you don't have the ratchet this will not work. Yes seems like they moved the listing to www.aliexpress.com/item/32904239223.html and it 47.90$ I got it on sale on 11.11
Hi man i bought the 60t and less than 1000 km the ratched does not work fine ... When i put power the ratchet disconect and be free . But i want to know hos is the 54t? still working???
Sorry to hear about your experience with the 60T. I have a few thousand miles on the 54T and it's still in great shape. Here is a photo after about 950 miles: instagram.com/p/CMFbHbfnHMu/
No one talks about the extra DRAG and loss of performance when coasting due to cough cough Upgrading….You lose free energy by creating extra resistance when you add extra bite on your free hub.
So what is your oppinion, should i buy the original one from dt swiss or this chinese one? I have doubts about durability of these chinese ones? I hope you'll answer!
I can't speak on the DT original, but if you have the money it's always worth going for what you are comfortable with. In my experience the 54T ZTTO has performed as good as my 18T DT as far as reliability goes and I expect it to continue. I also think that you should wait until a sale on Ali if you go with the ZTTO. I'm looking at it now and the current price of 50$ doesn't seem like it brings enough value. If you can get it for ~$35 dollars I think it would be worth it.
Buy the original kit by DT and order from your local bike shop. You will have a support network if things don’t end up working with the ratchet. I have the DT Swiss 54t on both my bikes and I have no complaints.
You should have measured with it in a larger cog on the cassett. Nobody is doing half cranks on their 10t ring ;) It'll give more resolution when measuring too.
@@WeRideSouth awesome! I went to install my 54t today and realized I have a 370 with the 3 pawl driver, so I ordered parts to go ahead and convert it to ratchet. Fun stuff 🤣
Well I've been told that the DT Swiss 54T are steel as well; however, you will have 2-4 grams savings if you go with the DT Swiss. It very likely they perform the exact same so it comes down to what your budget is and how much you're willing to spend/wait.
The problem with these videos is other than the "cool" sound you get, no one actually put these things to test in the real world, out there on a climb to see it there's really a noticeable difference, is the bike faster? what are we getting other than just the bee sound? you can save that for the 16 yr olds, what efficiency am I getting tested out there and compared out there in the real world? when I get hold of my order, I'm making a videos about that.
I use mine every day. I don't think it's going to make your bike "faster". I do go over the degree of engagement you get when switching to a ratchet with more teeth. Faster engagement means you can start transferring power quicker, but realistically how often are you going to stop pedaling and re-engage? It's probably such a small amount that it's a negligible difference. In the real world the benefit of a higher teeth count ratchet is likely limited to technical mountain bike riding where you need to minute engagement to climb rocks and super technical terrain.
I've read that the more teeth you add the more chances are that it will chip. People say the 60T chips quite easily, even the name brand DT Swiss version.
Are you able to say anything about the structural integrity of the ratchets I am feard that they may brake... Bacause... Yea ist cheap an Chinese even if it is made from steel it could be a very bad an brittle one... If they are good I will buy this kit it costs like 30 euros in Germany instead of like 150 for the dt branded one Thaks for the video very nicely done greetings from Germany 👍🏻 PS. I like this angelgrinder like sound 😂 Edit: thanks for all the helpful answers I have bought a set my self an have ridden it for like 1.5k miles so far they are holding up super nice I checked them recently found nearly no sing of use waht so ever and even if they brake... They are not that expensive I have even found all versions as a kit for like 60 euros The 18 36 54 and a 60 one... The 60 tooth sound insane I run it with quit thin grease an yeah like is said no sign of wear... I really like the ☺️
Mine lasted less than 500 miles. Punchy climb and that was it. I guess if you don’t have to climb anything or put any kind of torque on it you’re good 😂😂😂
Mine(ztto ratchet) got destroyed in less than 2 months. If you use it on road or smooth surfaces it might last, but if you use them on the trails with steep uphills, i will break easily.
@@rjf2832 maybe is just sheer luck or just a straight faulty unit, I used a couple of those in my old bike (142mm thru axle hub) and had zero issues with the star ratchets themselves. I even used a pair of ZTTO DR190 hubs for thousands of kilometers with no issues at all.
@@WeRideSouth on point indeed i am thinking this for my Tarmac roval c38s or so. And I just found this same Chinese one last night and even cheaper cheers 🙂
I thought that myself, but the truth of the matter is you should be pedaling during that 100K and if you're doing that, you won't hear it. After a few rides I realized that it's not that noticeable compared to others and the only way to really get it to "whine" is to pedal backwards really fast. Then it becomes quite annoying.
It's good for MTB when going downhill - warns people that you're coming. More frequent hikers probably subconsciously associate this sound with a bike coming already :D
Cheap & Chinese seem to go hand in hand in the world of manufactured goods. I wonder if people mistakenly associate Chinese as being a cheap race. I hope not.
I don't think that's the case. If anything people think that Chinese stuff is cheap quality which has caused a stigma surrounding cycling parts that I am trying to break.
Mine was fantastic, for 5 kilometers. Then I spun the teeth on a punchy climb. Bring your old ratchet along if you go for a ride on ZTTO.
It happened to me recently. The cheap 60t rachet from china got stuck on a climb.
The original dt swiss upgrade kit weighs 14g with springs.
I always use the special grease for freehubs as a thicker grease may cause the freehub to slip.
Good to know about the grease. I found 14g on a World Wide Cyclery video, but it didn't reference anything. Did you weigh yours?
@@WeRideSouth yes, I weighed them.
Great video, I just swapped mine from 18 teeth to 60 teeth and what an incredible difference in the engagement, I’m a technical mountain biker and this makes a HUGE difference. I found with the 18 teeth I would potentially crash or wipe out in certain terrain and conditions because the cranks had to much of a delay that the 60 teeth have completely removed this problem. I will be sticking to the 60 teeth for good.
Many people have been asking about the reliability of the 60T. Did you buy the ZTTO or the dt swiss? I'd be curious to hear your results on the long term of either!
@@WeRideSouth I bought the “ found “ brand that are gold in colour and dipped in titanium. They look like excellent quality and will let you know how they fair in time,, I will keep in touch!
@@battistaverardi1240 After 6 months. still work fine?
@@battistaverardi1240 hey mate, I've been looking at these ratchets, do you have any update 6months on? How many KMs have you put into it?
One more person interested!
The degree of engagement at the crank is dependant of the ratio : number of teeth of the cog the chain is on / number of teeth of the chainring the chain is on.
So what you measured is the least amount of engagement at the crank. When you are on the larger cog, the ratio is usually larger than 1, so you have more than 6.666 degree at the crank.
For a mountain bike, it is even more important.
For my bike, when I use the 51T 1st cog with a 32T chainring :
With a 18T ratchet = 51 x 360 / 32 x 18 = 32 degree at the crank
With a 54T ratchet = 51 x 360 / 32 x 54 = 10.624 degree.
Huge difference.
Thanks for your explanation. Also just divide max ratchet with lower ratchet to find improvements. 54/18 = 3x less degree of engagement anyway.
this did not worked well for me. At first it felt great, but on first serious climb it started skipping, and could not go uphill. Replaced it with original DT Swill 36T, and had no problems at all for the last two years.
Got three wheelsets with DT 54t ratchet. Zero mechanical problems, no chips or wear
Just installed and it feels great! Love the instant engagement. Even got some PRs on some local DH as it helps coming out of corners.
But…did slip a couple times, up and down.
Do I need more grease? I didn’t put too much.
Maybe less grease. Too much grease will cause trouble engaging.
Sounds more like too much or wrong (too thick) grease.
I don't think dt swiss uses aluminum. That would be way to weak to withstand the forces
The ratchet system is made of steel. But from everything I have seen and experience with, the ratchet system is one of the most durable systems. Hope this helps!!!
My experience with Chinese 54T ratchet:
It failed after couple of months. Pieces of broken teeth where stucked between the ratchets so it could not engage. I had to stop, open it, wipe the pieces out and it worked again - easy quick fix.
Then it worked on remaining teeth for 2 years without any problem.
Then again, similar thing happened. After the wipe, I had no problem to finish my ride, but the teeth look really worn out, so I do not have confidence to ride it much longer.
I will put back original 18T, to see If I can live with that. If not, I will probably buy 54T from DT Swiss .
Chinese cost one third of original DT, so actually it is not super cheap anyway.
bummer to hear you didn't have good results with it! Let me know if the official DT swiss works out.
Thanks Andrew for the review.
Thanks for watching!
My eBay purchased 54T generic brand lasted 4 rides. Several teeth became worn or chipped. I returned (they were great with return process… just need photos) and now installed the DT Swiss brand.
That's terrible news! I am glad you were able to get a refund. Here's a photo of the ZTTO after 950 miles, they are still going strong:
instagram.com/p/CMFbHbfnHMu/
@ainda esta bom? WeRideSouth
Wtf weight saving of 6g... have you seen what a tire weighs? I have probably left 6g of rubber behind after a big skid.
This is true lol. It's not a huge savings, but a savings none-the-less. The ability to reduce the point of engagement is the major upside of this, I'd say the minor weight savings is just an added bonus.
@@Abdullah-ou7bp i just peed 6g of urine while laughing at the ingredients of an overpriced energy bar.
There was a famous rally team who worked out the cheapest way to save 25kg from the vehicle was to bribe the copilot £25,000 to quit drinking beer.
I've ridden the 54t ztto over 10,000km.... They recently started to chip and no longer engages when I pedal forward, just skips. I had to change back to the original 18t ratchet. Very disappointed.
Sucks to hear that. I'll be sure to keep an eye on mine as I'm only about 2500km and they have shown no sign of chipping or slipping yet, but time will tell!
$33.40 divide by 10000km. That's a good effective price per km ratio. Also remember to regrease it after every 1000km. May even last another 1000km to make it 11000km total. After that probably buy another set as standby and slot it in your trousers as they are so light you hardly will feel it once you have cycled close to 9950km or 10950km depending how well you regrease it so you can replace them on the fly. Otherwise get the 'ol 6 pawls.
My og DT 54t upgrade was about 40grams with the spring iirc ...
(I chipped one tooth and they started rounding)
Back to the titanium coated Chinese 60t
There are so many options these days. Back then, it was just that one 😁
@@WeRideSouth after an exchange with official fovno (laborious but we figured it out) apparently they are imitations of the hollow 60t Fovno upgrade I have on my most used bike...
China is not what it used to be 😂
What a great video, I’ve been using ZTTO 54t in my hub for a few years, love it. I just took the hub apparat today and still looks new. Do you reckon having more teeth slows the wheel down? Having to drag over more surface and probably elevation too, than on the 18t, What front chain ring/cassette combo are you using on your bike? Is that a 42 rear, 42 front?
I do think having more teeth, more drag, probably slows it down some. On that bike I believe it was a 42/42.
I just ordered a set of ztto 54 t ratchets from aliexpress for my dt swiss 370 dt swiss that came on my new strive cfr with a 18 t ratchet , did yours last ? I will use them for freeride and enduro
Help please! I've purchased ZTTO Ratched 54T with springs but it doesn't fit. The ratchet fits the hub too tight and spring doesn't work. The ratchet stays inside and cannot come out by the spring force. What did I wrong?
Another person commented that they had to file down some teeth. Mine was a direct drop in and if it doesn't fit I would return it for a full refund or another set.
using grease instead of oil helps to reduce the sound. Great review I had no idea this product even existed even though I've had the DT Swiss 54T for over a year but good to know.
Dont use grease, it will stick your pawls down
@@rrv2003 there is no pawls. It’s a ratchet system
@@rrv2003 i think these are not using pawls
I'm guessing that DT Swiss hubs are made in the same factory in China as those ZTTO ones. ZTTO might be an off-shoot brand of that factory in China. They probably thought thought "Hey, we got the designs from DT Swiss to make hubs, why don't we use that and make our own hub, of course with some minor modifications". If you don't know already ZTTO ratchet system goes up to 60T so that maybe their minor modification to DT Swiss' design
Just wanted to know were you tempted to get the 60T ratchet system from ZTTO since DT Swiss only makes them up to 54T?
You may be right, I have never inspected a ZTTO hub, but I did have them on my mind for an XC MTB build. I thought about the 60T, but I only decided against it because of the price. In my opinion 6 more teeth didn't add enough value for me to justify spending roughly $30 USD more.
The 60T are harder to make and are more brittle, ZTTO explains that in their official store when you buy the 60T model. They state something like "we did the 60T because of customers requests and tried to make them as close as possible in terms of reliability compared to the 54T, but there's still a difference on that regard in favor of the 54T"
Wish DT or someone would just sell a hub with the 54 preinstalled
Thanks for this! I’m working out hub options for an ssmtb and so many videos about hubs focus mainly on sound, which is not my main concern.
Thanks for watching!
InstaBlaster...
which one will give you louder sound?
ones with more teeth will give you more of a sound.
my ztto ratchet chipped after 60 km. several people across mtb and road racing forum claim the same
Which teeth version did you get?
On the other hand I've had them for around 2000Km with no issues so far, I'm using their own hub though, but the ratchet is the same as in the video. There's always some issues in terms of durability when it comes to high engagement star ratchets, even DT Swiss you'll find people with chips and dings here and there, maintenance has also a part on it as people sometimes use oil instead of grease to make them noisier and, if not maintained quite more often, that adds more friction to the system than it actually requires.
They just work, I have 60T upgrade ! Cost me 38£ ! Do not buy the new hub 240s or 350s, upgrade is more expensive !
how has the ratchet been going?
@@mobadi4984 1000Km on e-bike, without problems
Why put this in a 1500+ wheelset? :).... I just got the original ones to safe my wheels.
My wheelset was only ~600 USD
Well done Andrew! I'm still on the fence between the two options. I'm not concerned about the weight, only the strength of the ratchet.
I believe both the DT Swiss and the ZTTO are made from steel.
I can't tell from the comments , I don't have any experience with 54t should I get the original dt swiss ones or another brand
That's up to you.
Great vid!!! Just bought that kit(ztto).
Thanks! Let me know how you like it.
@Norm MTB Is ztto kit good?
how has it lasted?
Your 16t ratchet is the older model. Now all 350 and 240s come with hollow aluminum ratchets. My wheels have both 54t genuine ratchets fitted and also I have an exp wheel hub upgraded from 36 to 54. Always use the red special grease that has a special viscosity and doesn't turn into oil.
I have the 60T also from eBay. I rode it today and it slipped 5x in a 16 miles, 2k’ elevation ride. Not during heavy pedaling. Only during flat sections of the trail. I used the DT Swiss grease and I didn’t apply too much. Now I’m thinking to use slick honey because the DT grease feels thick for 60T.
I wonder if that's why the official DT swiss stopped at 54T. I think you can only get 60T in Chinesium. Maybe 54T is the limit for slippage.
I rode my bike again with the 60T the following day but this time I removed the red DT Swiss grease, replaced it with Dumonde grease and stretched the springs just a little. Then I took my bike on some Black trails with some technical up hills. The 60T never slipped on hard pressure. Not even on quick ratcheting techniques while climbing. Always on flat sections when there’s very minimal pressure. That day I did 16 miles, 3.1k’ and it slipped 2x on flat sections. I ordered the DT Swiss 54T already because even though the 60T got better, I lost the confidence climbing techy stuff. I feel like its going to give out one of these days. I’m currently carrying the 18T in my pack untik I get the legit DT 54T in.
I wonder if a staggered type teeth made by DT would work. For example, have one face of the star ratchet with 30T on top and then 30T in the bottom, staggered. Then same on the other side. Less teeth, same engagement as the 60T I have now. Probably no slippage but maybe wears out faster (I don’t mind replacing it after 2k miles for this engagement). Better yet, 40T top/40T bottom. That will lead to 4.5° POE. That would be nice.
@@tjay_mac Yo, i bought this ZTTO 60T kit too on AliExpress and i have the same problem! It's been slipping and feels like it disengages from time to time. i rode roughly 5km last time and it slipped/disengaged i think every 4 pedal stroke on flat sections. It happens to me when i put quite some pressure on the pedals (heavy pedalling). Did your problem get fixed by using the official DT SWISS 54T ratchet upgrade?
Cos i swapped my old DT swiss ratchet on it, NO PROBLEM at all 😟
@@MulyaEffran, Yeah the slippage went away after I moved to DT Swiss 54T.
@@tjay_mac Thanks man! i'll order the DT Swiss as well then 😇
Am I'm reading this correctly that DT Swiss brand 54T ratchets are made of aluminum? Is this confirmed? I would think aluminum would wear quickly. My 18T is steel.
Yes it claims aluminum, but I have not personally confirmed it.
@@WeRideSouth I've been wanting to upgrade to the 54T as the "play" bugs me. I called DT Swiss in Grand Junction , CO this morning and spoke to a rep. He told me they are made of steel. Planning to pick up some at my local bike shop today. When I do I'll confirm.
@@craigcarroll7790 awesome! Some have confirmed the 54t DT official is 14g with springs. Interested to see what you find out.
@@WeRideSouth I didn't see your request to weigh them until after I installed them. DOAH! They are definitely lighter than the 18T. Probably due to the fact that the 54T are "dished/hollowed" out in the center. A magnet test shows that they ARE made of steel. I'm not much of a weight weenie so it doesn't matter much to me. As a matter of fact, I put the 18T's in my "extra parts baggie" I keep with the bike they are installed on-just in case. My thinking is that yes, maybe the "cheap Chinese" may work just fine if they are of the same quality of DT's. However, it wasn't worth it to me to possibly have them fail and potentially damage my 240s hub.
@@craigcarroll7790 no worries, I'm almost positive DT is lighter another viewer commented that they were in fact 14g. Chinese or DT the engagement upgrade is definitely worth it.
I don't think the DT Swiss 54t is made of AL. I don't even think 7075 AL would hold up to that beating. I believe it's the same steel as the 18t and 36t ratchets, just hollowed out for weight savings. My ZTTO 54t ratchet didn't drop-in. I had to knock down the outer teeth about 1-2 thousand of an inch for it to drop in. Mine runs very quiet, must be the grease I used. Good vid.
Good to know, that's interesting that you had to shave yours down.
@@WeRideSouth was yours a drop in fit? Wonder if I just happened to get one on the max side of tolerance.
@@Trinimon18 yes mine dropped in.
I am pretty sure the EXP 54 POI ratchets are made of steel. I got them with my new wheels and Dt Swiss 240 hubs. You need special tools to swap the 36 ratchet for the 54 ratchet.
I’ve been using ztto hubs for the past 3 years with no problems, until I bought the 54t ratchet hubs that is. The original 6pawl hubs have been faultless. Recommended. I built a set of gravel wheels on the dtswiss-like 54t ratchet hub and the ratchet failed in under 500km of riding. My take is that to triple the number of teeth from 18 to 54 and retain the free rotation angle, the engagement face is much shorter, hence why it can slip after some rotation wear. Ztto have promised to send me a replacement ( I’m asking for what I reckon is the more reliable 18t) when I place my new order. Buy one get one free stylee. I have the original dt 350 36t ratchet hubs on my trail bike wheels with no issues although the guts look identical, including materials. Anyone else experienced ratchet failure? Or are 6pawl hubs just more reliable? This is the first hub failure I’ve had since the early Mavic aluminum rubbish 20 years ago, and I ride TOnS.
My first 54T ratchet failed after 5 months, They sent me a replacement, But i asked for a 36T hoping it would last longer, It arrived yesterday, Today I went to test it and it failed again at the first 20km, I had to walk back home because the ratchet just slips with any force at the pedal, The teeths are completely worn out and chipped every where, Very dissapointed
@@MrBubba3494 what did you end up doing? trying another 36T from ZTTO? how did that go? My experience with both 54T and 36T is that there are equal chances of having a set of good ones, or a set of bad ones. I've looked at the ZTTO's compared to the DT's under a magnifier and the back of the teeth is different.
@@jsoeh7558 Ztto sent me another replacement after the 36t failed, This time i asked for 54t as it was the one that lasted longer, It arrived on August 6, 2021, And I have been using it to this day with no issues so far...
My advice would be to use DtSwiss Grease, Or mix any light grease with some drops of mineral oíl as I did with mine to make it less sticky, I used regular grease with the pair of 36t ratchets that failed on one day And I noticed that Both of the ratchets were not springing back, But just stuck into place because the grease was too thick and the springs did not have enough force to push them in/out, And most likely the ratchets were only catching by the edges of the teeth instead of the full teeth, which u should clearly see here
imgur.com/a/axeNTO1
@@MrBubba3494 thank you for the follow up! we've used transmission fluid only, and i agree, most of the damage we see, is from the teeths not meshing completely and running on the tips
I installed the Chinese one and it broke down within the first ride
Dang, sorry to hear! Did you reach out to ZTTO to see about a warranty?
Excellent video, new sub, and yeah definitely going with the antisocial annoying hub :)
does anyone know if you are required to fit the red washer into a 240 rear hub?
I wonder if they would fit in my Mavic wheels, since they’ve got a ratchet system too (44tooth)
Would be a nice upgrade
I believe this one is DT Swiss specific. If you have Mavic hoops on DT Swiss hubs it would definitely work.
Is there any problem with this 54T ratchet now ?
no problems!
Do you have a review or a follow up video?
No review video at the moment, but I probably have 10k miles on the rachet and it still works like new.
@@WeRideSouthwow good distance at 54t, how's it today?
@@zanguro6200 still rock solid.
@@WeRideSouthhappy to hear tgat they lasted , i just ordered mine and have seen some comments saying that they are bad , hope that they will last for my enduro bike (strive cfr )
Update the Video!
There are 60T Verysion flooding the Market from China =)
I like to have a compare from 18
I'll see what I can do
Damn these things must be very long lasting. Unlike bmx hubs witch the teeth are machined into the hubshell material.
I did the upgrade with chinese parts twice and both failed within 3mths..
You used the 54T? Sorry to hear!
Thank you so much, I never know about how that can be relate to crank movement. I always though it is normal to have those amount of play and it is just manufacture use what level of parts.
But now, it is in fact just a ratchet making this a lot different and also power transfer. I will save this video for education purpose for myself and for others who also want to learn about bicycles (I bet a lot of people do not know about it, unless they went to bicycle mechanic school)
BY the way, I really like Shimano 105 5700 series, it may be old model but it is super quiet, no sound at all and I like that way when riding, pure enjoying the ride without noises. Which rear hubs are sound-less like it?
There are many different types of systems. I think the most popular is the pawl system. This can get pretty quiet. There are also companies developing instant engagement as well as silent hubs too.
Thanks for watching!
thanks dude
What's the long term results? Are these cheap 54t ratchets lasting?
I have used mine for thousands of miles with no issues, but others in the comments say they haven't had good luck. I posted a photo of mine after 900 miles on my Instagram a while back. They look as good as new.
Will this work as a replacement in DT350 hubs? I think they have 3 pawl. This upgrade is not available anymore at the link you provided. I can't find the 54T for less than $47.90 now.
DT350 should have the ratchet, if you don't have the ratchet this will not work. Yes seems like they moved the listing to www.aliexpress.com/item/32904239223.html and it 47.90$ I got it on sale on 11.11
350 have ratched. 370 have pawls
Hi man i bought the 60t and less than 1000 km the ratched does not work fine ... When i put power the ratchet disconect and be free . But i want to know hos is the 54t? still working???
Sorry to hear about your experience with the 60T. I have a few thousand miles on the 54T and it's still in great shape. Here is a photo after about 950 miles: instagram.com/p/CMFbHbfnHMu/
@@WeRideSouth I read about they are not finding away to produce a stable one, like the 54t.
@@brunopletsch I find that 54T is pretty good. It's probably overkill for gravel.
Hi,just wondering is dt swiss 54t rachet made of aluminum?wont it be too soft?have u tested the dt swiss 54t rachet with magnet?
I do not have an official DT Swiss 54T to test.
@@WeRideSouth ok.i m just curious the rachet that i get recently is a genuine one or a china made one
No one talks about the extra DRAG and loss of performance when coasting due to cough cough Upgrading….You lose free energy by creating extra resistance when you add extra bite on your free hub.
So what is your oppinion, should i buy the original one from dt swiss or this chinese one? I have doubts about durability of these chinese ones? I hope you'll answer!
I can't speak on the DT original, but if you have the money it's always worth going for what you are comfortable with. In my experience the 54T ZTTO has performed as good as my 18T DT as far as reliability goes and I expect it to continue. I also think that you should wait until a sale on Ali if you go with the ZTTO. I'm looking at it now and the current price of 50$ doesn't seem like it brings enough value. If you can get it for ~$35 dollars I think it would be worth it.
Buy the original kit by DT and order from your local bike shop. You will have a support network if things don’t end up working with the ratchet.
I have the DT Swiss 54t on both my bikes and I have no complaints.
@@WeRideSouthsir, are those 54t ztto still rocking you solid to this very day?? I might get it if you still got it
@@zanguro6200 yep. They have held up great, still in my wheelset which probably has 20,000 miles in it.
You should have measured with it in a larger cog on the cassett. Nobody is doing half cranks on their 10t ring ;)
It'll give more resolution when measuring too.
Good point! I'll see what they all measure and update my website.
@@WeRideSouth awesome! I went to install my 54t today and realized I have a 370 with the 3 pawl driver, so I ordered parts to go ahead and convert it to ratchet. Fun stuff 🤣
@@AWD_DSM_FTW dang. Can you convert a 370 to the ratchet system?
@@WeRideSouth yep! Ratchet kit, ring nut, spacer, bushing, and two tools to remove old and install new ring nut.
How’s had it held up since s installed and riding?
Holding up fantastically. No issues and I believe I have close to 1500 miles on it.
@@WeRideSouth great to know as I just bought a ZTTO hub with it :)
What grease yoy put on them ztto's? A generic one or the dt's?
Just some standard belray waterproof grease
Great vid!
Thanks!
I can't pull that cassette off to save my life. do you have any tips or tricks?
Is it a DT350?
update - should i buy original or ZTTO?
Well I've been told that the DT Swiss 54T are steel as well; however, you will have 2-4 grams savings if you go with the DT Swiss. It very likely they perform the exact same so it comes down to what your budget is and how much you're willing to spend/wait.
Do you know if these guys also sell a DT Swiss 370 to 350 conversion kit?
I do not believe they do. Did some research and turned up with nothing.
@@WeRideSouth too bad. Original parts with the two specialty tools would cost a bundle. Haha.
They do! It's called the Ln ratchet upgrade
Make up for the gram difference by losing some of your body weight. Worked for me.
Teeth man, teeth.
You are still running it?
I am! It's still going strong.
Hi ask. Can this upgrade fit any ratchet hubs?
It is specific to the DT 350 style ratchets.
The problem with these videos is other than the "cool" sound you get, no one actually put these things to test in the real world, out there on a climb to see it there's really a noticeable difference, is the bike faster? what are we getting other than just the bee sound? you can save that for the 16 yr olds, what efficiency am I getting tested out there and compared out there in the real world? when I get hold of my order, I'm making a videos about that.
I use mine every day. I don't think it's going to make your bike "faster". I do go over the degree of engagement you get when switching to a ratchet with more teeth. Faster engagement means you can start transferring power quicker, but realistically how often are you going to stop pedaling and re-engage? It's probably such a small amount that it's a negligible difference. In the real world the benefit of a higher teeth count ratchet is likely limited to technical mountain bike riding where you need to minute engagement to climb rocks and super technical terrain.
@@WeRideSouth Ok I get it, we'll benefit from it on our MTBs but Roadies and their ilk want to the next thing to spend their money on?
Great video. Have you tried 60t that’s for sale on eBay?
I haven't do you have a link?
I have tried and the ratchet broke lass then 1000 km
@@brunopletsch good to know!
they should release a 150t version
I've read that the more teeth you add the more chances are that it will chip. People say the 60T chips quite easily, even the name brand DT Swiss version.
@@WeRideSouth i've heard of that too, 18t is bulletproof but the engagement is wack.
Are you able to say anything about the structural integrity of the ratchets I am feard that they may brake... Bacause... Yea ist cheap an Chinese even if it is made from steel it could be a very bad an brittle one... If they are good I will buy this kit it costs like 30 euros in Germany instead of like 150 for the dt branded one
Thaks for the video very nicely done greetings from Germany 👍🏻
PS. I like this angelgrinder like sound 😂
Edit: thanks for all the helpful answers I have bought a set my self an have ridden it for like 1.5k miles so far they are holding up super nice I checked them recently found nearly no sing of use waht so ever and even if they brake... They are not that expensive I have even found all versions as a kit for like 60 euros
The 18 36 54 and a 60 one... The 60 tooth sound insane I run it with quit thin grease an yeah like is said no sign of wear... I really like the ☺️
I can't say much about the integrity yet. I can report back after I put some more miles on.
I also use the ztto 54T...so far so good
@@akamalwi9274 how long do u use it?
@@WeRideSouth Any updates on how these have held up after a month of riding?
@@joemorreale9204 I've been about 1284 miles on this without a single issue. It's been great.
Are these still working ???
Yep they are working great. Using them on my Mid South race bike tomorrow
Hi ten steel... scary shit. Not as scary as aluminium though.
The Good all fashion Chinesium material…. Long live Mao Tse-tung!!!!
Ohh no its not avalible in aliexpress 😔😔😔
Mine lasted less than 500 miles. Punchy climb and that was it. I guess if you don’t have to climb anything or put any kind of torque on it you’re good 😂😂😂
Try out the ztto hub
You Look like the Brother from Bruce Springsteen.
This made me buy that kit. Loving it. Thanks! Question though, did you swap the springs out too or did you keep the original DT springs?
I swapped the springs.
Mine(ztto ratchet) got destroyed in less than 2 months. If you use it on road or smooth surfaces it might last, but if you use them on the trails with steep uphills, i will break easily.
@@rjf2832 maybe is just sheer luck or just a straight faulty unit, I used a couple of those in my old bike (142mm thru axle hub) and had zero issues with the star ratchets themselves. I even used a pair of ZTTO DR190 hubs for thousands of kilometers with no issues at all.
So makes the 36 teeth the sweet spot in terms of engagement and noise
I think so. Especially if it's not a mountain bike.
@@WeRideSouth on point indeed i am thinking this for my Tarmac roval c38s or so.
And I just found this same Chinese one last night and even cheaper cheers 🙂
@@WeRideSouth by the way... I forgot.
Any weird behavior with it and the hub, rims? No problems at all?
@@almin9751 I haven't had a single issue with it.
@@WeRideSouth thanks
the sound of that 54 is annoying. Imagine listening to that for 100k. Think I'll stick to the 18.
I thought that myself, but the truth of the matter is you should be pedaling during that 100K and if you're doing that, you won't hear it. After a few rides I realized that it's not that noticeable compared to others and the only way to really get it to "whine" is to pedal backwards really fast. Then it becomes quite annoying.
pedal more then 🤣
It's good for MTB when going downhill - warns people that you're coming. More frequent hikers probably subconsciously associate this sound with a bike coming already :D
Cheap & Chinese seem to go hand in hand in the world of manufactured goods. I wonder if people mistakenly associate Chinese as being a cheap race. I hope not.
I don't think that's the case. If anything people think that Chinese stuff is cheap quality which has caused a stigma surrounding cycling parts that I am trying to break.
drinkwater !!!
Heck. Yes.