DT Swiss 54t Star Ratchet Kit

rsclio

Likes Dirt
I have a few DT hubs that were all 18T until recently.
I bought a 36 and 54 upgrade and like others have said the 36 is a huge improvement over the 18 but the 54 not as much over the 36.
Not long enough yet to comment on longevity
 

Tim_the_Clyde

Likes Dirt
Upgraded 350s from 18 to 54. Massive improvement in tech climbs. Noise is awesome...like a swam of bees.

I’m heavy as they come and grind .... no reliability issues to date.

Do eeeeettttt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
Didn't @Binaural bust one?

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I did - the tip of one of the star ratchets cracked off and broken-off tip held the star mechanism faces apart, causing me to fall flat on my face in traffic. The effect was similar to snapping a chain. It doesn't seem a common mode of failure, and that freewheel always had a slightly unusual noise (sort of an unstable buzz) when rolling.

Context: bike was a much-abused singlespeed commuter doing 2hrs per day every day, and I weighed about 110kg, so a gentler life might well never uncover an issue.
 

BT180

Max Pfaff
I did - the tip of one of the star ratchets cracked off and broken-off tip held the star mechanism faces apart, causing me to fall flat on my face in traffic. The effect was similar to snapping a chain. It doesn't seem a common mode of failure, and that freewheel always had a slightly unusual noise (sort of an unstable buzz) when rolling.

Context: bike was a much-abused singlespeed commuter doing 2hrs per day every day, and I weighed about 110kg, so a gentler life might well never uncover an issue.
Thanks for the info. Sounds like it's worth the punt.
 

slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Where are you guys sourcing your ratchet upgrade kits? I've got the stock 18t on some dt350 hubs and would like to upgrade. eBay is either really expensive for genuine, or super cheap for the knock offs.
 

JTmofo

XC Enthusiast
Where are you guys sourcing your ratchet upgrade kits? I've got the stock 18t on some dt350 hubs and would like to upgrade. eBay is either really expensive for genuine, or super cheap for the knock offs.
I got my last set from bike24 in Germany. Was ordering other bits and bundled in the shipping. About $80 from memory;
 

Mattl

Likes Dirt
I just listed my Bontrager 54t star ratchets in the for sale section if anybody is still after some much cheaper than new.
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
r2.bike has the 54T kit for ~EUR65:

https://r2-bike.com/DT-SWISS-Upgrad...-Teeth-for-Ratchet-Free-Wheel-System-2-Pieces

But shipping is another EUR25 and they have a Paypal surcharge of 2% on total order, so landed cost is around AUD$150, unless you buy some other *coughSRAMcough* stuff at the same time - price without shipping is roughly AUD$110. They also have the 36T kit (no springs or grease) for EUR50 or about AUD $84 without freight.
 

BT180

Max Pfaff
So I did the trick of slowly rotating my wheel forward and counting the clicks. Seems I have 34T.

Is the consensus that an upgrade to 54T isn't really worth it?
 

tkdbboy

Likes Dirt
How often do you do technical climbs? and how important is it to you?

Since you're already on 36, there's better stuff out there you can spend the $135 on.
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
So I did the trick of slowly rotating my wheel forward and counting the clicks. Seems I have 34T.

Is the consensus that an upgrade to 54T isn't really worth it?
If you do trials, possibly. The other key application is as a bell substitute for commuting, nothing like causing wandering tourists to leap out of the way of the approaching bandsaw quite like those high-tooth-count ratchets. Certainly beats lamely binging away with a bell.
 

BT180

Max Pfaff
How often do you do technical climbs? and how important is it to you?

Since you're already on 36, there's better stuff out there you can spend the $135 on.
A lot, almost every ride. I can definitely feel the slight lag between putting the power down and the engagement. Seems more prominent since installing the oval front ring too. i think it's worth a shot if I can get a good deal somewhere.

If you do trials, possibly. The other key application is as a bell substitute for commuting, nothing like causing wandering tourists to leap out of the way of the approaching bandsaw quite like those high-tooth-count ratchets. Certainly beats lamely binging away with a bell.
I think that's a good reason too. My local can get quite busy on weekends with n00bs, so it always helps to let them hear you approaching.
 

notime

Likes Dirt
I've found them 100% reliable on the 2 sets I have. I probably wouldn't bother going 36 to 54 but definitely get the 54's if updating from 18's
 

Binaural

Eats Squid
I think that's a good reason too. My local can get quite busy on weekends with n00bs, so it always helps to let them hear you approaching.
I ride home over the Pyrmont bridge every day, playing slalom with the tourists wandering around like sick cows. At least noobs can be persuaded to pull over if they hear you coming.
 
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