Fellow MTB nerds, can you help me figure out which front hubs can be converted from 15x110mm Boost to 20x110mm Boost DH? I'm asking for a friend.
I know Hope front hubs are famously convertible. Is that pretty much any 15x110mm front Hope hub?
I know Race Face Vault 412 and 414 front hubs are convertible from 15mm Boost to 20mm Boost DH.
Looks like ethirteen LG1 hubs with 37mm OD 6805 bearings can be converted from 15 to 20mm Boost using the HBS30-101 Boost 20mm endcaps.
Spank Oozy and Spike 15mm Boost front hubs are convertible to 20mm Boost DH.
But what else? I'm sure there are lots. Worth mentioning that 15x100mm and 20x110 non-Boost front hubs typically can't be converted to 20x110mm Boost DH with end caps, but I know there are brake rotor spacer kits like the MRP one or the Spank one for certain applications, too.
If you buy the hope 20x110 boost hubs they come as a 15mm with 20mm end caps in a bag.
Hadley front 110 boost hubs can be had with 15mm or 20mm end caps.
The 1st gen I9 Hydra can be converted to 20mm but it doesn’t look like the Hydra 2 can unfortunately.
Correction - The Hydra 2 can also be converted.
Novatec Premium hubs with a simple end cap swap. Pull the 15mil end caps with a pair of Knipex and pop the 20mil end caps on by hand.
I went through this exercise last season when I put a Boxxer on my enduro bike because I was gonna be in Whistler for a month. I think you covered most of the options besides Spank Hex. I'm sure there's some other small brands. Luckily I had some I9s, and once converted to 20mm I could easily swap end caps to 15mm Torque Caps when I run my Zeb. It's baffling to me that DT Swiss makes different hubs for 15mm and 20mm boost, and neither can be converted to the other size. So dumb.
If your friend doesn't have a convertible hub there's a guy on eBay that makes 15mm conversions for most DH forks. https://www.ebay.com/str/jjpellc?_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l170197
Or Forkmods - https://forkmods.com/shop/ols/products
Just curious is it better from a performance standpoint is better to have a larger bearing that allows an adapter to fit in the bearing or have the bearing fit the axle.
Basically any hub that uses bearings large enough to fit 20mm axle can be converted either from factory or with little help from machinist. However boost 15 can be only converted for boost 20, not old 20mm, the other way around it can be done and it even improves spoke bracing angles. Non boost 15mm front hubs are quite rare there days though.
i have an i9 1-1 that can be converted between 15 & 20mm boost, but I should add the disclaimer that it was an OEM hub on a set of Reserve DH wheels (20mm). I was able to convert to 15mm using the 15mm end caps from the torch series (emailed them to learn this). i don't see any reason why it wouldn't work the other way (15mm --> 20mm), but I have not verified this.
Project 321 G2 hubs can be converted with a simple end cap switch. Don’t think the newer G3’s can.
Obligatory wtf (note to self - cycling, duh) do we have have 2x 20mm standards...also just listing hubs I have direct experience with.
Hope for sure - https://www.hopetech.com/_repository/1/documents/ConversionKitChart2023V3.1.pdf
P321 G2 - https://project321.com/collections/g2-parts/products/iso-boost-endcaps-20mm?variant=44579568419091
Hadley - https://www.balleracing.com/hadley-dh-type-front-conversion-kits
I think some Chris King ISO hubs can do it but it can be tricky to get the right combo of hub shell and find the axle for it.
DT has kits for the 240 oversized (OS) but it can be a bit intricate to figure out if a 240 in-hand is OS or not.
I9 Hydra and Torch (mountain version, sometimes people will sell the road version which is different enough to lead to lots of swearing, ask me how I know...sad clown emoji goes here) - https://industrynine.com/parts/endcaps would be worth an email to I9 if you had a Hydra to see if TAX623 can make a Hydra 20x110 and not 20x110 boost (which they have an endcap kit for).
Dorado 37 forks come with an adapter for 20x110 and 20x110 boost (brake side IIRC) which doesn't magically get a 15x110 hub to 20mm but it does help if you have a 20mm hub in 20x110 or 20x110 boost and can't go from one to the other.
If I think I'm going to want to go to a 20mm hub at some point Hope is the easiest for my dos pesos as you can find front Hope hubs all over the place and mix and match end caps until it isn't fun anymore (surprisingly a very long time, YMMV of course).
Does this mean the new USD 38 is 20mm? Dangit. LOL. #techrumors
I believe so.
Coming very soon too.
It's not a 38....
that was the leaked spec. hey a black van just pulled up my drive....
Hydra1 is 20mm boost only with 6 bolt only. $30
Hydra2 is also 6 bolt only but you can get 20mm old and 20mm boost but only if you don’t have BB61903 bearings. It’s all spelled out in each end cap kit. $40
It’s in stock too, not just vaporware.
https://industrynine.com/parts/endcaps
I dont think by just with the kit. You have to change the axle too (Hydra 1). Please make me wrong so I can get my overpriced new fork I really dont need.
Yup, you get the whole enchilada
So long as you are using 6 bolt rotors, I believe
Personally I'd go smaller axle as with hubs you are usually limited on the bearing outer diameter because of the rotor bolts. That means for a larger axle the bearing will have to be thinner section which usually means less load capacity.
FYI Fox/Raceface posted a blog post with all the necessary info for people looking to switch RF front hubs from 15mm Boost to 20mm Boost: https://www.raceface.com/blogs/support/vault-hubs-end-cap-conversions
I have a 414 20mm and waiting on the "Notify me when available" for the 15mm.
e*Thirteen Sidekick front hub comes with both 20mm and 15mm end caps so that is another one.
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