DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull BOOST Rear Centerlock Disc Hub
The DT Swiss 180 is the top of the range: the same Ratchet EXP freehub as the 240 in a hubshell machined to the minimum, running on ceramic hybrid bearings, with straight-pull flanges. The 180 is the hub DT Swiss builds its own flagship wheels around, and the one to choose when the brief is simply the lightest, smoothest wheel we can make.
This page covers the straight-pull DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull BOOST Rear Centerlock Disc Hub. Straight-pull spokes leave the 180 flange in a straight line with no elbow, which lets DT Swiss cut the flanges lighter and lets us build a wheel with slightly more even tension. It also means the spoke choice for a 180 is the DT and Sapim straight-pull ranges rather than J-bend.
The DT Swiss 180 is built to order here. Choose the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
Ratchet EXP inside the 180: one ratchet threaded into the hubshell, one sliding on a single spring, both engaging every tooth at once so the load of a sprint is spread across the full ring. The DT Swiss 180 comes with 36-tooth ratchets and takes the 54-tooth EXP set as a drop-in. The 180 freehub pulls off by hand for a swap between HG, XD, XDR and Micro Spline.
The bearings are the DT ceramic hybrid set: steel races, silicon-nitride balls, which are harder, lighter and rounder than steel and run with noticeably less drag. The 180 hubshell is machined thinner than the 240's and the flanges are straight-pull, a shape DT has refined over many generations of its own wheels. End caps on the 180 are the plug-in type, so the hub converts between axle standards with a cap change.
How it rides
Spin a 180 in your hand and you understand the price. The ceramic bearings feel frictionless, the freehub is quiet, and the whole 180 weighs about what a rear cassette lockring and a couple of spokes do. On the road the 180 is the hub for a race wheel that has to climb; on a cross-country bike it is the lightest way to get DT engagement and reliability.
The 180 is not a downhill hub and it is not the hub for a heavy touring load. For that the 350 or 240 in a J-bend version makes more sense.
Specifications
| Position | Rear |
|---|---|
| Axle options | Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost Rear, QR 5x141mm Boost Rear |
| Driver bodies | Shimano HG 8,9,10,11 & Road 12spd, Campagnolo 9,10,11 & 12spd, SRAM XD 10,11 & MTB 12spd (+$12), SRAM XDR 10,11 & Road & MTB 12spd (+$60), Shimano Micro Spline 12spd (+$60) |
| Drillings | 28h |
| Spoke head | Straight-pull |
| Brake | centerlock disc |
| Left flange diameter | 34.5 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 41.3 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 35.7 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 21.5 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.5 mm |
| Weight | 190g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
Version notes. Centerlock rotor mount, Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost, QR 5x141mm Boost, 28h, about 190g, in black. If your frame or fork uses a different standard, the other versions of the 180 on this site cover it.
Centerlock is the lighter, quicker rotor mount: a splined rotor drops onto the hub and a single lockring holds it, so a rotor swap takes a minute with a lockring tool and there are no six small bolts to torque or lose. Shimano and most current road and gravel rotors are centerlock; 6-bolt rotors fit with an adapter.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The straight-pull DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull BOOST Rear Centerlock Disc Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page and the axle and rotor options in the configurator: centerlock disc or rim brake, road and Boost MTB spacing. Straight-pull spokes only; we build the 180 with Aerolite, Aero Comp or Competition straight-pull, or Sapim CX-Ray and Laser straight-pull.
Rim pairings we build most on a 180: DT RR and XR rims, ENVE SES and M-series, Reserve, HED Vanquish and the light carbon options in the catalog. The configurator filters the spoke list to straight-pull the moment you pick the 180.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for gravel and road disc and mountain bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull Boost Rear Centerlock Disc Hub and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
DT Swiss's testing and certifications
DT Swiss hubs pass through the same Performance Test Center in Biel as its rims. DT Swiss states that its laboratory tests replicate what products endure in the field over the whole product life cycle, under an internal factory standard that ensures compliance with ISO 4210. Hub-relevant methods are the drum test, in which a wheel loaded to its permissible system weight spins on an obstacle-studded steel drum for a specified mileage, and a brake and drive torque test in which cyclic braking and driving torques are applied to the hub while the wheel is locked or driven at constant speed. DT Swiss publishes no bearing-life, salt-spray or water-ingress figures.
the torque test also verifies "the freewheel functionality and durability". DT Swiss states that Ratchet EXP is 15% stiffer and gives longer bearing life through its increased bearing distance, and that Ratchet DEG uses larger steel ratchets to spread load over a larger contact surface. Ratchet EXP units built since 2019 with a 0 or 9 in the middle of the production code are covered by a free-inspection notice for premature ratchet wear.
DT Swiss's videos
From DT Swiss
Certifications
- ISO 4210 / ASTM F 2043 — DT Swiss states its internal factory standard 'ensures compliance with the current international standards (e.g. ISO 4210)' and sets test parameters by ASTM F 2043 riding conditions (self-declared, no certificate published) (source)
- Warranty — 24 months legal warranty against material and manufacturing defects; ball bearings are wear parts and excluded (source)
- Service interval — Clean and re-grease every 12 months (normal use) or every 3 months (extreme conditions) (source)
Sources on DT Swiss's site:
- Performance test center | DT Swiss
- Ratchet EXP maintenance notice | DT Swiss
- FAQ | DT Swiss
- Warranty & Fair-Share | DT Swiss
- Ratchet EXP | DT Swiss
The figures, certificates and media above are DT Swiss's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the hub.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
DT makes the 180 in Switzerland; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Straight-pull hubs reward careful building, and we bring every DT 180 wheel up in stages with a tension gauge, stress-relieve it and true it to a tight tolerance before it ships. Spokes are cut from the measured ERD of the rim in hand.
The configurator only shows rims and straight-pull spokes that fit the drilling, strikes through anything not made, and prices the wheel live.
Warranty
DT Swiss's warranty. DT Swiss covers its products against material and manufacturing defects for 24 months from purchase, excluding wear parts such as bearings and tubeless tape. Carbon rims and carbon wheels bought new since 1 January 2020 carry an extended guarantee to the first owner against defects in material and workmanship, and DT Swiss runs a paid crash-replacement scheme on carbon wheels for up to ten years from purchase.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
180 Straight Pull BOOST Rear Centerlock Disc Hub questions
Will my rotors fit this hub?
This is the centerlock version, so a splined centerlock rotor drops on and a lockring holds it - one tool, no six bolts to torque or lose. If your rotors are 6-bolt they will fit with a centerlock adapter, or take the 6-bolt version of the same hub, which is a separate listing.
What does straight-pull change for me on a 180?
Nothing in day-to-day riding; it lets DT make a lighter flange and gives the builder slightly more even tension. It does limit spoke choice to straight-pull models, which the configurator handles automatically.
Are the 180 ceramic bearings worth it?
On a race wheel, yes: lower drag and a very long service life. For a daily commuter the 240 with steel bearings is the sensible buy.
Can I fit a 54-tooth ratchet to the 180?
Yes, the 180 EXP takes the DT 54-tooth EXP ratchet set as a drop-in.
Is the 180 suitable for gravel?
For gravel racing, absolutely. For loaded bikepacking or heavier riders we would steer you to a 240 or 350 J-bend hub with a stouter spoke.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull BOOST Rear Centerlock Disc Hub?
No. DT Swiss makes the hub. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost Rear or QR 5x141mm Boost Rear. Measure between the inside faces of your dropouts if you are unsure, or text us.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
