DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull 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 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 comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the rim, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
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 | QR 5x135mm Rear, Thru Axle 12x142mm 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 | 24h, 28h |
| Spoke head | Straight-pull |
| Brake | centerlock disc |
| Left flange diameter | 35.7 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 42.3 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 33.4 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 17.3 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.5 mm |
| Weight | 185g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
What sets this listing apart from the other 180 versions: centerlock rotor mount, QR 5x135mm, Thru Axle 12x142mm, 24h, 28h drilling, about 185g, in black. Pick the one that matches your frame and rotor and the rest of the hub is identical.
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 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.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull Rear Centerlock Disc Hub — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this hub pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for gravel and road disc and mountain bike builds.
Testing, standards and warranty at DT Swiss
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
DT Swiss publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the hub into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
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. Wheels we build around this part are covered by our own one-year warranty alongside the maker's. Within the year: broken spokes replaced regardless of cause, and the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning or a complete rebuild - included. A manufacturer-covered rim or hub failure is a claim we make and manage for you; one they will not cover is answered with an eligible replacement at 25% off retail. Shipping each way is yours. Parts you supply yourself fall outside it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
180 Straight Pull 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.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x135mm Rear or Thru Axle 12x142mm Rear. Measure between the inside faces of your dropouts if you are unsure, or text us.
Does it need special spokes?
Yes - straight-pull spokes only. The configurator filters the spoke list as soon as you pick this hub.
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.
