DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull Rear 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 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 not sold bare. You choose the rim and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
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 5x130mm 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 |
| Spoke head | Straight-pull |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 35.7 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 42.3 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 33.3 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 15.4 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.5 mm |
| Weight | 185g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the rim-brake version: QR 5x130mm, 24h drilling, about 185g, in black. Same internals and flanges as every other 180; only the mount and axle differ.
This is the rim-brake 180, with no rotor mount at all: a lighter, simpler shell for road, track and classic frames that stop on the rim. It builds into the lightest wheel the model can make and it is the version to choose for a rim-brake bike; the disc versions of the same hub have their own listings.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The straight-pull DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull Rear 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 it into a wheel
This hub is live in our Custom Wheel Program for road rim brake builds. Start a build with the DT Swiss 180 Straight Pull Rear Hub and the configurator opens with this exact hub pinned at the top of the DT Swiss list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
What DT Swiss says about testing
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
Everything in this section is published by DT Swiss. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
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. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
180 Straight Pull Rear Hub questions
Can I use this hub with disc brakes?
No - this is the rim-brake version and it has no rotor mount at all, which is exactly why it is lighter and simpler. It is the one for a rim-brake road, track or classic frame. A disc frame needs one of the disc versions of this hub, which are listed separately.
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 5x130mm 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.
