Chris King has all the time been about making probably the most exact parts – it’s proper there within the title. Their hubs are artworks, with their patented RingDrive system buzzing away as you coast. However that RingDrive precision got here at a value, particularly a extra complicated service process and expensive driveshell replacements.
Chris King had already phased out their needle-bearing design of the RingDrive system in 2019. Transferring from that to a twin-bearing system lowered drag by greater than 20% and made for a system that was lighter and simpler to fabricate. The difficulty was that adapting the present hub design to the present twin-bearing system required a number of axle and inside driver physique variations.
Now with the Gen 4 hubs, that every one adjustments.
“Earlier iterations of our hubs wanted to steadiness compatibility with evolving exterior applied sciences, just like the SRAM and Shimano drive techniques, with our patented internals and bearings. With these core techniques having stabilized, it gave us a chance to rethink what was occurring inside our hubs, and so we took the possibility to simplify issues for our riders and streamline manufacturing.
For Gen 4 we undertook a holistic growth course of for every of the three hub merchandise Increase CenterLock/6-Bolt, R45D, and R45, collapsing the specs right into a design that permits for a common axle and inside components. In earlier generations, we chased specs that led us to completely different bearing sizes, and so on. Gen 4’s common components have allowed us to streamline manufacturing, and because of this, helped us scale back hub costs AND the price of the small components long-term riders will need for hub service and upgrades.”
King Gross sales Supervisor Greg Hudson
Notably, Chris King factors out that “this isn’t a performance-based evolution.” Basically, the hubs now use common components which permit King to supply drive system conversion kits for simply $80 (for hubs which can be already transformed to or offered as Gen 4). Evaluate that to their earlier conversion kits which have been as much as $380 in 2023. Higher but, the Gen 4 system is backward appropriate with earlier King hubs, so you possibly can convert your current hub to Gen 4 – although these conversion kits are costlier. “Transferring ahead, Gen 4 R45D and Increase 6-Bolt conversion kits are priced at $275, which incorporates the axle, adjusting clamp, bearings, and driveshell. Equally, Increase CenterLock conversion kits are priced at $250, inclusive of the axle, bearings, and driveshell.”
On the time of writing, costs for brand new Gen 4 hubs weren’t accessible, although we all know that driveshell conversion kits for brand new hubs ought to run $80 because you solely want to vary out the driveshell. Chris King says that Gen 4 hubs are actually delivery and are being constructed into their full wheels.
Particular enhancements with Gen 4 embrace:
- Model new driver/axle system
- Improved compatibility/ease of adjusting Driveshell varieties
- Decrease-priced conversion kits
- Higher XDR person expertise with threaded Driveshell finish cap
- Simpler meeting and disassembly (no axle wedge)
- Easier preload adjustment (no spacer spring to compress)
- Extra versatility as a consequence of common axle and inside components
- Extra cross-compatibility as a consequence of widespread bearing sizes
- Backward compatibility with earlier generations of King hubs
- Gen 4 R45D hubs make the most of an up to date adjusting clamp that permits for disc removing with out the necessity to take away the adjusting clamp.
