3/13/15 6:39 PM

I have several sets wheels built on Shimano 9/10 speed hubs - a couple of sets built on Dura-Ace 7700 hubs, a couple of sets built on XTR and XT 9/10 speed hubs, one set built on 105 5500 hubs. Does anyone know if any of these hubs can be converted to take 11-speed cassettes? I can purchase a 5800 or 6800 or 9000 freehub body, but I don't know if any of these freehubs will fit on any of my existing hubs. Google hasn't turned up an answer one way or the other.

I realise that even if the freehub body fits, I'll need to redish the wheel (and possibly change some of the axle spacers), but neither of those tasks present a problem.

3/13/15 6:46 PM

Short answer is no.

But some handy dandy dremeling and scrutiny as to how close the drive side bracing angle on a particular hub is prudent.

If you do go the dremel route, I would grab a wheel that has the most room to the spokes from the rear derailleur in the first place. Obviously if you are running bigger cogs you will be further away being further up the dish, even though there is not much dish really on the drive sides since 9-10 speed.

3/13/15 7:04 PM

I know that the XTR 11-40 11-speed cassette will fit on 10-speed freehubs without any modification, Shimano figuring that the large cog is so large that the bracing angle of the spokes will put them far enough from the derailleur. But a) I don't think I need a 40t cassette cog, b) it costs a bomb and has five titanium cogs which will wear out pretty fast, and c) I don't know if that cassette will work with any derailleur except the XTR 9000 unit, which is only compatible with XTR flat bar shifters.

3/15/15 6:46 PM

I'm curious as to what part and what feature could be "Dremeled" in order for an 11s cassette to fit in place.

And whenever a freehub body is replaced with a different part, one must be prepared for the possibility of the entire stack of driveside axle hardware going along with the new freehub body, so that proper clearances and sealing are maintained.
Re-spacing of the non-driveside axle bits and wheel re-dishing would then follow.

FWIW, there are now 9-speed cassettes available (ostensibly for 29ers) which go to 36t and will work with good old 9sp mtb derailers while thus also remaining compatible with 9sp road shifters.

3/15/15 8:04 PM

Google image search "10 speed freehub fit 11 speed"

And have a barf bag ready. Some folks get way carried away with themselves. ;O

3/18/15 12:38 PM

I ve done it on a number of wheels. Just dremel off a little bit of the cassette body--it doesn't take much==and it fits perfectly.

I ve never measured one, just eyeballed it.

No new parts necessary, no cost.

3/18/15 12:39 PM

The backside of the cassette body that the inside of the largest cog rests against is what gets dremelled

3/18/15 2:54 PM

We are talking 1.#mm, right?

3/18/15 5:58 PM

Yes. You can mill the freehub or the cassette. works with lots of wheels, not so well with others due to spoke angle.