I've read before that this is possible, and i always thought it should be, but i finally confirmed it yesterday. I got a current-production set of Skyway Tuff II wheels, with the coaster rear. Skyway has been using KT HiStop hubs on these, and this new set had a bent-up clutch spring from day one, new & out-the-box. I was able to straighten out the clutch spring so it worked reasonably well, but it was dragging a bit, and I wanted a better hub anyway....and, being the tinkerin' type that i am, i wanted to try the swap.
So, I removed all the KT guts, axle and all, and cleaned'm up. Then, I did the same with a fresh Shimano cb-e110. I should've taken pictures, but I suck at life, so i didn't. But, comparing the bits side-by-side, it is clear that these are the same basic design, with identical dimensions and parts. The main differences are that the Shimano stuff was different colors (darker metal for the shoes and clutch, lighter colored axle), and the dust shield for the driver is better on the shimano. Also, the Shimano shoes and clutch are knurled with many more crosshatches as compared to the smoother surfaces found on the KT. Of course, the big difference is that the Shimano spring wasn't mangled, and it seems to be a stronger spring as well. Overall, I got a sense that the Shimano bits were made of harder metal and better- finished. Not sure how much of that is due to my own preconceived notions/bias, but it definitely seemed that way. (I should've weighed the bits to see if there's any differences as far as that goes...) I've read that KT makes the cb-e110 for Shimano; if that's the case, I'm thinking that Shimano demands better specs/QC from KT for their hubs than what KT puts on their own product line.
Bottom line: everything fit perfectly, as the shell is the same bore/width/etc. I greased her back up, adjusted everything, tightened it down, and went for a ride (on my "new" 1980 Schwinn Scrambler.) Anyone who has a KT that's not performing well might want to consider this swap, if the original hubshell is intact both inside and out. It's no more difficult than a routine repack; no tricks or voodoo required.
So, I removed all the KT guts, axle and all, and cleaned'm up. Then, I did the same with a fresh Shimano cb-e110. I should've taken pictures, but I suck at life, so i didn't. But, comparing the bits side-by-side, it is clear that these are the same basic design, with identical dimensions and parts. The main differences are that the Shimano stuff was different colors (darker metal for the shoes and clutch, lighter colored axle), and the dust shield for the driver is better on the shimano. Also, the Shimano shoes and clutch are knurled with many more crosshatches as compared to the smoother surfaces found on the KT. Of course, the big difference is that the Shimano spring wasn't mangled, and it seems to be a stronger spring as well. Overall, I got a sense that the Shimano bits were made of harder metal and better- finished. Not sure how much of that is due to my own preconceived notions/bias, but it definitely seemed that way. (I should've weighed the bits to see if there's any differences as far as that goes...) I've read that KT makes the cb-e110 for Shimano; if that's the case, I'm thinking that Shimano demands better specs/QC from KT for their hubs than what KT puts on their own product line.
Bottom line: everything fit perfectly, as the shell is the same bore/width/etc. I greased her back up, adjusted everything, tightened it down, and went for a ride (on my "new" 1980 Schwinn Scrambler.) Anyone who has a KT that's not performing well might want to consider this swap, if the original hubshell is intact both inside and out. It's no more difficult than a routine repack; no tricks or voodoo required.
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