Rear wheel rebuild: 32 hole hub with 28 spoke wheel?

[Stephan]

Question for the wheel builders

I got my hands on a Hope Pro 4 rear hub with 32 holes. My current wheel set has 28 spokes. Can I replace my current 28 hole hub with the 32 one? Will the lacing work? 

[NotSoBigBen]

I have done it, gets a bit tricky with spoke lengths so keep that in mind ... it gives proper wheel builders heart palpitations I believe though 🤪

[letsride]

Would be a hard no for me! 

[Steady Spin]

So i have this square peg but everywhere i look i see round holes. 

[Moriarty]

No reason why not, just think about it and plan your spoking patterns.

[RobertWhitehead]

My opinion: you may be able to do it but I am not sure what the longer term structural implications may be. 

[100Tours]

sell the old wheel, buy a new rim?

[MORNE]

My pseudo mild ocd could never allow this😅.

i agree with other posters, get a new rim. If you shop right you could even get a new rim with same, or close to same ERD and just move everything over, although id recommend some new nipples. Ive done that before, got the hub and spokes on there and just gave it to a shop to tention/finish the job. 

Worked out a bit cheaper than a full rebuild.

[David Marshall]

Don't waste your time. Build a wheel you can be proud of.

[Hendrick Banda]

Buddy the idea wont work simply you wont get right the leigh of spokes, secondly wheel will have hops simply spokes are not pulling the hub equal i build wheels every day 

[Moriarty]

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/mismatch.html

[droo]

It can be done, but you'll need to be pretty good at maths or 3D modelling.

Although, as always - just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should.

[Shebeen]

15 minutes ago, droo said:

It can be done, but you'll need to be pretty good at maths or 3D modelling.

Although, as always - just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should.

Sheldon used MatLab it seems.

hectic. rims are cheap

 

[MORNE]

4 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Sheldon used MatLab it seems.

hectic. rims are cheap

 

Relatively cheap. 
no point in lacing a Pro4 to a noodle imo.

[droo]

15 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Sheldon used MatLab it seems.

hectic. rims are cheap

 

I think the world of 3D modelling has advanced quite a bit since he was around, but fair point. He probably did it just to see if it was possible, I wonder how it held up...

Still easier and cheaper to just do it properly, and the end result will likely last longer.

Edited September 13, 2022 by droo
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[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

I wouldn't build a 28h rim to a 32h hub - never ever.