We believe this freehub pre-dates Shimano's now higher-end XTR component group...so for this period...the Deore XT groupset, including this freehub, would have been Shimano's top-end offering for mountain bikes. Shimano literature further indicates this freehub has a one-piece forged aluminum alloy body and a traditional cup-n-cone bearing design...so a very strong and durable offering that should hold up well under stressful conditions.. This same reference material also indicates the cup-n-cone bearing design is enhanced to include some sealing properties that should help reduce internal wear. Now I will be the first to admit these sealing properties are not on par with more current cartridge bearing designs, but I believe Shimano's claim still holds some merit.

As for condition, the small lot that we acquired have some shopwear, but overall each unit still shows fairly well. The polished silver finish is still nice and there does not appear to be any corrosion or rust present. I can also confirm the factory matched skewer is included, but I am noting some age cracks in the rubber o-ring on the acorn nut. I understand this is more of a cosmetic problem, but I still wanted to mention it. Finally, please keep in mind the age of these freehubs, because they spin a little tight due to old factory grease. So you will probably want to service this hub before putting any miles on it. Listing Update...I am nearing the end of my stocks in these freehubs, so I have begun updating the pictures to reflect the next unit that will sell/ship. To this end, I can confirm there is some shopwear (scuffs/scratches) in the polished finish. I am also noting some scuffs at ends of the flanges from these freehubs likely coming into contact with hardened steel UniGlide cassettes (and specifically the teeth) during their several years of storage. I've taken some close-up pictures of these areas, but the blemishes do not always show up as well in the pictures relative to what I am seeing in person (and just want to be honest). Finally, there is one area on the edge of the left flange that is flattened a bit. I am not sure if this was the result of the flange coming into contact with a hardened surface (with some force) that created this flat spot, or if this was a forging imperfection. I am leaning towards the former and again, I've tried to take some pictures from different angles to show this blemish. I cannot see where this will cause any functional problems, but its still noticeable. Please also note that while we have multiple quantities listed for sale, we will repeatedly update the pictures to represent the next offering that will sell/ship.