On Mar 12, 6:18 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
A friend has a set of 10-speed Dura-Ace wheels. He wants to sell them. A
potential buyer has an 8-speed bike. You see the problem...

1) Can these DA hubs be "downgraded" with a (apparently steel) freehub
from the 8/9/10-compatible 105 hubs?

Nope, unique axle-

2) are these freehubs readily available in the parts channels yet?

Available, yes.QBP has 'em as does shimano, USA

3) are these DA hubs compatible with the mainstream Shimano freehub
bodies that are available all over the place, not least possibly from
the new purchaser's previous set of wheels? I'm thinking of the
almost-universal Shimano hub that can be removed by pulling out the axle
and then unscrewing the freehub body with a 10mm hex wrench inserted
into where the axle was (it's great fun if you've never done this
before, mainly because you can't really see or believe that there's any
10mm hex flats to engage in there).

Nope, unique hub, design very much like Campagnolo with an oversized
aluminum axle, 3/16(i think) balls...

Thanks,
-RjC.

--
Ryan Cousineau /
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos