Follow up: I did get the bearings out. The spacer sleeve on the freehub can be pushed to the side but it took some force, at first I didn't think it was possible. If you follow service directions from a DT Swiss 240 hub it's almost identical. The ratchet piece that you have to thread out wasn't too bad, I used a pipe wrench and a long pipe for leverage. Make sure you put it back in flat side out or it will bind when you put the wheel in and tighten the axle (had to to it all apart again and flip that around).

Yeah since I bought the wheels on their website and not Aliexpress I'm not sure if Goldix is compatible. Maybe DT Swiss 240?

I did contact Elitewheels and they said no more warranty, take to a bike shop or buy a new freehub. Their website charges $45 plus $30 shipping for a free hub to the USA. I was hoping their bearings would last longer than two years, one of the axle bearings went bad too but I was able to get that one out. I'll check out that bearing removal tool looks interesting. 

On a 240 freehub you can push the middle spacer to the side and tap out the bearings, but I'm not able to push it to the side on this Pro hub, or am I doing something wrong?

The other option is to purchase a new freehub. The wheelset is the Pro33 that I purchased on their website 20 months ago. What's compatible out there with boost microspline?

Is Goldix compatible? Almost as cheap as replacing the bearings if it works:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804113599785.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.6a2c60cdhTUcyb&algo_pvid=76aeea8a-6527-477e-ac79-bc1be27ffe4f&algo_exp_id=76aeea8a-6527-477e-ac79-bc1be27ffe4f-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%2275%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%2C%22fromPage%22%3A%22search%22%7D&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21USD%2138.90%2129.58%21%21%21267.35%21203.33%21%40210319b017742866017613509ed7d0%2112000028676944209%21sea%21US%210%21ABX%211%210%21n_tag%3A-29910%3Bd%3Aea3274e0%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895%3BpisId%3A5000000197827647&curPageLogUid=723GpajWdaJ8&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A%7Cx_object_id%3A1005004299914537%7C_p_origin_prod%3A#nav-review

Pic 7: front hose routing was tight but manageable
Pic 8: this is where I ran into issues. The stock bushing size for the lower shock mount is much wider than the frame linkage. There is no bushing that exists in production that I'm aware of that is thin enough to fit inside the linkage. It was a pain dealing with this as I ordered different parts trying to figure this out and talking to others to find a solution. Some have 3D printed bushings as a solution. The 8x14 Rockshox kit I ordered for it doesn't come with any bushings, just two washers and the center insert. Finally I just grinded down the bushings so that it would fit. Time will tell how well this holds up. The inner bolt has a little bit of play, I think the tolerances are off. I wrapped some aluminum tape around it while I source a better fitting bolt.
Pic 9-12: the finished product. Full XT with Fox Factory 120mm fork, medium frame.

Some added thoughts: The order process and customer service was not great. I was hoping it would ship before De Minimus changes on May 1st. As that date got closer AWST actually pulled all their product off of Aliexpress, nothing there at all. That scared me so I cancelled the order through Aliexpress but AWST denied the cancellation. I decided to risk it and ultimately I did not pay any extra in duties or tariffs. They also sent me the wrong tracking number which caused some confusion because I was trying to ask FedEx why it was going to a different state.

I ordered the frame and paid extra for the shock included (I was going to use that shock temporarily because the Fox shock I got was originally backordered). It did not come with the shock even though I paid extra for it. AWST confirmed through messaging that it did not come with the shock. There's been a lot of back-and-forth with Aliexpress customer service. They want me to return the entire frame but I just want the extra $60 refunded.

My wife is happy with the bike and with how light it is. No internal cable rattle and paint quality is quite decent so far. Make sure you get a chainstay protector and downtube protection. Seat tube insertion is not very deep at all. A 125mm dropper works for my wife, but it was very close. If she didn't have 165mm cranks then even a 125mm would have been too long.

Build complete. Here's some info I gathered and my thoughts.

Frame ordered on April 21st. Delivered to my home stateside on May 24.

Pic 1: ordering and waiting for parts to come in
Pic 2: there was some discussion on where the frames are made, sticker here says Taiwan
Pic 3&4: hose routing from rear triangle to frame is very tight, save yourself the trouble and detach lower linkage before tackling the job
Pic 5: someone reported tight rotor clearance but I had no issues with this (XT caliper and 160mm rotor)
Pic 6: the included no-star-nut headset was pretty cool and easy to install (maybe slightly heavier?). There is indeed a lack of clearance causing binding as others have mentioned but a 3mm spacer under the cap seemed to resolve this

As a side note, when I ordered I did pay extra for the "frameset+seatpost+shock" thinking that it would include a shock with the frame. Not the best shock but I wanted something on there temporarily. An extra $80. However, it did not come with a shock, only the seatpost. The seller verified that it did not come with the shock so I have chatted with Aliexpress customer service about it and am waiting to hear back. Hopefully a refund for the difference.

edit: ordered the RockShox variant 8x14mm

Thanks for the info! Anyone got a source 8x14mm mounting hardware? That seems to be a tough one to come by.

Looking for what I need to mount this 2025 Fox Float SL? The bushings that came installed out of the box stick out too much for the shock to even fit inside the linkage as pictured. I've built up a number of frames but haven't dealt with mounting a shock before so I want to make sure I order the correct parts the first time around.

I ordered a few more parts in separate orders like a full XT groupset and carbon saddle and still have yet to be hit with any tariff charges or extra fees.

My frame ($700) arrived with no additional fees, purchased on Aliexpress and final delivery by UPS. Ordered in April and delivered in May.

^That is some quick shipping. My Aliexpress order was marked shipped on May 11 but I don't think it actually shipped until the 13th. Now ten days later and the FedEx tracking number still has no updates.

My Fedex IE (international economy) tracking number also says from California, but no delivery date yet. "We'll add a delivery date as soon as we get your package." Marked shipped on aliexpress on May 11 with an estimated delivery of May 18 but still nothing yet.

Go ahead and bash Trump but note that last year House Democrats also attempted to end the de minimis exemption.

https://prosperousamerica.org/house-democrats-take-lead-on-closing-de-minimis-loophole-going-against-amazon-fedex-others/

Well dang it. I ordered an AWST carbon frame from Aliexpress on April 21. I was hoping it was going to ship after a few days like my Elite wheels did. Estimated shipping date is May 14. Thinking of cancelling if I'm going to get totally screwed on duty fees.

After researching a few different frames I decided to go with the AWST Evo frame. I ordered through Ali and was able to find a $40 off code after trying a bunch. It's showing an estimated arrival date about a month out. Will post pics after it's built.