Hi everyone,
I’m having an issue with my hub and freehub body and could really use some advice.
I have a Novatec D042SB hub. I recently replaced the stock HG freehub body with a Micro Spline freehub (from a third-party manufacturer). The problem is that the new freehub doesn’t fit as smoothly as the original one. It’s noticeably tighter when installing, and once tightened, it spins with more resistance compared to the stock freehub.
It almost feels like the pawls are causing the resistance — like they are too stiff or not engaging properly. This hub uses 4 pawls, and I’m wondering if maybe the springs are too strong, or if something is slightly out of tolerance.
I’ve already tried:
Light lubrication
Checking alignment during installation
But the issue is still there.
Has anyone experienced something similar when switching to Micro Spline on a Novatec hub? Could this be a compatibility issue, or is there something I might be missing (like pawl tension, tolerances, or incorrect installation)?
Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance 🙏
by Naturedcat
2 Comments
missing a spacer maybe ? might still be on the old freehub body ?
With a third party part you always risk things being out of tolerance. As long as it doesn’t lock up and pose a danger I would ride it and see if it wears in. Or you can file dow the pawls to match the old ones and see if it helps.