[Closed] maxlight hubs - re branded novatech?

Interested in any ideas on the Crosslight hubs myself - I'd like to build a nice light high pressure road rim on to a set as the road wheels for the Tripster.

I could just jiggle the brakes around I guess, but I'd like it to be totally faf free.

If they do turn out to be the same as Novatecs and Superstar Switches (think these are Novatec D882SB), let me know if you find some pawls and springs. Mine are knackered and Superstar don't sell replacements.

Yeah. I'm fast realising availability is poor. Since I posted up I've done enough research that I'm reasonably certain they are Novatechs. They've also got a very poor reputation for stripping freehub teeth and eating pawls too.

I'm likely to be throwing good money after bad, even if I can get some pawls.

Right, they are novatechs. They are used as the superstar Tesla and the nukeproof generator too. Neither kinesis nor superstar stock the pawls and springs, although they do carry replacement freehubs.

But, CRC stock the pawls and springs for the generator, and thus the other models I mentioned. I know this because I fitted nukeproof pawls in my maxlight hubs this lunch time and it works just peachy.

I think thats more likely that the pawls come from the same factory than the hubs do. The maxlight hubs I am 99% certain are not Novatec, and looking at the Nukeproofs they bear all the hallmarks of the same factory as the Maxlights (for example the way the model number is formatted and etched on the hub). But thats all good if it works!

EDIT: If this is the hub you have its definitely not a Novatec:

[img] [/img]

Thanks Ben, maybe they aren't then. Its diifuclt to tell and I've judged the hub origin as the same as the pawls, which it clearly isn't. Either way, they work.

Yes, that my maxlight hub, nasty, slippy thing that it is.

Out of interest how many poe does your maxlight hub have?

30

Hmm.so is a standard freehub then. I wondered if they'd ruined it by doubling up the teeth or using half the pawls. You might be worth calling upgrade to see if they'd replace it for you. I've been knocking about on those hubs for some time now and other than destroying a few bearings the hub, and specifically the freehub has been flawless

... Having checked out the nukeproof hub reviews though it seems like freehub death is common. Were your pawls knackered?

Tbh, I'm not going to be using them for much longer. I replaced the freehub after 18 months in November and the pawls have just disintegrated. I'll be building some LB carbons on hopes. I don't really trust the hub anymore and parts aren't as easy to get hold of as hope either. My other bike has hope, so I'm going to standardise across the two and keep spares in so I can repair immediately. I don't like down time.

Thanks, sorry to bombard you with questions but I had been testing these hubs for a budget build wheel and I'm interested in any feedback as it might dissuade me, or at least make me make the factory do some modifications to improve the design... I've already redesigned the body to run single spoke lengths, so some work on the free hub would be ok too... When the free hub died what was the specific issue - had the teeth worn out? When the pawls died did they snap the ends off or were they also just worn down? Pawls would be a relatively cheap fix by simply machining some new ones from a higher grade of steel, but if the ratchet teeth go too... That's a trickier, but not insurmountable change. Of course on a budget wheel you can't go changing everything otherwise it's not budget anymore... Any input welcome! Thanks.

I think the root cause is poor engagement. The free hub wasn't so much worn as the tips of the teeth were stripped off. Lots of tiny strips of broken metal.

Pawls failed the same way- tips broken off as you describe.

Its like the material couldn't take the load, or wasn't fully engaged and wasn't spreading the force on the engagement areas enough.

'Stripped' is the word I'd use.