FOR THE CONSUMER
My pawls have popped out of the driver, what’s up with that?
The Hybrid System slack disc that engages the pawls while the hub is in freecoaster mode, can be flipped around to keep the pawls retained in the driver while the hub is set up in cassette mode. If the pawls have dropped out of the driver while riding then something is either arranged incorrectly, or a part is missing completely from the internal assembly– most likely the outer slack ring. See diagram for the correct internal orientation for the correct assembly in each mode.
Everything inside my hub is arranged correctly inside my hub according to the diagram and the hub is still misbehaving, what’s going on?
There is a small spacer/washer that sits behind the driver regardless of the mode it’s set up in, at first glance it looks like a very simple flat washer but there’s a slight (but noticeable) taper on one side of this spacer, it is essential that this taper is resting against the driver bearing to allow the driver bearings to spin freely in relation to the rest of the internals. Installing it the wrong way around will cause it to bind within the driver’s bearing cavity and malfunction.
How tight do I need to fasten my cone nuts, doing them up too tight is bad for the bearings, right?
The cone nuts must be fully tightened for the hub to work correctly. For reference putting approximately the same amount of torque you’d put into tightening your cranks is adequate. The wave spring (which imitates the resistance mechanism found in a regular clutch-style Freecoaster hub) needs to be preloaded by the fully tightened cones to allow the hub to function as intended. Leaving the cones loose can make the engagement inconsistent, or even non-existent, as the spring isn’t preloaded enough to put any resistance on the slack discs. We recommend checking your cones periodically if you take your rear wheel off regularly for maintenance tasks, transportation, or storage.
My hub is not engaging when I pedal and is slipping, is it broken?
No your hub is most likely not broken. This is normally the wave spring getting compressed too much over time and not enough friction being supplied to the clutch assembly. Simply remove the wave spring, (slightly) stretch it out and reinstall. In most cases this will fix the problem and you are good to get rolling again.
My hub occasionally skips a pawl when pedalling forward, is this normal?
Yes, this is a fairly common occurrence with all types of pawl-driven hubs no matter the brand or whether they are Freecoaster Hubs or Cassette Hubs. This skipping occurs when a pawl doesn’t quite make it over the precipice of a ratchet ring ‘tooth’ before pressure is applied by the rider while pedalling, and it slips back into the previous ‘tooth’ at speed making an unpleasant sound. This is nothing to worry about, does not damage your hub and is just part and parcel of pawl-driven hubs.
How much, and what lubrication should I be using within the Hybrid system?
In short; very little, if any. Some riders almost instinctively like to fill up a cassette hub’s ratchet cavity to the brim with grease to combat wet conditions, or just to quiet-down loud cassette hubs, but we do not recommend this—especially when running the hub in Freecoaster mode. Too much grease can affect the driver magnet strength if too much gets between the pawls and driver magnets causing inconsistent engagement, too much grease can also clog and slow down the slack rings rotating in relation to each other. A pea-sized amount of grease (think re; brushing your teeth) smeared lightly around any moving parts is more than enough to keep things adequately lubricated. Regarding what type of lubrication to use; the smoother the better, copper or lithium grease is not generally recommended as these are usually intended for non-moving parts like seat posts, but Teflon-based grease and other smooth lubricants are fine to use in small amounts.
How much slack does the largest slack setting have?
The highest slack setting has around ¼ of a full crank rotation before engaging when coupled with a 25T x 9T gear ratio, however this will obviously be reduced if the front sprocket is larger than this eg. 28T x 9T.
Where can I get spare parts for my hub? Are all Hybrid System hub internals interchangeable?
Spare parts are readily available from BMX dealers, but only from the specific brand/model of hub. In most cases the axles and bearings are specific to each hub. Please contact the brand directly for spare parts confirmation or your local BMX dealer.
I’m still having issues with my hub, what can I do?
If after reading this FAQ you are still having issues, please contact the BMX dealer where you purchased the hub for further assistance so a trained mechanic can inspect the hub and work with the brand to find a solution.
FOR THE BRANDS
I am a bike brand and wish to use the Hybrid System, how do I get in contact with you?
Please contact us via the contact form on this site and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
I wish to use the Hybrid System in my own pre-existing hub design, is this possible?
Yes! The Hybrid System is very flexible and can be adapted to almost any hub design. Please send us as much info as possible and we can work out the best way to integrate the hybrid system into your existing products.