SPANK INDUSTRIES
BUYER'S GUIDE HUBS
Understand which hub is right for you, get all the wheel build details you need for custom building to a SPANK Hex Drive Hub, and check our maintenance and adaptability resources to ensure you are on point.
The HEX DRIVE Hub from SPANK Industries brings you a high engagement (3.5°) hub with oversized bearings and advanced seal system for durability and low maintenance.
Available with HG, XD and Microspline alloy freehubs, SPANK have also produced an ebike dedicated steel freehub across all three platforms to pair with the HEX Drive Hub.
Two mountain setups are available, namely 28H Straightpull Boost (ideal for Enduro and Trail), 32H J-hook Boost& non-Boost (perfect for DH, Freeride, All mountain and Trail). A Gravel specific 28H J-Hook is also available.
Besides the laundry list of features, we also highly optimized the weight, making HEX very competitive with hubs almost twice the price. HEX DRIVE just might be the best hub for the money with rear hubs coming in from $199 and the front listing from $99 MSRP.
102T / 3.5º ENGAGEMENT
The new HEX Drive rear hubs employ a huge ratchet ring with 102 teeth. Six independent pawls, each with 3 steps, work in unison to create 18 points of contact with the ratchet ring per click. The result is an almost instant pick-up of just 3.5º, with unparalleled security against slippage under torque. The benefit in riding terms: no unwanted lag in your crank between pedal strokes, more efficient pedaling on technical sections and climbs, quicker, almost constant power to the pedals, and the 18 points of contact result in higher strength and better reliability.
ENHANCED SEAL SYSTEM & OVERSIZED BEARINGS
For the riders who subject their bikes to abusive conditions during the wet winters, and likewise for those with intense or prolonged exposure to fine dust conditions, we added an advanced seal system to reduce contamination. Oversized bearings further increase durability while maintaining the lighter weight of alloy. The benefit: low maintenance and easy service.
In addition to the seal system, the pawl cap design has the added advantages of; keeping your pawls in place during maintenance (no more crawling on the workshop floor with a magnet looking for lost pawls);seals the pawls to prevent contamination during service and maintenance, and finally; also has the benefit of damping the volume of your high engagement hub- the sound we all love, but a little quieter is a nice bonus!
UNIQUE FLANGE DESIGN IMPROVES SPOKE TENSION CONSISTENCY
A unique flange design on the hub reduces dish requirements on the wheel build, meaning that the spoke tension on the drive side and non-drive side of the wheel is more evenly matched than many other hub designs on the market today. The benefit for the rider comes in a more consistently tensioned, therefore stronger, wheel.
UNIVERSAL FIT ADAPTER SYSTEM
Every element of the hub was scrutinized, including adaptability. All hub adapters feature a universal fit, meaning that all HEX rear hub adapters will work with all three freehub types(XD, HG & Microspline). Furthermore, all HEX front hub adapters are symmetrical and therefore interchangeable from left to right side. The advantage to you - no more scrambling for extra adapters and added costs if you change from HG to Mircospline or XD for example. The adapters that came with your original freehub will universally fit any other SPANK HEX DRIVE freehub.
A standard set of adapter options is included in the box as extras with all SPANK HEX DRIVE Hubs, meaning that you can adapt your hub to almost any rear dropout or suspension fork set-up that is common on the market. For set-ups a little less common, spare adapters can be purchased separately.
LOW MAINTENANCE & EASY SERVICE
Since cleaning bikes is a chore none of us enjoy, ease of maintenance was a priority. Removing end caps and the freehub doesn’t require tools to remove, and can be done by hand, making the HEX DRIVE Hub incredibly easy to service and maintain.
A full range of service parts such as bearing and pawl kits are available. Spare adapters and freehubs (Microspline, XD &HG) are available now, as well as torque caps for front suspension running torque cap standard. And for the ebike community, from June 2020,'Electric Plus' standard steel freehubs will be available for HEX DRIVEHubs , also across all platforms (XD, HG & Microspline).
FINALLY - A SPANK SINGLE SPEED HUB!
26-inchers, dirt jumpers, pumptrack regulars and even BMX'ers can rejoice! SPANK couldn't come to market with a new hub without taking care of our core single speed fans! No more conversion kits and ghetto fixes. Alongside the launch of the HEX DRIVE Hubs, SPANK also releases it's new SS-DJ Hub. Available now with an 11T cog, 12T & 13T cogs are also available separately. Naturally, this one is bombproof!
SPANK ELECTRIC PLUS STANDARD FOR E-BIKES
“Electric +” Test Standards & ASTM Classification EN/ISO test requirements ensure a minimum level of safety in the bicycle industry. Our more extreme SPANK Internal Test Requirement, doubles EN/ISO testing severity, as a SPANK minimum for all our products. E-MTB is the newest and fastest-growing segment of our sport. The E-MTB upgrade component market is emerging as an important part of the global bicycle market. Electric MountainBikes and their components are subjected to higher loads, higher speeds, and longer riding times than the average sport MTB. It stands to reason then, that components aimed at this market should be subjected to higher test standards relative to their intended use.For this reason, SPANK has developed our “Electric +” test standard for components recommended for the assembly of Pedelecs (max 25km/hr), which works in conjunction with the ASTM classification, or intended discipline of each product. As a member of ASTM (the American Society of Testing and Materials),SPANK Industries assigns an ASTM classification level to all our products.SPANK’s “Electric +” test standard for E-MTB components increases the applied loads in fatigue, impact, and static load testing, and run to destruction, qualifying all components within an ASTM classification. Products recommended for ASTM 4 & 5 levels are suitable for E-MTB use, within their relevant ASTM conditions/discipline. EN/ISO standards, SPANK internal standards, and“Electric +” standards, are all tested in both in-house test labs, and regularly correlated within 3rd Party Test Labs such as SGS. EPAC Standard & E-bike Class 1 compatible.
UNIVERSAL FREEHUB SWAP OUT
Keeping things simple and easily adaptable, SPANK Industries offers interchangeable HEX DRIVE Freehubs for HG,XD and Microspline platforms. Simply put, all SPANK Hex freehubs universally fit all SPANK Hex Hubs (regardless whether it is J-hook, Straightpull, Boost, 157 or 135mm. When we say UNIVERSAL FIT, we really mean UNIVERSAL FIT!
The Gravel HEX DRIVE Hubs are also available in XDR fit as well as for HG road setups applicable to Gravel.
HG-E, XD-E, and Microspline-E are also available (with steel freehub) for ebike application.
HOW TO SWAP OUT YOUR HEX DRIVE FREEHUB IN UNDER 60 SECONDS
HUB ADAPTERS & SERVICE KITS
DOWNLOAD .Pdf to view and confirm Hex Hub Adapters and service kits.
HEX HUB DIMENSIONS
Need detailed hub dimensions for a wheel build? Download .Pdf
SPOKE & NIPPLE CHART
Need detailed SPANK wheel specifications for a custom build? Download .Pdf
PCD & OFFSET
Download this chart for HEX Straightpull Hub PCD & Offset Information.