Author Topic: Freehub Replacement from HG to XDR  (Read 1696 times)

muringuets

Freehub Replacement from HG to XDR
« on: November 23, 2025, 03:08:33 PM »
Hi all,
I need help sourcing a new freehub body for a set of DT Swiss G540 wheels.
Long story short, I'm trying to build a new bike on a very tight budget. That's why I'm looking for help here — so maybe I can find a freehub from China that works.
I got these wheels really cheap, with an HG freehub. I've looked, and the hubs are Specialized sealed bearings with a 3-pawl system.

Found a very helpful thread with good info:

https://www.reddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/1evfc3c/dt_swiss_g540_hub_replacement/

From that thread I got that the hubs are rebranded Formula hubs (TXC-142A), and there's a replacement XDR freehub from Specialized (Part#: S222100005). I found it for $65 + shipping:

https://www.performancebike.com/specialized-formula-sealed-cartridge-freehub-body-black-sram-xdr-s222100005/p1335997

The problem is, when factoring in the taxes (+92% on top of price + shipping), it's very expensive (more than I paid for the wheels). I'd rather look into alternatives from China/AliExpress before committing to a Specialized one.
I've attached the pictures from the link above of the Specialized freehub replacement part.

As for the Chinese options, I found these AliExpress links:

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008163866157.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005006190929860.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005220976279.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008041774411.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005007168748339.html
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008458236570.html


What would you guys say? Is it safe to bet on the AliExpress links? Does anyone have any idea if any of them (or perhaps a different one) will work?
In the worst-case scenario, I'll try and order the Specialized part...

P.S. I believe some Syncros wheels use the same hubs. I found a XDR freehub for a Syncros wheelset that's very similar to the pictures, but it's too expensive to just try out without confirmation.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

gribs

Re: Freehub Replacement from HG to XDR
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2025, 04:02:41 PM »
The cheapest/easiest option is probably just using a hg cassette rather than replacing the freehub body.