To accommodate wider range cassettes that use a 10-tooth cog for the lightest possible package. The 10-tooth cog is too small to fit on a traditional freehub body, like an 11-tooth cog can. The XD driver body provides several advantages:
- XD allows the use of a 10 tooth cog which provides significantly larger gear range than an 11 tooth.
- XD supports the cassette significantly better, especially in the large and small cogs. This improves bearing and axle durability of your hubs. The XD driver body is also lighter than a traditional driver body.
- XD eliminates damage that often occurs on aluminum driver bodies with traditional cassettes.
- XD cassettes are installed and removed using standard tools and practices.
- The XD hub allows the manufacturing of much lighter cassettes, with significantly larger gear ranges than traditional cassettes.
The XDR driver is slightly longer than an XD driver by 1.85mm, made for Road specific 11 speed rear wheels; it occupies the same space as an 11 speed HG road driver. The XDR driver allows XD interface MTB cassettes to be installed on a wheel that is spaced and dished for 11 speed road when used with a 1.85mm spacer behind the cassette.