I am personally not familiar with the hardware you mentioned; but I'm sure someone in the Cafe will be able to help you.

My suspicion is that the HiHat rod (the part that the clutch connects to and moves up and down) may be bent. The rod diameter is around 3/8 of an inch and can bend in transport or misuse. I would unscrew the rod, remove it from the stand and roll it on a flat surface. If you notice it wobbling like it's warped then you've found your problem. This can happen to anyone if the rod gets bent, even slightly. The bend will cause the rod to rub and thus cause it to feel stiff and not move freely.

The only other suggestions I can give is to check and see if there are any obstructions that would cause the action to be stiff. You may have to take the stand apart to find a probable cause.

I'm sure you would have adjusted the spring tension if that were possible, so no sense going there.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

And welcome to the Drummer Cafe!

If you need a clutch, Gibralter has I what I think is the best clutch on the market.  It basically squeezes the rod inside the clutch, as opposed to just having a sharp screw poke the rod.  IT also employs a nut at the bottom that locks to the clutch via a drum-key screw.  This keeps the clutch rom coming loose while playing.  By far the most consistent clutch I've ever used!

Was there no return or replacment policy with the kit when you bought it. Most new kits have this . If so notify the company the company that you are returning this piece due to malfuction and request a replacment hi-hat. Watch for the time limit on the warrenty. Hope you get the problem resolved.