Lock Ring

[MossCommuter]

How tight should the lock-ring be?

Tightening it starts to click, like it's on a ratchet or something... Do I tighten "through" the clicks? Not got a torque wrench so I just tightened it to the 1st click and it came loose, so now I tightened it as much as I can by hand.

Did I do right?

 

[numbnuts]

I take it it's the lockring on the cassette most people over tighten then and then having trouble undoing them 3 years later I just do two clicks

 

[MossCommuter]

I take it it's the lockring on the cassette most people over tighten then and then having trouble undoing them 3 years later I just do two clicks

Yes, that's the job! Thanks.

Maybe I over tightened now but at one click, it came loose.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[GrasB]

"tighten to 40Nm" That works out to be 3 or 4 clicks on a SRAM cassette lock ring.

 

[MossCommuter]

"tighten to 40Nm" That works out to be 3 or 4 clicks on a SRAM cassette lock ring.

Maybe I did OK then... must've been about that many clicks (it's a Shimano cassette though).

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Use a torque wrench. Ignore the "clicks" as these are merely the serrations built in to help prevent the ring from slackening.

Shimano certainly recommend 40 newton/metres, but I have no experience of Campy.

 

[accountantpete]

I tighten until the sprockets wont move under a firm waggle and then a couple of Campag clicks for luck.

 

[Zoiders]

You don't need a torque spanner, just tighten it down so it offers a bit of resistance when you try to undo it, it's about a quarter to half turn once the teeth engage and click.

Un-doing it again should be about as hard a stuck jam jar lid, there is no force trying to undo it under drive so it needs much less welly than people normaly give it.

People get all misty eyed about "torque" spanners as they think that is what the "professionals" use but if you are having to rely on a torque spanner to get the feel for a simple cassette lockring right then I would simply accept your cack handedness and pay the shop to do it.

 

[e-rider]

2 clicks is crap advice - way too loose on a shimano cassette and will just come loose on the first ride.

40Nm is the correct torque for shimano - if you don't have a torque wrench then the best advice I can give is that it's fairly tight! Grease the thread first as that will make it easier to remove in several years time.

 

[HLaB]

I don't own a torque wrench that goes up to 40Nm; I just make sure its tight and touch wood I've never had a problem (with my cassette anyway )

 

[numbnuts]

2 clicks is crap advice - way too loose on a shimano cassette and will just come loose on the first ride.
.

Yeah you could be right, I've only done 22 thousands miles it might come loose on the next mile

 

[Davidc]

Not sure how many clicks but I agree(ish) with Zoiders, I do 1/4 turn from where the ring touches the cassette body. That's probably about the same as numbnuts' couple of clicks. If I ever have one come loose I'll do them up more, but it hasn't happened yet and I've lost count of how many times I've done them up.

 

[subaqua]

2 clicks is crap advice - way too loose on a shimano cassette and will just come loose on the first ride.

40Nm is the correct torque for shimano - if you don't have a torque wrench then the best advice I can give is that it's fairly tight! Grease the thread first as that will make it easier to remove in several years time.

does the manufacturers info say dry threads or lubed threads for the right torque settings.

the engineer in me is squirming at people saying do it XYZ clicks.

manufaxcturers recommend a torque setting for a reason.


that said do it till it "feels" tight

 

[Broadside]

I risk being shot down quickly here for a gross over simplification but in the absence of a torque wrench it will do.

There are approx 10 newtons to a kilogram. So 40nm equates to 4kgm. Imagine the spanner you are tightening the lock ring with has a 1 metre arm, to achieve 4kgm gently rest 4kg of weight on the end of the arm. It may be easier to imagine a half metre arm with double the amount of weight (8kg). So it needs to be tight but not silly tight.

 

[Fattman]

Good 'n' tight, I'd say. Turn it about that much, then a little bit more, but not so much you can't get it undone again

I had a lockring come loose halfway through an 80 mile jaunt and it was just annoying rather than disastrous, strange rattling in some gears - so my experience suggests you're unlikely to suffer catastrophic failure or badly bust up components if it comes a bit loose.