How tight is a cassette lock ring to undo. I want to repace the bearings in a back wheel but have never played with cassettes. Are they as tight as freewheels to undo. Also does the freehub stay on or does that need to come off as well to give easy access to the bearings. I can't do them yet as I have to buy the chain tool and extractor, I just want to know what I am in for!
Removing cassette lockring
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RecordAceFromNew
Swinging Member
- Location
- West London
Regarding tightness I would say it is usually not as tight as the tightest freewheel, probably because unlike freewheels pedalling does not tighten the lockring.
IME the cup and cone ones are no different to the freewheel type, for cassette bearing hubs I think it is impossible to generalise since it depends on the make/model etc., however this might be of use to you.
Hope it helps.
IME the cup and cone ones are no different to the freewheel type, for cassette bearing hubs I think it is impossible to generalise since it depends on the make/model etc., however this might be of use to you.
Hope it helps.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
PatrickPending
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
as recordacefromnew said not as tight as frewheels - i always found them (freewheels)to be a pain and only ever suceeded in getting one off - resorting to the lbs on many occasionds. Casette lockrings easy by comparison. just make sure youre turning the right wayt to loosen it. Oh and use a skewer to keep the removal tool located - unless your removal tool has a locating pin
GilesM
Legendary Member
- Location
- East Lothian
No where near as tight as a freewheel, very easy to remove.
The free hubs come off quite easiy, but if it a normal cone and ball bearing hub, you should be able to manage without taking the freehub off, a screwdriver with a bit of grease on maybe needed to get the bearing in on the drive side.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
What you mean like the mechanics at Park Tools?
albion
Guru
They usually come off very easy. For long tours a NBT cassette remover' is always handy in that its cassette side where broken spokes always happen.
For a screw on freewheel type a long extending car wrench always worked best. (after failing with the vice technique.) It feels like they weld to the hub according to the explosion sound when finally come free.
For a screw on freewheel type a long extending car wrench always worked best. (after failing with the vice technique.) It feels like they weld to the hub according to the explosion sound when finally come free.
What you mean like the mechanics at Park Tools?
I take your point but I meant those who have done jobs on older equipment under less than ideal conditions rather than experts working on new equipment with the latest tools and equipment for the purpose of demonstrating.
Something those very nice chaps at Park Tools don't explain is the meaning of HG and UG with reference to lock ring removers. Also I see some chain whips that specify for 9 or 10 speed but most don't specify anything. So to remove 9 speed Shimano do I need to specify or look out for a 9 speed chain whip? I was looking at this combination, would it meet my needs?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chainwhip-and-Cyclo-Cassette-Lockring-Remover-bike-tool-/200693109109?pt=UK_Spots_Leisure_Cycling_Tools_RepairKits&hash=item2eba3dd175
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chainwhip-and-Cyclo-Cassette-Lockring-Remover-bike-tool-/200693109109?pt=UK_Spots_Leisure_Cycling_Tools_RepairKits&hash=item2eba3dd175
RecordAceFromNew
Swinging Member
- Location
- West London
You made a fair point about incompleteness of guidance by Park, but imho nobody offers complete guidance for all issues all the time. It is the nature of the beast (potentially complicated, with a long history) I think.
The only meaningful difference between 11, 10, 9, 8 etc. sprockets in the present context is the thickness. I have no idea whether the "10 speed" whips have narrower chains, but I can't imagine why any standard wrap won't work on a 10 or indeed 11 speed cassette. After all it is the pitch that matters and they are all 1/2".
I am not sure I would get a Shimano compatible removal tool like that in the link if it is just for cassettes since it doesn't have a centralising pole thing to stop it coming off under torque, while if it is just for cassettes it won't work on freewheels, kind of worst of both worlds. I would either get one without the pole typically sold as for freewheels, which will indeed work on cassettes or non-qr cassette hubs, or get one for cassettes which has the pole. From your question you probably have the freewheel removal tool already (?) and if so you can just use that for the cassette (and use qr skewer loosely to keep tool from coming off under torque).
Btw thanks for the pdf offer. I am swimming in bike manuals so am sure I have one somewhere...
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
I have now bought two lockring tools, one with and one without the locating pin. I appreciate I could use the one without the locating pin and the use of the QR skewer, but what the hell, they are cheap enough. I had a ring round the family and some have nutted axles and some QR axles, so both will be used. I also got my chainwhip so when it stops raining I will go and remove the wheel from the bike in the shed and see if it's as easy as you all say :-)
Some have mentioned using a freewheel extractor to remove a cassette lockring. My freewheel shifter doesn't really fit the lockring properly. The keyways on the tool are fractionally too high and fractionally too wide and only go in about a millimetre or so, so I am glad to have the proper tools.
Some have mentioned using a freewheel extractor to remove a cassette lockring. My freewheel shifter doesn't really fit the lockring properly. The keyways on the tool are fractionally too high and fractionally too wide and only go in about a millimetre or so, so I am glad to have the proper tools.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Without them? Oh, that way madness lies.
