Why would a cassette develop play?

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Peculiar problem...

I have an inordinate amount of play in my cassette. The freehub body is not loose and does not exhbit play.

It's minor but enough to make it impossible to set up totally crisp gear changes

I'm going to try to pop a 1mm spacer in there at the weekend but I have my doubts whether that will allow the lockring to secure with enough thread

Bike is well-used but not a mega-miler - always had older bikes and never encountered this before...and no it's not an old freehub body and 11T small sprocket combination

Nothing has changed in the setup since the bike was new (okay the rear wheel has been rebuilt but I did that myself so I know nothing has been left out upon reassembly)

Wondering why this play should appear...I now I need to sort it before play causes additinal wear

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Peculiar problem...

I have an inordinate amount of play in my cassette. The freehub body is not loose and does not exhbit play.

It's minor but enough to make it impossible to set up totally crisp gear changes

I'm going to try to pop a 1mm spacer in there at the weekend but I have my doubts whether that will allow the lockring to secure with enough thread

Bike is well-used but not a mega-miler - always had older bikes and never encountered this before...and no it's not an old freehub body and 11T small sprocket combination

Nothing has changed in the setup since the bike was new (okay the rear wheel has been rebuilt but I did that myself so I know nothing has been left out upon reassembly)

Wondering why this play should appear...I now I need to sort it before play causes additinal wear

I have this on a brand new wheel and cassette combo. Have been told that Shimano Deore hubs are notorious for play and failure. I end up tightening up my cassette after every few rides.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I have this on a brand new wheel and cassette combo. Have been told that Shimano Deore hubs are notorious for play and failure. I end up tightening up my cassette after every few rides.

Interesting...mine are Deore hubs too

Though on mine, there is no tightening of the cassette - that was my first check - the lockring. I removed the cassette and checked the freehub for play and none was evident either.

Job for the weekend since my quads are making a ride or walk look unlikely

 

[Alien8]

Don't really get this.

If the hub is okay, and the lockring is correctly tightened down, and there is still play, does that not imply that the lockring must be pushing up against the hub body stopping further tightening? Hence is there some spacer missing somewhere or something? I don't know, maybe it is a Deore thing.

 

[mickle]

What Alien8 said.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Don't really get this.

Me either - hence the thread. It has me puzzled - even if I solve it with a spacer I shall still be puzzled as to the cause.

 

[vorsprung]

My old Ambrosio hubs used to have a wobbly cassette after the bearings inside the freehub body were shot- as they often were
Not seen this happen in a Shimano freehub though

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I have wondered if it is a machining issue where a little too much space is left for the fitting of the cassette over the hub. I thought bearings at first but after changing the wheel I found that the issue was still there. I put it down to an inherent issue with a "cheep" hub.

 

[fossyant]

You need a spacer - simple.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

You need a spacer - simple.

Already ordered...received..ready to fit this weekend

But WHY do I need a spacer?

 

[a_n_t]

But WHY do I need a spacer?

To fill the space

 

[mickle]

When I used to get play in my cassettes there is a simple trick which is easy to to and does the job every time:













Stick a pencil in one side and carefully wind the tape back on to the spool! Jobs a goodun.

 

[Will1985]

You haven't said what speed cassette you are using. IIRC some combinations of 7/8/9/10 Shimano cassettes and freehubs need spacers otherwise there will always be play in it.

You also haven't said if this play has developed over time or has been present from the beginning.

I've never had Shimano but I do remember my flatmate once got a new wheel with a cassette fitted by the LBS and found that there was play - did a bit of research and found that a spacer was missing. This was confirmed when I removed the cassette for him...shop had discarded it!

 

[fossyant]

What Will says. Some 9/10 speeds need spacers on some hubs, where an 8 speed cassette fits without. Mavic wheels come with a spacer, unless someone's nicked it in the shop.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Well, it got a little worse...enough to detect the play in the freehub with the cassette removed...so no spacer required..just seems to have been that the play wasn't quite detectable in the freehub until now

New freehub before any deviations from my direct commute then...don't want it falling apart in the Hope Valley at 7am...