Cassette lock ring and the neanderthal

[Imlach]

Hello,

I went to put on my singlespeed kit today, last time I did it on one of my other bikes I had already realised that my cassette removal tool was poor quality and did a better job stripping the splines than removing the lock ring. But being the neanderthal that I am I decided to give it a go anyway, because last time I was lucky enough to be able to torque it down, so surely removing shouldn't be a big deal. So there I am all sweaty on the floor applying brute force while the tools slips and eats away the splines little by little. I could have stopped while the splines were slightly more intact but where is the fun in that? Now I'm sitting here contemplating what to do next. The lock ring is torqued to 40nm as stated on the long ring itself. Is it time to hammer it out with a flathead? A chisel? Try to bite it off using my teeth?

What's your trick for removing a stripped lock ring?

Thanks
Chris

 

[mk one]

I don't envy you, never had a stuck one but know that they can be tough to move even with a good fitting tool. I always tighten mine to the first clicks it make when putting on, that way i can usually undo them with a gloved hand instead of a chain whip, which i hate, and i have never had one come undone so still use that method after all these years.

 

[daugs]

Re:

mmm, how you going to hold chain wrap and do the chiseling ? What is it ? can you bear to put up pics ?

I'd be thinking can you get the axle out to get more space and then possibly an easyout type tool assuming can get a good grip on the body.

 

[Imlach]

I've put the wheel aside for now and will order a new kit and use it on another wheel, also bought a fancier removal tool. I think a big part of it was the cheapo kits terribly soft lock ring, I didn't have that issue with my Surly kit. Now that I've been hammering on the lock ring with a flathead I've made everything worse and it's still stuck. May just end up dissolving the whole wheel in caustic soda to cheer me up. I may put up pictures, but only to document to others what not to do. Luckily it's not a fancy wheel or anything.

Lock rings are a stupid invention and the people who decided to make almost every tool completely incapable of latching on properly should burn in hell.

I'll also take the advice not to torque it down quite as much.

 

[2manyoranges]

Re:

well.........burning in hell is quite out there....

When I was a newbie spannerer - and hypergilde was introduced just at the time I started getting into spannering in a big way, I found that indeed you could have problems. But time, patience and learning has meant that I don't face lockings I can't get undone, even if they have been put on with undue muscle (see my thread of last month on this).

So......

If you have a Shimano tool with a hole in the middle, you use a quick release skewer to hold it into the splines. Then use a mahoosive adjustable splanger and chain whip. Done.

If you have a Sliverline tool with a 3/8 socket hole you put on a big 3/8 handle - the 40cm one - and haul on it and the chain whip.
Done.

All burning in hell strictly unnecessary....

 

[The History Man]

I use a big torque wrench and chain whip. Never been beaten. Yet.

 

[Takingabreak]

After similar years of woe I bought one of these:-

https://www.parktool.com/product/casset ... in-fr-5-2g

The locating pin helps prevent the tool slipping off

 

[Once A Hero]

I use a big torque wrench and chain whip. Never been beaten. Yet.

Well I gotten beaten just the other day, for the first time ever - so you’re time will come

The lock ring on my Pace has been applied so tight that i had to take the extension bar from my 3tonne car jack to give me some extra leverage (which has worked for every other time it has been called in to duty).

The result this time was no movement of the lock ring, but a bent chain whip instead :shock:
Granted it is a cheap Jobsworth chain whip, but the fact it bent surprised me!

As I was only planning to take the cassette off to clean it - i have left it on, and will leave it to the bike shop to try when i take the wheel in for a proper truing

 

[Imlach]

My last attempt was with a torque wrench and a chain whip. I have now bought a better quality kit and a new cassette tool, this one has (as suggested by Once A Hero) a guiding pin that should prevent any slippage. I would have used the QR skewer to lock on my old tool, but my skewer wasn't long enough. Using a torque wrench on a very soft lock ring with a tool that just doesn't sit right definitely caused this mess. It's true that I could have waited and bought a better fitting tool (as I have now) but when you're itching to get your build done it's easy to feel the urge to bodge your way through, at least that's the way it is for me.

Thank you for all the input!