Cassette removal problem

[Dwn]

I'm in the process of changing the wheels on my Triban RC520 and RC500. The latter bike is a couple of months old and the RC520 about 18 months.

The cassette on the newer bike came off without too much effort , but the older one seems stuck fast. Any suggestions to make this easier, or do I just need to apply more force?

Thanks

 

[Dave Davenport]

When you say 'stuck' assume you mean the lockring, if you're using a loose lockring tool use the QR skewer to hold it in place and maybe a longer spanner, try to get the spanner and chain whip in a position where your pulling them together.

 

[Cycleops]

Always useful to have a bit more leverage, slip a length of pipe over the spanner which should give you a bit more power.
Stand behind the wheel with the chain whip on one of the larger sprockets.

 

[Dwn]

Yes, it's the lockring that is stuck. I've got a removal tool which has a handle included and a chain whip. Will try to find a pipe for extra leverage. It may not need massive force, but a week of lower back pain has left me reluctant to apply too much force in case of sudden wrenching movement.

 

[ColinJ]

I have broken my chainwhip twice trying to remove stubborn lockrings. I ended up with a very strong DIY chainwhip ...

I gave up on repairing the chainwhip, though I will repair it again later for routine maintenance. This job clearly needed a chainwhip on steroids so I made one which would be up to the task in hand. Or rather - foot! I hammered the bottom of the sprocket into a big piece of timber and screwed a length of chain over the top of it.

View attachment 489095


I balanced the timber on the edge of a patio and put one foot on that to stop it moving. I then stood on the 12" spanner with my other foot. It took some bouncing on the spanner to finally get something to give...

... which was a tooth on the sprocket, which I managed to snap off! I tried again a couple of times and I finally felt the lockring move. Hoo-bloody-ray!

It took quite a bit more effort to unscrew the lockring; there did seem to be some corrosion involved in the problems I'd been having.

 

[Dwn]

Tried a pipe for extra leverage z but just not moving. A new cassette beckons

 

[ColinJ]

Tried a pipe for extra leverage z but just not moving. A new cassette beckons

Have you tried standing/Bouncing up and down on the pipe...? (Either the lockring will come loose, or something will break!)

 

[Gunk]

I’ve ended up having to scrap the cassette by putting it in the vice and then using the lock ring tool with a breaker bar and additional steel tube. It came free in the end. It was a commuter bike which hadn’t been cleaned for over 10 years. Plenty of swearing helped!

 

[Grant Fondo]

I’ve ended up having to scrap the cassette by putting it in the vice and then using the lock ring tool with a breaker bar and additional steel tube. It came free in the end. It was a commuter bike which hadn’t been cleaned for over 10 years. Plenty of swearing helped!

You just never know how it will turn out, got one off earlier without chain whip, couldn't believe my luck, fettling is certainly an inexact art

 

[Dwn]

Have you tried standing/Bouncing up and down on the pipe...? (Either the lockring will come loose, or something will break!)

I suspect that the something breaking might be on me rather than on the bike! I had hoped there might be some secret to it, but the more I read, the more it seems more force is the only answer. I'll give it another go in the morning, but I think I'll be buying a new cassette. Luckily, a father's Day voucher for decathlon will cover the cost

 

[rogerzilla]

They don't need to be very tight. There is a torque marked on them but the tool most people use doesn't easily fit a torque wrench, even if you have one in the right range. A few clicks of the ratchet.

 

[Gunk]

About 40 nm I also stick some copper slip on the threads

 

[I like Skol]

You are not trying hard enough. Let me try......

 

[jay clock]

Another option is to put the tool in a vice, slot the wheel on and turn the wheel

 

[midlife]

If you can't get the old cassette off, why buy a new one?