How to break a chain whip

[Andy in Germany]

So I tried using my chain whip to remove a bog-standard shimano cassette, as usual I needed more pressure than the short chain whip will allow, so I got a tube and added this to the end. Next attempt the handle bent and the chain snapped...

And of course on the bike I've already replaced the chain so I can't ride it any more....

 

[Slick]

Wow, must have been well on there.

 

[Bazzer]

I bent mine a couple of weeks ago without a tube added and had to straighten it again with a hammer. Luckily it did its job the next time I applied pressure, but I think it will need replacing the next time a cassette is removed.

 

[User6179]

I bent mine and snapped the chain off it so I screwed a length of chain to a piece of 2x2 timber, far easier to use and cost nothing.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I bent mine and snapped the chain off it so I screwed a length of chain to a piece of 2x2 timber, far easier to use and cost nothing.

Now that's a good idea. Have you any photographs?

 

[bikingdad90]

1st time you replaced the cassette by any chance?

I’ve found that bike parts that came from a shop fitted at the factory were fitted using an air gun and over torqued. Bike shop so far have had to;

1) take a grinder to a bottom bracket when I swapped chainsets,
2) on an over tightened BB, two of them jumping on a metal rod to get it to loosen.
3) had to use a heat gun on an over tightened and over torqued cassette that would not budget with a workshop grade whip and pole.

 

[User6179]

Now that's a good idea. Have you any photographs?

 

[Tim Hall]

For a cassette (unless it's that rubbish Miche design) you shouldn't need that much effort to hold it in place while you get busy with the lock ring tool. Was it a freewheel rather than a cassette? Tge lock ring doesn't need to be done up that tight.

 

[mmmmartin]

The use of a camping stove with a butane/propane mix in the cylinder allowed me to add a lot of heat to the cassette. The oil burnt off. When I used the chain whip the whole thing undid as easily and as sweetly as you could imagine. I did the same with a recalcitrant pedal on a used bike i bought, came off easily after heat was applied.

I'm told you can buy a freeze spray but doing know anyone who's used one.

 

[swansonj]

For a cassette (unless it's that rubbish Miche design) you shouldn't need that much effort to hold it in place while you get busy with the lock ring tool. Was it a freewheel rather than a cassette? Tge lock ring doesn't need to be done up that tight.

That's what I would have said working from first principles. So why do they put those ratchety things on the inner face of the lock ring?

 

[Tim Hall]

That's what I would have said working from first principles. So why do they put those ratchety things on the inner face of the lock ring?

I think for the same reason - the ratchet things engage with similar on the freehub body to prevent it loosening without it having to be done up bastard tight.

 

[swansonj]

I think for the same reason - the ratchet things engage with similar on the freehub body to prevent it loosening without it having to be done up bastard tight.

Yeah, I'd agree, but that implies the lockring is particularly prone to accidental undoing (if it needs special precautions to stop it), whereas I'm not really seeing why that should be the case?

 

[Dirk]

I hate traditional chain whips; detestable, agricultural things.
I bought one of these, which does the job far more elegantly.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/chain-whip-cassette-remover-id_8309913.html

 

[swansonj]

[QUOTE 5280215, member: 9609"]it would just rattle itself loose. On any machine that vibrates nuts will sooner or later loosen themselves off, even on non turning parts unless there is a spring washer or something similar to stop it doing so. The ratchet thing is just another variation of a spring washer / loctite / nyloc / split pin etc.[/QUOTE]
I'm not trying to be difficult, honest, I'm just trying to understand!

We don't seem to find extra precautions against rattling loose necessary on the bottom bracket lockrings or hub bearings or chainring bolts. I'm just puzzling over why the cassette lockring is particularly prone to coming loose and needs the extra precaution. I was wondering if there is some subtle version of the rotating load effect that affects pedals?

 

[Tim Hall]

Bottom bracket lockrings (on British threaded bikes) use the rotating load effect (precession) to hold them in place. Hence one being left hand thread the other being right. Hub bearings use a lock nut, which jams up against the cone, to keep things together. I guess chsinring bolts are just done up extremely tight.