Changing cassette - surely it shouldn't be this hard!

tomhammersley

I've got a 13-month old 7-speed Hybrid bike. I've bought a new cassette with lower gears, and I'm trying to fit it - and having all sorts of trouble!

Now that I've got the correct tools for the job (cassette tool, chain whip etc) I've tried to fit it, and ended up snapping the (solid metal) chain whip in half! I've followed instructions to the letter, but ended up breaking the tools and not getting the cassette lock ring off.

Should it really be this hard? Should it take so much force to get the lock-ring off that it snaps the tool?!

Perhaps the part seized - am I best taking this to the LBS to do? I do plan to get new wheels too anyway, so would it be a wiser course of action to simply leave on the existing cassette and fit the new cassette to the new wheels instead?

Thanks for any help - this is turning out to be a nightmare job - seemed so simple to start with!

carlstone

First a silly question. Are you doing the job properly? I would suggest a look at Sheldon Browns website and the Park tools site for a starter. If so then the next question is are you using decent enough quality tools? Decent quality tools fit better, last longer and don't break as easily.

I changed my 7 speed cassette on my 15 year old MTB that hadn't been touched since new recently. It needed some pressure but did move eventually with judiscious use of the rubber mallet. I would suggest that you soak everything in wd40 overnight, use decent gloves, make sure everything is clamped steady (in a workmate or good bench vice), ensure both chain whip and lockring tool are both engaged properly, use a ring spanner or socket on the lockring tool (not adjustable spaner). Then knock the lockring tool with the rubber (or preferably hard vinyl) hammer in the correct direction while holding the chain whip. Check everything is still properly engaged after every hammer blow.

steve arnold

Hi Tom, Only got experience of Shimano but will try to help. Know it sounds obvious but did you have chain whip on to enable you to exert an ANTICLOCKWISE force on the cassette locking ring? Sounds possibly like you were trying to tighten the ring by turning CLOCKWISE. Or is the thread lefthand ie if you can see a bit of thread protruding from the ring does it go anticlockwise if you follow it from the lead-in? then would be CLOCKWISE direction to undo but this seems unlikely. Lockrings have radial serrations, grooves call them what you want which lock into similar grooves on cassette so a bit stiff to undo but not so stiff as to snap a chain whip unless made of Blackpool rock!

giant_man

I did this job recently myself and found the chain whip tool fall apart in my hands as well as the chain splitter tool absolute crap. The cassette removing tool was ok but only got the old lockring off, which I am sure now was actually siezed, holding the whole thing in a vice and it came away, it would not budge otherwise.

But i got there in the end and learnt that you can't do such a job with rubbish tools. Buy the best you can afford and you have a fighting chance of succeeding. I do sympahise with you. Good luck with it.

whyamihere

Are you sure it's a cassette, not a screw-on freewheel?

oldwelshman

hope your not tightening it

redvee

Do as I first did when I had to change my cassette, cassette lockring tool and a screwdrive through the largest 2 sprockets and thru the spokes :oops: Can't think why I broke 2 spokes :?:

Eddy S

Maybe some info and guidance from the Park Tool web site might help - CASSETTE AND FREEWHEEL REMOVAL

3leggeddog

Use a wheel skewer to hold the lockring removal tool in place. There used to be a tool on the market called a hypercracker, which used the bikes chain and frame to undo the lockring. Not sue about using it on a posh carbon frame!

redvee

Hypercrackers worked well but a bit of a bugger to get in the right position on the frame, a simpole stamp on the pedals and hey presto one loose lockring. Still got mine somewhere.

John.T

If it is a 13 month old bike with 7sp I think it will have screw-on block (freewheel unit) as whyamihere suggested. In this case you need to hold the wheel and undo the block with the lock ring remover. You do not need the chain whip. If it is a screw-on you have just been working the tools against each other. No wonder something broke.