Rattly cassette

briantrumpet

Well, I've found the source of the rattle on my posh bike - the rear cassette. Taking the wheel off, though the lockring seems tight enough, there's a bit of rotational play in the cogs. Since I'm not, erm, very good at maintenance I've not had a lockring removal tool or chain whip (I've just ordered them) .... but will just tightening the lockring solve the problem, or does the rotational play suggest that any bits will need replacing? It's a 10-speed Ultegra cassette, if that makes any difference. (I hope by now you've worked out I haven't a clue.)

desweller

It sounds like you need to fit a spacer at the back of the cassette.

sungod

^^^this

in general...

for most, not all, wheels with a 9/10-speed compatible hub, a shimano 10-speed casssette comes with a 1mm spacer to go between cassette and hub, but a sram 10-speed cassette needs no spacer

on mavic wheels, it's thicker, about 3mm for shimano 10-speed, 2mm for 9-speed or sram 10-speed

briantrumpet

Thanks both - it's Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheel - no idea if there is a spacer in there - will see when I get the tools to remove the cassette.

So (to see if I've got this right) the lockring should be tightening against the small ring on the cassette and compressing the cassette, but if the cassette isn't quite 'thick' enough (because it needs a spacer), the lockring will tighten against something else (I'm guessing the bit that the cassette slides on to, with the grooves in).

desweller

briantrumpet wrote:

Thanks both - it's Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheel - no idea if there is a spacer in there - will see when I get the tools to remove the cassette.

So (to see if I've got this right) the lockring should be tightening against the small ring on the cassette and compressing the cassette, but if the cassette isn't quite 'thick' enough (because it needs a spacer), the lockring will tighten against something else (I'm guessing the bit that the cassette slides on to, with the grooves in).

Got it in one!

briantrumpet

DesWeller wrote:

Got it in one!

Aha! I do like to understand how things work before I start taking them apart!

briantrumpet

sungod wrote:

on mavic wheels, it's thicker, about 3mm for shimano 10-speed, 2mm for 9-speed or sram 10-speed

OK, so next question (thanks so far!), if I need to buy spacers, are they specific ones for fitting Ultegra 10-speed to my Ksyrium Elite? I might actually replace the cassette anyway (it's done nearly 6000 miles and is looking rather worn, and I'd quite like to go for 11-25 instead of 12-25), but I'm guessing the spacer behind the cassette is quite different from the ones in the cassette. I've had a little prowl around Wiggle & CRC, but am not sure what I'm looking for.

EDIT - is it this?:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=25399

keef66

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-10-s ... prod14554/

k-dog

^ I'm not sure it is that one.

If sungod is correct then he needs the one he asked about - the thicker version.

briantrumpet

Thanks again all - new cassette came this morning, fitted as supplied (narrow spacer), and all seems hunky dory - when tightened up, no play. If any does develop once I've taken it for a spin and put it under some stress, I'll try adding the spacer that was with the old cassette in behind the new one - but that looks unnecessary at the moment.

At least I now know how simple it is to replace a cassette when you've got the proper tools. Done in 5 minutes. As all you clever people know already.