Cassette rattles

am7

Brand new wheelset, brand new xt cassette. Been riding over a year and the cassette has rattled when the wheel is hit (potholes, bumps, etc.) since day one. I have removed the cassette a few times mainly for cleaning and not matter how much I tighten it, it does not make any difference even when over tightening. The gap must be less than a mm, but if you take the wheel off and hold the cassette by hand you can feel the play.
My other wheelset which is less than half the price with an old slx cassette has absolutely zero play and zero rattles.
Now I know there is no spacer to go between the wheel and cassette unlike road bikes which have a 1mm spacer I believe.
What gives? Am I just unlucky with the tolerances of the wheelset or is there something I should do?

jimothy78

1. are you sure that it's the cassette itself rattling, not the freehub body (ie. Have you swapped the cassettes between the two wheelsets, and found that the rattle "follows" the XT cassette?).

2. What make and model is the hub it's currently mounted on?

3. Have you correctly alligned all the thick/thin splines when mounting the cassette on the freehub (especially the smallest sprocket, which might look like it's mounted properly, even when it isn't, which will prevent the lockring loading the cassette properly).

am7

1. To be honest this was my first thought too, removing the cassette and moving the freehub by hand there is no rattle, also bouncing the wheel on the floor without the cassette again no rattle. I should have swapped the cassettes (surely the easiest way) but I am just too lazy. Although this has been bugging me for a year I might just do that. I cannot say for 100% if it is the freehub or cassette, what I know for sure is that the cassette moves and rattles againstt the freehub. The best way I can explain it is that the lockring is far off enough (well under 1mm) to be able to tighten the cassette against the freehub.

2. Wheels are cobalt 2 using the improved hubs although no idea of make/model. The freehub has tons of grease on it and has proven 100% trouble free in just over a year, good as new. My dt swiss hubs on the other way require cleaning/re-greasing.

3. This I can say for sure is not the issue but good call none the less.

nicklouse

how many cogs are talking here?

have you tried the SLX cassette on there and?

am7

10-speed
Tomorrow I promise to try the slx one and report back.

chuase05

What wheelset is it??

am7

cobalt 2 2013

russyh

If there is play in the cassette should there be one of those 1mm spacers?

russyh

First on the google list
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... r-10-speed

swod1

Russyh wrote:

First on the google list
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... r-10-speed

This refers to spacers for road bike wheels and cassettes from the description I think.

never needed a spacers on mtb cassettes before only spacers I've seen are the plastic spacer on 9spd slx cassette in between the alloy spiders holding the sprockets.