I can’t remove my cassette - I’ve tried everything
So I have a Ridgeback Advance 5.0 road bike with an 8 speed cassette. I recently bought a new cassette and the tools required to remove a cassette which entails a lock ring remover for Shimano since the cassette is Shimano. I also bought a chain whip. I’ve tried to remove the cassette, I’ve looked at every technique including using a vice, using cloth around the handles, hitting it with a rubber hammer. I’ve done every trick, I’ve even got my dad to hold the spanner while I held the chain whip. There is no single budge in the cassette. It literally does not move. Has anyone got any other recommendations before I resort to taking it to a bike shop.
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Do you mean you can't undo the lock ring?0
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Are you sure you are turning the lock ring in the right direction?BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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One of these?
or these?
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My experience is that I can get most force through the tools not by holding them like this:
But by wrapping the chain whip around one of the smaller cogs on the cassette, and holding it alongside the cassette tool, such that I can apply the force to the tools by squeezing them together with my grip, rather than by holding one tool in each hand.
Might be worth a go if you haven't already.
With a cassette tool like the one pictured, you should fit the quick release skewer while you're doing it - loosely so that there is scope for the lockring to turn, but tight enough to keep the cassette tool properly engaged.
Those are my top tips, never failed me yet.0 -
Putting the cassette tool in a vice, attaching a chain whip and then turning the wheel is often easier.
3 of us managed to break a hub once and still never managed to get the lock ring to move. We assume the bike shop that serviced it last had cross threaded it.0 -
Make the levers longer, or take it down to the local rugby club.0
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Are you sure it's a cassette? It might be a freewheel - if it is there's no need for the chain whip, just hold the wheel.0
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Do it the opposite way to the picture, with the wheel on the ground (upright) and push downwards on both tools with your weight.
If that doesn't move it, nothing will.I don't do smileys.
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TimothyW wrote:My experience is that I can get most force through the tools not by holding them like this:
But by wrapping the chain whip around one of the smaller cogs on the cassette, and holding it alongside the cassette tool, such that I can apply the force to the tools by squeezing them together with my grip, rather than by holding one tool in each hand.
Might be worth a go if you haven't already.
With a cassette tool like the one pictured, you should fit the quick release skewer while you're doing it - loosely so that there is scope for the lockring to turn, but tight enough to keep the cassette tool properly engaged.
Those are my top tips, never failed me yet.
Yep I’ve already tried every single thing you mentioned.0 -
jj1048 wrote:Are you sure it's a cassette? It might be a freewheel - if it is there's no need for the chain whip, just hold the wheel.
I have this free hub on my bike: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... -prod382150 -
frisbee wrote:Putting the cassette tool in a vice, attaching a chain whip and then turning the wheel is often easier.
3 of us managed to break a hub once and still never managed to get the lock ring to move. We assume the bike shop that serviced it last had cross threaded it.0 -
Any pictures of your hub/lock ring set up?Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honoursmithy21 wrote:
He's right you know.0 -
Where do you live? If local to Swindon Wilts bring it round and ill have a go.My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...0
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cooldad wrote:Do it the opposite way to the picture, with the wheel on the ground (upright) and push downwards on both tools with your weight.
If that doesn't move it, nothing will.
+1 to this
picture has it all wrong. You get much more leverage pushing down with your weight helping than pulling towards you just relying on muscle power alone.0 -
+2
Ever since I shinned myself with a spanner and cassette tool a few years ago, I put the skewer back so that can't happen (minus the spring), stand the wheel vertical and use bodyweight - using my foot if necessary, a bit like undoing car wheel nuts after someone has put them on with an over enthusiastic air gun.0 -
Thanks everyone for the replies. However, I took the bike down to my local bike shop and, although they said it was the tightest cassette they’ve ever seen, they were able to remove it with some oversized chain whip and spanner combined with some scaffolding pipes over each and the power of physics to heave the lock ring open.0
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jj1048 wrote:Are you sure it's a cassette? It might be a freewheel - if it is there's no need for the chain whip, just hold the wheel.
Bit of an old post but just felt the need to say thanks for this after finding the post from some thorough googling. It's not out there enough! I'd been looking round everywhere, all these suggestions about longer spanners and various other techniques but I thought I'm sure something's not right here.
I didn't realise they were still making freewheels, I have a brand new bike and none of the specs (Tern Link A7) specified that it was a freewheel so I just assumed it was a cassette+freehub, and having never changed a freewheel before I didn't know the technique was different. So I'd ordered a replacement cassette and I was at it for hours of struggling and confusion only to finally realised it was a freewheel!
So if anyone else is having this problem don't take it for granted and check!! They're still out there.
You will never ever undo a freewheel using the same method as a cassette no matter how much force you put in as it's basically one solid unit.
Thanks again0