[Downhillbiker23]

Alright. Any suggestions to getting a cassette off. I have taken cassettes over a ton of times. But I cannot get the one off. I know I am screwing in the right direction. But it I just stuck. Won't come off. Any suggestions of things to try to unstick it?

 

[Sandwich]

bigger levers.

how do you measure time in weight? i need to know, because physics

 

[jackalope]

Is the lock ring stuck, or is the lock ring off and you still can't get the cassette off? If it's the latter, I've used a big screwdrive to tap the cassette off from the backside. If the lock ring is stuck, maybe try to tighten it just a smidge, then loosen.

 

[gemini2k]

Is the lock ring stuck, or is the lock ring off and you still can't get the cassette off? If it's the latter, I've used a big screwdrive to tap the cassette off from the backside. If the lock ring is stuck, maybe try to tighten it just a smidge, then loosen.

Bingo, mallet+screwdriver, done this many times.

 

[Huck Banzai]

Lemme guess, I9's with the Alu carrier? Follow the above 2 posts.

 

[4130biker]

After locking is off, I like to take a old short 2x4 and a hammer and give the cassette teeth a sharp hit in the opposite direction than they are pulled by pedaling. I say sharp because only the weight of the cassette resists the hit. Pull it off nice and easy after that. I like this technique because it won't mess up the hub body more as it comes off. Does messing it up more reeeeaally matter? That's up for you to decide! Good luck!

 

[Downhillbiker23]

Lock ring is stuck. It's like welded on there. I can't get it off. Heat?
Sun ringle add expert wheels
Shimano 11-23 ultegra cassette

 

[William42]

as a mechanic with 7 years of experience:

you ride for a brewing company? aren't you like 13?

 

[Downhillbiker23]

as a mechanic with 7 years of experience:

you ride for a brewing company? aren't you like 13?

15 actually. But yes I do persay. It's ok to be jealous. They make root beer. Very good rootbeer

 

[William42]

I believe you, and I am jealous.

 

[mtg]

Lock ring is stuck. It's like welded on there. I can't get it off. Heat?
Sun ringle add expert wheels
Shimano 11-23 ultegra cassette

Try a penetrating solvent, such as Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster.

 

[Downhillbiker23]

Try a penetrating solvent, such as Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster.

Sounds good. Where can I buy some. Sears? Or like a speciality store?

 

[mtg]

Auto parts store. Napa is my preference.

 

[IH8Rice]

pb blaster and a longer wrench/chain whip for the lockring

 

[epic]

Put the lockring tool in a vice. Then you can use the whole wheel as your lever.

 

[HardtailHack]

Put the lockring tool in a vice. Then you can use the whole wheel as your lever.

That only works doing it up.....


You do have the whip on the largest chainring don't you? If not it will be a fair bit harder to undo.

I use a 450mm shifter and a mallet for stupidly tight retainer thingies.

If all of the above fails these look awesome, they would help give a solid grip-

 

[epic]

That only works doing it up.....

You stil have to use a whip. I'd hope nobody needs to tighten them that hard.

 

[Banshee Rider]

Use a piece of pipe to slide over the adjustable wrench, then have a (very trustworthy) friend hold the chainwhip as you slowly stand on the pipe. I've seen some hulk-tight lockrings in my day, and this method has never failed, or stripped out the lock ring. Good luck.

 

[Downhillbiker23]

I will try again tomorrow. As i force down with wrench the chainwhip moved. I cant put all my force into it or else the whip moves. its a catch 22

 

[IH8Rice]

ill look at it tomorrow if you want

 

[Downhillbiker23]

ill look at it tomorrow if you want

It's alright. Might just need more man power. I leave for vacation Thursday and I sed out all my stuff for service mid season. So I just need to get liquid wrench or something and get it off

 

[Downhillbiker23]

Alright, just tried all the suggestions above and Nada. It is like welded on. I am convincing it has like fused itself on! My Chain whip just snapped trying to get it off!

 

[epic]

get a longer/better chain whip and lockring tool/wrench. If that doesn't work, or you already had good/long ones, well, you can weld a lever onto the cogs instead of a chainwhip. I've done this on old Suntour 2-prong freewheels when their tiny little splines would break. If still no luck, you can probably just pull off the whole freehub body toss it in the trash with the cassette and install a new one.

 

[atrokz]

That sounds bad. It shouldn't give that much trouble unless it's cross threaded, and the person installing it overtorqued it like an angry green hulk.

For reference, here's some penetrating oil stats you might find useful. You can let it sit in a bowl overnight (cassette lock-ring down fully submerged in the oil) provided it's not penetrating into the bearings.

Oil....................Average load on bolt
None.................516lbs
WD-40..............238lbs
PB Blaster.........214lbs
Liquid Wrench...127lbs
Kano Kroil.........106lbs

And the winner, by a large margin...

ATF-Acetone mix..53lbs

so, a 50/50 mix of Automatic Transmission fluid, and Acetone, works better than any of the 'formulated' penetrating oils. And it's much cheaper.

good luck.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

That sounds bad. It shouldn't give that much trouble unless it's cross threaded, and the person installing it overtorqued it like an angry green hulk.

For reference, here's some penetrating oil stats you might find useful. You can let it sit in a bowl overnight (cassette lock-ring down fully submerged in the oil) provided it's not penetrating into the bearings.

Oil....................Average load on bolt
None.................516lbs
WD-40..............238lbs
PB Blaster.........214lbs
Liquid Wrench...127lbs
Kano Kroil.........106lbs

And the winner, by a large margin...

ATF-Acetone mix..53lbs

so, a 50/50 mix of Automatic Transmission fluid, and Acetone, works better than any of the 'formulated' penetrating oils. And it's much cheaper.

good luck.

I see one of the following happening:
- He blows himself up.
- The ATF thinks he's going Tim McVeigh in his garage and hauls him in for questioning.
- The house burns down.

 

[atrokz]

I see one of the following happening:
- He blows himself up.
- The ATF thinks he's going Tim McVeigh in his garage and hauls him in for questioning.
- The house burns down.

And in the end, everyone wins?

 

[Sandwich]

is the cassette usable? I suggest the biggest pair of vise grips you can buy, or an actual vice, and a long-ass wrench in the other. A blow torch to the small cog and freehub might also work, or at least burn anything up that's stuck in the threads.

It amazes me how ham-fisted some people are. I cringe when I watched mechanics put huge amounts of torque on sensitive aluminum parts. I put a tenth of the torque on my own bike and it does just fine.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

And in the end, everyone wins?

Well, maybe everyone other than the house.

 

[Sandwich]

I thought the house always wins?

 

[OGRipper]

Penetrating solvent and leverage should do the trick here if you're doing it properly. You might also try heating it up. If those ideas don't work, I'm calling user error and suggesting you take it to a shop.

And you probably know this by now, but there is just no reason for a cassette lockring to ever be that tight.

 

[Downhillbiker23]

Penetrating solvent and leverage should do the trick here if you're doing it properly. You might also try heating it up. If those ideas don't work, I'm calling user error and suggesting you take it to a shop.

And you probably know this by now, but there is just no reason for a cassette lockring to ever be that tight.

Heat is my next idea. But I need to go buy a propane torch. It was 3 clicks in when I put it in on. I never over tighten anything, and I always make sure nothing is going in cross threaded.
I dont know, maybe some grease got in there and dust and eventually it just seized. But I havent even had the cassette on for a long time!

 

[atrokz]

If grease got in there you wouldn't be experiencing this problem.

In fact, threads are supposed to be either greased/lubed/antiseized/loctite'd/waxed in 99.9% of instances. When you get it appart, apply a smidge of grease when you reinstall it.

For now, the advice you're getting here is spot on. Start with penetrating oil (good stuff) soaked for HOURS not minutes, then move to heat, then to bashing/smashing/hulking it. Or you can be like most mechanics and go in the reverse order......

Also, we all agree you should burn down the house.

 

[Sandwich]

I've had reasonable luck "chasing" penetrating oil like PBlaster with my propane torch. It seems to work its way in better. blast it, heat, blast it again, wait. remember not to mix fire and 'blaster.

oh yeah, and if your cassette is so buggered that it can't be removed with normal amounts of torque and the proper tools, you can likely add a hub rebuild into the mix after you blowtorch the eff out of it. You will likely burn up some seals or at least ruin the oil/grease in there.

 

[jackalope]

Am I the only one who is morbidly curious how this turns out? Oh, yeah -

 

[Scrub]

Am I the only one who is morbidly curious how this turns out? Oh, yeah -

I am too, video would be much better of the process, pain and destruction

 

[Downhillbiker23]

I honestly am in a bind here. Like how does this happen. Its been on there for not even 4 months. I take care of my bikes. Everything is always greased and lubed. The lockring was put in correctly. Removing a cassette is my favorite chore on my bike! I love taking them on and off! So I know how do it properly.
Lock ring was lubed before putting it in, and I never cross thread anything ( knock on wood )
I tried everything, grease, soaking, tightening it a litle just to break it free, force. Only thing I didnt try was heat.
Its almost a new wheel, I will let sun ringle burn the wheel to pieced. I felt play in my hub bushings. I need to get my cassette off to send it back for service. But no this cassete is really screwing me over!
I snapped a chain whip in the process and used a can of lube and grease. NADA!

 

[Westy]

Righty tighty, lefty loosy.

 

[Scrub]

Here's a new one....

TRY IT NOW!!!

 

[OGRipper]

If you have a problem with the hub or cassette body, there is a chance that issue is somehow binding things up in there.

Suck it up and take it to a shop. Like maybe "Pedalshop", whatever that is. Even if there is some kind of internal problem you should be able to get if off with the right tools and technique.

Or, just send it back to sun with the cassette still on and see how they handle it.

 

[tacubaya]