removing cassette

mattjf said:

Do you ever remove the cassette to clean it? Did 3 hours in the rain and cold, so my bike is pretty dirty. I'd like to remove the casette so I can really clean the grime off. Is this a reasonable thing to do?

I have the tool to remove the cassette, but it seems to be on pretty tight. With an SRAM cassette, is there anything special I need to know in removing it? Am I just not using enough force?

-Matt

Make sure you are turning it the right way.

Check here for a nice description of the freewheel removal procedure:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=48

cheers!

strummer_fan said:

Make sure you are turning it the right way.

Check here for a nice description of the freewheel removal procedure:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=48

cheers!

It's a cassette, not a freewheel. 🙄 ..muppet.

mattjf said:

Do you ever remove the cassette to clean it? Did 3 hours in the rain and cold, so my bike is pretty dirty. I'd like to remove the casette so I can really clean the grime off. Is this a reasonable thing to do?

I have the tool to remove the cassette, but it seems to be on pretty tight. With an SRAM cassette, is there anything special I need to know in removing it? Am I just not using enough force?

-Matt

There will be a website that tells you somewhere, parktool or sheldon brown probably can help, but it's pretty straight-forward. You need a chain wrench to hold the cassette whilest you unscrew the lockring. Just use a big spanner and the tool you already have.
Personally I wouldn't bother just to clean it, I only remove cassettes when they (or the wheel) need replacing.

boudreaux said:

It's a cassette, not a freewheel. 🙄 ..muppet.

When I tried this link it tells you how to remove both.

I got it off.

I was just curious if new SRAM cassettes had some other step I was missing. I have an old 8 speed cassette that came off very easily with just the lockring tool. I couldn't apply enough force with just the tool, and ended up having to buy a wrench so I could get more leverage. but, it's off and with it, a lot of grime.

The site mentions grease for a freehub. I don't need to grease the inside of the cassette before I put it back on, do I?

Thanks for the replies.

-Matt

mattjf said:

The site mentions grease for a freehub. I don't need to grease the inside of the cassette before I put it back on, do I?

Thanks for the replies.

-Matt

No, you don't.

boudreaux said:

It's a cassette, not a freewheel. 🙄 ..muppet.

The original poster clearly indicated that it was a cassette. The link I posted was consistent with that and indicated the removal procedures for common brands of BOTH cassettes and freewheels.

My suspicion was that he may not have been using a chainwhip and when turning in the one direction, the freehub was spinning, so he may in fact have been tightening the lockring.

What lead you to think I had indicated a freewheel?

mattjf said:

I don't need to grease the inside of the cassette before I put it back on, do I?

Sin'ce it isn't a moving interface you don't need to grease it for lubrication. But I'd give it a thin coat of whatever oil/grease I had laying around for rust prevention and as an investment in easy removal the next time.
There's no guarantee that whatever lube you're using on the chain will migrate and penetrate sufficiently to do that for you.

dabac said:

Sin'ce it isn't a moving interface you don't need to grease it for lubrication. But I'd give it a thin coat of whatever oil/grease I had laying around for rust prevention and as an investment in easy removal the next time.
There's no guarantee that whatever lube you're using on the chain will migrate and penetrate sufficiently to do that for you.

I've never seen either a cluster or a freehub rust, and I've never greased them. But I usually find that the chain oil gets right down onto the freehub.
I'd be surprised if the cluster ever became seized on to the freehub.

artemidorus said:

I've never seen either a cluster or a freehub rust, and I've never greased them. But I usually find that the chain oil gets right down onto the freehub.
I'd be surprised if the cluster ever became seized on to the freehub.

I've never had it seize either, but a bit of surface corrosion is something I've found several times. If the parts already feel greasy to the touch I might leave well enough alone, but then again a thin sheen of whatever certainly isn't going to do any harm.

strummer_fan said:

What lead you to think I had indicated a freewheel?

This.... 😉

strummer_fan said:

Make sure you are turning it the right way.

Check here for a nice description of the freewheel removal procedure:

parktool.comreadhowto.aspOpen ↗

cheers!

It's okay, you redeemed yourself. The link provides information on both.😄

Lw

lwedge said:

This.... 😉

It's okay, you redeemed yourself. The link provides information on both.😄

Lw

Ah, I am indeed a jackass...apologies to all.

I guess the only way to explain it: I rode in the era of freewheels, then stopped riding for years. I've gotten back into it, and I certainly know the damned thing is called a cassette, but somewhere back in my caveman brain, that cluster of cogs just wants to trigger the word "freewheel."

strummer_fan said:

Ah, I am indeed a jackass...apologies to all.

I guess the only way to explain it: I rode in the era of freewheels, then stopped riding for years. I've gotten back into it, and I certainly know the damned thing is called a cassette, but somewhere back in my caveman brain, that cluster of cogs just wants to trigger the word "freewheel."

Me too Strummer, I still remember using bailing wire to hold my Bendix Coaster brake bar to the chain stay because the clamp broke. Ahh.. my candy apple green Schwinn Varsity.

Lw