Do you actually tighten your lockrings?

[vqdriver]

Maybe this is one of those things I should already know but why is it necessary to torque the cassette lockrings so much?
Typically I'll tighten as much as I can with my fingers and then use the locking tool to go a few clicks farther but that's about it. There's no way I'm going the full 40nm with my method and I haven't had anything fall apart yet

[rustychisel]

agree, 3 clicks for me, unless the cassette needs snugging onto the thingy a bit more

[gone]

40 nm for me. I've got the tool, I've got the time, I've got the talent. Why not use a torque wrench to set it to what the mfr recommends?

[ergott]

The recommendation is there for a reason. If you have an aluminium freehub body, the proper torque will help prevent individual cogs from digging into it.

I so no reason to go against the recommended specs.

[leooooo]

I do, but to 36nm. My craftsman torque wrench only goes that high.
The ride has been fine ever since.

[AngryScientist]

what is the advantage of NOT going to recommended torque??

i admit i dont pull out the torque wrench every time i change a cassette, but i have a decent feel for actual torque and i make my lock rings pretty close to spec.

[Fixed]

agree, 3 clicks for me, unless the cassette needs snugging onto the thingy a bit more
me too .
cheers

[RPS]

There's no way I'm going the full 40nm with my method and I haven't had anything fall apart yet
I’ve heard and seen quite a few cassettes rattling because they were not tight enough, so it does happen to some riders. And as ergott stated, it can also damage the freehub body. In your case you may be going high enough to keep things from backing off.

In general, specifications are not "recommendations". They are not meant to be optional.

[d_man16]

I've had two blow up on me that were three clickers off road, it's sort of a PITA to ride that way and it mars up the little bit's of soft metal, not a deal breaker so far but damage none the less.....I always tighten to spec now. :beer:

[Mike748]

Good idea to check/retighten them every now and then. They can loosen up with use.

[Charles M]

Ive never seen anyone with an issue resulting from tightening a lock ring to spec.

I've seen crashes and some pretty nice damage from lock rings comming off...



Tighten them to spec...

Save the freehub body some wear.

Save yourself asking the question "what did I gain in exchange for this damage / crash / hassle of stopping..."

[wtex]

I used to just hand tighten, but after a loose cog broke my chain and nearly threw me, I now tighten to spec.

[ultratoad]

Torque to factory specs and you will be self assured and you will most likely never have a problem. Those engineers probably know more than us. I have seen these come off and cause damage and other problems.

[benb]

Yikes.. I've never seen them come off and didn't realize they could cause a crash..

I have been torquing them properly with a torque wrench fairly religiously for the last 5-6 years. Before that I still torqued them down pretty damn hard.

I still have still done a pretty good job chewing up the freewheel even with torquing them carefully.. there is a whole lot of force going through there.

[old_fat_and_slow]

I've experienced "mysterious clicks that must be coming from the BB" when riding by not torquing the lockring sufficiently on my Campy drivetrains.

Some o' my buddies have experienced similar clicking noises on their Shimano drivetrains.


YMMV

[Joachim]

Bought my Park Tool TW-2 wrench and Craftsman 1-inch socket (for the locking tool) today...

[thwart]

I can see finger-tight pedals, but not here... why not do it 'right'? I've had loose cogs before (when I've been in a hurry to do a wheel change) and it's not pleasant... mystery clicks, shifting adversely affected, and of course, potential freehub wear.

[rice rocket]

To echo what everyone else said...your cassette should be held in place by the friction generated by the clamping force tightening the lockring, NOT BY THE TEETH ON THE FREEHUB! Your hub is aluminum, your gears are steel, guess which one wins the battle?

This is especially important if you have a SRAM Red cassette, that has only 2-3 points where it's touching the hub body (vs. the Shimano cassette where every gear is splined).

[roundabout]

I unscrewed a cassette last year while on a group ride. Though I am at fault for not checking that it was loose, but if you can tighten it more, why not? Just sayin...

[rustychisel]

To echo what everyone else said...your cassette should be held in place by the friction generated by the clamping force tightening the lockring, NOT BY THE TEETH ON THE FREEHUB! Your hub is aluminum, your gears are steel, guess which one wins the battle?

This is especially important if you have a SRAM Red cassette, that has only 2-3 points where it's touching the hub body (vs. the Shimano cassette where every gear is splined).

Fair point, and I'm one who said 'finger tight + 3 clicks'. Your point is good, but need not be shouted. My carrier IS NOT ALUMINIUM, so there. Ergo, for some people yes, for some, no.

Mine are tight enough so I don't do lasting compression damage to the lockring and I've never had one unthread. YMMV

[Bob Ross]

I’ve heard and seen quite a few cassettes rattling because they were not tight enough

I've only seen/heard it once...but it was mine, and it ruined my ride! So now I'm all about hogging it down tight.

[RPS]

I've only seen/heard it once...but it was mine, and it ruined my ride! So now I'm all about hogging it down tight.
The last time it happened I was about 15 miles into a 50 mile ride behind a guy who swore the noise was coming from his BBKT. I noticed it got a lot louder on some cogs, and less in others, and eventually his shifting started acting up too. We stopped to check the bike and I had to use a small stick from the side of the road (the cassette was a filthy mess) to prove to him that there was movement. Since no one had a tool to tighten it he decided to finish the ride with the group instead of turning back home or calling for a lift. That’s when I decided to go my own way.

[hockeybike]

What damage can you do by over tightening? Further, how hard is it to over-tighten these things without really wailing on them? I always go pretty tight..might be a bit harder to undo, but grease usually takes care of that and then the cassette wobbles are gone.

[thegunner]

What damage can you do by over tightening? Further, how hard is it to over-tighten these things without really wailing on them? I always go pretty tight..might be a bit harder to undo, but grease usually takes care of that and then the cassette wobbles are gone.

ironically i ended up breaking (chipping) my cassette tool before i got to spec... it kind of just slid out of the notches. if it says spec'd to 40 - 45 nm, i'm going to do it.

[tuxbailey]

40 nm for me. I've got the tool, I've got the time, I've got the talent. Why not use a torque wrench to set it to what the mfr recommends?

+1.