Rear cassette sticking

[Tungtvann]

I was about to go for a ride yesterday and got less than a mile before my chain started doing silly stuff. Turns out the rear cassette is somehow messed up and isn't freely rotating like it should. This means if I stopped peddling, the cassette still rotates a bit and ends up causing the chain to go slack and sometimes come off or tangle.

Took the wheel off and noticed it was very stiff and no amount of spraying it with WD40 seems to fully release it, I can just about turn it by hand but with difficultly.

Anyone know if this can be fixed easily or will I need to get it replaced. Will it just be a cassette replacement or a whole wheel?

Thanks for any help.

[smegballs]

Being stuck in the old freewheel days myself, I'm not too sure.....

But... I'm pretty sure that on modern cassette hub the freehub, which is the ratchety bit is a replaceable part as they do fuck up eventually.

[Tungtvann]

Ah, so the actual hub and gears are separate. It's the hub I need then, at least I know now what to buy or ask to get fixed in a shop. Thanks.

[Drew]

Nope not hub, as that is another different part. You need the freehub which the cassette slides on to.

https://sheldonbrown.com/images/k7-bulge.jpg

You probably need the black part (freehub), rather than the silver part (hub)

[AndyB1989]

also if you dont know the difference between a hub and a freehub you maywell not have a casette but a freewheel.


how many gears are on the bike if its 5 or 6 its almost certainly a freewheel if its 7 and fairly modern its very likely to be a freewheel if its 8 9 or 10 its almost certainly a casette

a freewheel is cheap to replace ranging from £9.99 to about £25 depending on quality but you may find if the bike has done a lot of miles you also need to change the chain too.

if the hub is a shimano hub you will more often than not be able to get a replacement freehub from your friendly local bike shop for not too much money somewhere on a par with a freehwheel.


If it is an aftermarket or unbranded hub you may be better off throwing it away and getting a whole new wheel for example a bike that came to my shop the other day a replacement freehub for it was £64.99 which is extortionate.

[Tungtvann]

I've got 27 gears so that's 9 on the back. It's quite a good bike and I think the rear (whatever bit it is) is shimano. I think I'll be best of taking the whole back wheel to a shop and see what they say.

[400bandit]

It will be your freehub.

By themselves I found them to be quite pricey but instead found it cheaper to buy one with a hub attached from chainreaction cycles.

They're easy enough to remove and you shouldn't need any special tools.

Remove the skewer (if quick release) and then the axle + bearings (make sure you don't lose any!). Then with (I think) an 8mm alen key, insert it into the freewheel and undo it it - Simples.

If you do go down the route of buying a hub with a freehub, getting the freehub off was a bit of a head scratcher (i.e. not laced to a wheel for leverage). Pair of mole grips sorted that out!.

Was less than £8 including delivery I believe and you get the bonus of it including new bearings etc.

Joe
____________________
Current Bikes 650 Honda Bros, VTR1000 Firestorm // Past Bikes: Sachs Madass 50/110cc - Bandit 400 - FZR750
(+ a XS650 in lots of pieces in my garage and other places...)

[400bandit]

Turns out I was lying above, I got it from ebay in the end;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHIMANO-ALIVIO-MC18-REAR-HUB-BRAND-NEW-ITEM-FREE-POSTAGE-TO-UK-/330846226269?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160

It turned out that Alivio hubs and Deore hubs use the exact same freewheel too which was a result as it was going on a Deore hub.

Joe
____________________
Current Bikes 650 Honda Bros, VTR1000 Firestorm // Past Bikes: Sachs Madass 50/110cc - Bandit 400 - FZR750
(+ a XS650 in lots of pieces in my garage and other places...)

[smegballs]

Freehub cross-compatability chart.

Might be useful on your hunt.

https://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/tech_support/tech_tips.download.-Par50rparsys-0033-downloadFile.html/06)%20Freehub%20Interchangeability.pdf

[drbaig]

You might want to check out sheldonbrowns website. There is butt loads of information on that website.

possible issues of the top of my head, cassette/freewheel is old, replace it.

Your hub bearings are shot i.e if you have a freehub, otherwise it is the freewheel.

Either way it will cost you 15-25 £ plus elbow grease.

[sabian92]

I'd avoid WD40 as well. It drives any sort of lubricant out - use a proper bike lube instead.