Originally Posted by
mista_chewey
k thanks i'll try what you do
edit: i couldn't wait to buy that tool you showed me so i just used a 17in breaker bar i had around the house and it was easier than expected
do i need to lube the cassette with anything? can i just spray wd40 on it to clean it off?
Yeh, if your lockring tool takes a 3/8" drive (or whatever), then a breaker bar is great.
Clean the cassette with some citrus degreaser and get it as clean as you can. It's never going to be easier to clean than when it's removed from the wheel. Clean the outside of your freehub, too. No grease or anything needed on the freehub body. Leave it dry unless you plan to not remove your cassette again for five years, or if you store your bike outside in the elements. Greasing the outside of a freehub just attracts crud and creates a totally unnecessary goopy mess. When I re-install the cassette I DO put a tiny little bit of grease on the threads of the lock ring. This makes it much easier to remove the next time.