Bicycle Mechanics - Help! Sprockets working loose

A used lockring for the 14T on an 9 spd XTR freehub has worked it's way loose after a couple of weeks. It was still on but there was a bit of play in the sprockets.

I've re-tightened but did not get the 'clicking' sound I usually do.

What should I look out for? It's a bit of a worry as I have a tour starting on Thursday.

Thanks

A used lockring for the 14T on an 9 spd XTR freehub has worked it's way loose after a couple of weeks. It was still on but there was a bit of play in the sprockets.

I've re-tightened but did not get the 'clicking' sound I usually do.

What should I look out for? It's a bit of a worry as I have a tour starting on Thursday.

Thanks

It sounds like you might be missing a spacer since:

a) you don't get that clicking sound when tightening it down
b) you have play in the sprockets

Thanks, but spacers are all present and correct. And there's no play now that it's been re-tightened.

Thanks, but spacers are all present and correct. And there's no play now that it's been re-tightened.

I misunderstood about the play in your first message - sorry about that..

Are you torquing it down properly, something like 40 N-m or around 30 ft-lb? The torque value may be stamped on the lock ring.

What's puzzling is the "no clicking" sound usually accompanying the lockring installation.

You don't happen to have another lockring you can try? Say one off of another bike.

I torqued it down pretty tight this time. It's still tight after 14km to work so it might be a matter of wait and see.

I've got a 13T & lockring I can try, and even another wheel I could use it comes to that. But I like to understand why, and I worry when I don't understand...

But I like to understand why, and I worry when I don't understand...

I agree with you completely.

When you tightened it down, did it make the clicking sound, or still no sound? It doesn't seem like much can go wrong with the lockring.

... I've re-tightened but did not get the 'clicking' sound I usually do. ...

Assuming from this discussion that the Shimano lockring is built like the Campa one, it makes no sense at all that is is tight without the ratcheting sound. That is, the sound when ribs and grooves on two metal surfaces are grating against each other, as when proper torque is being applied.

So, if the noise is not there, then either the locking ridges/grooves have been worn off - something I doubt would be easily accomplished; or something may have become inserted in the sprocket/spacer stack that is preventing the lockring from getting to the ridge/groove interaction position in the first place.

You didn't say that the lockring came off, along with some cogs and/or spacers - is that correct? So there is no chance that an extra spacer got in there somehow? Or perhaps some kind of foreign matter that is making the stack thicker?

BTW, the torque on Campa 10s lockrings is 50 N.m. or 36.9 lb.ft.

BTW, the torque on Campa 10s lockrings is 50 N.m. or 36.9 lb.ft.

Right, which is pretty effing tight. And if you don't torque it down properly it will work loose given time and rough roads leading to sloppy shifting due to the cogs jiggling around a little bit. My money would be on inadequate torque.

Still no clicking sound when I torqued it down this time.

That's right, the lock ring didn't come off, it was stll on, but only just. There was just a bit of play in hte sprockets and I only noticed as it rattled when i hit a bump, took me ages to figure it out. The whole thing has apparently worked it's way loose over maybe 200km. No problems changing gears even, so the spacing must be ok.

I wonder now if i've cross-threaded it? I didn't think to dissasemble and have a look at the threads before I tightened it up. is that part of the hub, the outer shell with the thread replaceable? Near new XTR.

If it's cross threaded all may not be lost. Your LBS may have a tool for chasing and repairing cross threaded parts. Or it's just a new FH body not a whole new hub.

I just noticed that I hadn't swapped the cassette as long ago as I thought, I think this bike had only done 14 km before then working (noticeably) loose in the 50 km ride on Sunday. I'll get to do a few k's before I go so I feel much better about taking this wheel on tour.

Thanks for the advice!

How are you torquing it?

I'd try a new (or at least different) lockring.