Bicycle Mechanics - Installing a Cassette

I'm installing a cassette for the first time. I need to know how tight to turn the lockring. At the moment I can't get it any tighter with a 12" adjustable spanner. But the sprockets can still be wiggled from side to side. How do I know when the lockring is tight enough (bearing in my I don't have a torque wrench compatiable lockring remover)?

Thanks

How much 'wiggle' are you getting?

It seems to me that you are missing a spacer or using a cassette ment for a different hub. The cassette on my bike was fasten by hand only, the drive direction is the same as the tightening direction, so the whole system tightens itself as you cycle.

You should be able to get enough torque with a 12" wrench. Make sure all the spacers are there and all the cogs are fully seated.

What type of cassette, Shimano 10 speed? mostly go by feel, you probably have it tight enough though ...

If it's as tight as you say and there still is some play, then the 10 speed spacer will save your day.

No need to worry about a torque wrench with a cassette. You ought to tighten it to the point it doesn't rattle (do you have a cassette wrench?), but from that point you don't have to worry about it being too loose (don't make it too tight, either). The cassette won't loosen when you pedal: pedaling drives the cassette clockwise, but you tighten the lockring counterclockwise.

Mike

Spanner? Lockrings require a specific tool.
There should be no movement at all between cogs. It is very important the the cogs be held together tightly to avoid potential damage to the freehub.
Are you sure you have all of the spacers needed?

Al

It's actually Shimano 7 speed. The biggest five sprockets came in one cluster so there were two unattached with one spacer and a lockring. I put the spacer between the 5 and 6th sprockets as it said to do in the installation guide. I'd say all the sprockets except the smallest one can wiggle 1/16" either side of the centre.

Ah, you might need to place a spacer onto the hub before you install the cassette. Your hub might be ment for 8-9 speed cassettes, a 2-2.5mm spacer will make things fit just fine.

Or if the small cog is an 11T you might be bottoming out the last cog. A spacer will solve this problem also.

Spacer between the 6th and 7th sprocket?

No, a spacer that fits on the freehub before installing the cassette. 8/9/10 speed cassettes are a litle wider than a 7 speed, so you need to fill that space in order to properly tighten down the lockring. Any well stocked shop should have the correct spacer.

Spacer between the 6th and 7th sprocket?

+1
At least that's the way my new 7 speed cassette came.
What are you changing from, and to what?
IF the new cassette has an 11T cog, and the old one didn't you'll (most likely) have a problem. An 11T cog requires a "Compact" Freehub.

http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#11

My vote is missing (or needed with your new cassette) spacer. You may have a stacking of tolerances, your new cassette might be a tad more narrow than the original.

The cassette won't loosen when you pedal: pedaling drives the cassette clockwise, but you tighten the lockring counterclockwise.

I think you're talking about a single track cog, not a cassette.

Sounds like you might need this 4.5mm 8-speed hub/7-speed cassette spacer, which goes on the freehub before the cassette: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600085&subcategory=60001107&brand=&sku=3339&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Freehubs%2FRear%20Hubs

It would be fairly obvious if you were missing a spacer between the 6th and 7th cog (or between any other two cogs). The spacing between all the cogs should be the same.

Edit: I also agree the problem may be putting an 11T cassette on a non-compact freehub, if the rear hub is old enough.

It is an 11T cassette. I don't know what used to be on the hub because I bought it recently without a cassette. It's a Shimano 105 hub and I reckon it's got about a year on it if that helps. So, is this cassette completely incompatiable, or do I just need spacers?

Go to the Sheldon link in post #12, does the freehub look like the "Hyperglide "C" body" or "Non-compact body"? 11T cassettes require the Hyperglide/Compact body. If the freehub is Hyperglide/Compact, then the 4.5mm spacer is probably what you need. One way to tell is if you put it all together and the 11T cog is fairly snug (because it gets caught on the lip like it's supposed to do) but the rest of the cogs wiggle.

Edit: if you look at the link, Sheldon outlines ways around using an 11T cog and non-compact freehub. Also, you need to make sure the lockring you have is 11T specific or it could interfere with the chain when on that cog.