mkadam68

Just purchased a second set of wheels from lickbike.com--Mavic Ksyrium Elites. I picked up an 11-23 cogset as well (I already have a 12-25 for climbing) and the locking ring tool. I already have two chain whips and a large adjustable crescent wrench that I've used to install & remove freewheels in the past.

On Park's website, it says to tighten the lockring to 40Nm. How necessary is this? I don't own a torque wrench. Can I just tighten 'til it feels good, and let the pedaling action keep it on/tighten more as w/freewheels?

(Wheels are Shimano 10-sp if this makes a difference.)

DMF 

Well, it's necessary to tighten the lockring down, but you don't *have* to have a torque wrench to do so. If you've got a good feel for how tight 40 Nm (30 ft-lb) is, that should be close enough. IMO the little knurls under the ring make it pretty solid if you get close.

To try to describe it, 30 ft-lb is about how tight you'd take a 9/16" bolt, like a crank bolt. A lockring is large so you'd tend to think it would take more torque, but the threads are shallow and you don't want to over-torque. When it gets tight enough it won't want to stretch like a bolt, though, so you should be able to feel that it doesn't want to go any farther.

So, "good and tight, but not too tight".

mkadam68

If done too loose, is there danger of it coming off while riding? I have heard tales...

Or if done too tight, danger of damaging something?

DMF 

If it loosens up then your cogs will move in relation to each other and shifting will become difficult. Might break something eventually, but it's not like the back wheel will fall off. Remember, the cassette is captured between the hub and the dropout; it's not going anywhere.

If done too tight you'll break the lockring.

HillRider

Yes it can loosen and shift poorly but it won't come off. It happened to my son-in-law's bike so it's more than "tales". The lock ring must be tightened firmly.

Also, cassettes don't tighten with riding the way freewheels do. If they are too loose, riding will only make it worse, not better.

mkadam68

Thanks, all. I think I may check out torque wrenches at Lowes or Home Depot. See if they have anything cheap. With a carbon frame, it'll probably come in handy later on.

DMF 

3/8" or smaller. 1/2" is too big for most things on a bike - 30 ft-lb is kinda the lower end for 1/2".