Originally Posted by vpiuva
Even if you have a track or flip/flop, there are different threading standards and you need to make sure your hub and cog match.
i think you're referring to lockring threading. unless he dug up something ancient, using the wrong thread cog is unlikely.
Originally Posted by funkstamari
can anyone give me some advice on what to do to prevent further damage, and once stripped is it too late to do anything about it?, also, advice on how to avoid this in the future would be great, thanks
ryan, about the only thing you can do is try to tighten the cog down, it'll either hold or it won't. if it does, make sure the cog and lockring are TIGHT. i brace the wheel, with inflated tire on, against something solid and lean into the chainwhip with all my weight (~160 lbs, YMMV) to lock the cog down; i do down similarly to the lockring with a set of lockring pliers, which work better than a spanner.
some hubs and cogs are simply prone to stripping, no matter how they're installed. avoid quando and sovos hubs, at least the older ones; the threads are soft. cheapie cogs like cyclo also should be avoided, they are thin and therefore don't distribute load well, and can wreck any hub.