Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Cassette wobble

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Cassette wobble

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-26-07 | 05:08 PM
  #1  
eippo1's Avatar
Thread Starter
I like beans
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 1
From: Meffa, MA

Bikes: Tarmac Pro, Bianchi Zurigo, Raleigh Gran Sport, Fuji Del Rey, Ironman Centurion

Cassette wobble

I recently swapped/ get new cassettes for my wheels and noticed that the cogs seem to wobble a bit now when I look down at the cassette from above while at speed. I checked and they all seem to be tightly on the hub and am worried that this will cause the cassette and chain to wear quickly. Is there something else I should be doing when installing a new cassette or is this normal?
eippo1 is offline  
Reply
Old 06-26-07 | 08:27 PM
  #2  
brians647's Avatar
R.E.Member
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 863
Likes: 1
From: CT

Bikes: Cannondale, Kirk

I've found the same thing on my Shimano cassette. When I asked the guys at my LBS, they said that it was normal. The wear on my cassette and chain seems to be fine. Hope that helps.
brians647 is offline  
Reply
Old 06-26-07 | 09:09 PM
  #3  
clichty's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 549
Likes: 42
From: Minneapolis

Bikes: Moots Vamoots RCS, Serotta Ti, Felt F55, Surly Ogre

I had trouble with a wobbly cassette and a loose rear wheel, but I just tightened everything and it all went away. I just tightened up the cassette and the wobble went away.
clichty is offline  
Reply
Old 06-26-07 | 09:13 PM
  #4  
Machka's Avatar
In Real Life
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 52,159
Likes: 773
From: Down under down under

Bikes: Lots

Do you have a freehub? If so ... that wobble may well cost you some $$$.
Machka is offline  
Reply
Old 06-26-07 | 09:23 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: Seattle
Same thing happened on my SRAM cassette, it was busted.
mutantdunk is offline  
Reply
Old 06-26-07 | 11:34 PM
  #6  
NotAsFat's Avatar
as I used to be
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, OK

Bikes: 2006 Lemond Tourmalet triple

The cassette on my road bike wiggled like a belly dancer whenever the wheel was coasting. The LBS diagnosed the cause as a bent freehub body. They said it was ok to ride, but they're replacing it under warranty. A good LBS is a treasure.
NotAsFat is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 06:01 AM
  #7  
Campag4life's Avatar
Voice of the Industry
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,572
Likes: 8
Originally Posted by eippo1
I recently swapped/ get new cassettes for my wheels and noticed that the cogs seem to wobble a bit now when I look down at the cassette from above while at speed. I checked and they all seem to be tightly on the hub and am worried that this will cause the cassette and chain to wear quickly. Is there something else I should be doing when installing a new cassette or is this normal?
Not good on a number of levels. Remove the wheel and and cassette, inspect and reassemble.
Good Luck.
Campag4life is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 06:43 AM
  #8  
Az B's Avatar
Fattest Thin Man
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,648
Likes: 4
From: Directly above the center of the earth

Bikes: Miyata 610, Vinco V, Rocky Mountain Element

You may need a spacer behind the cassette if the wobble is because the cassette is loose. It depends on your freehub and cassette.

Az
Az B is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 06:45 AM
  #9  
merlinextraligh's Avatar
pan y agua
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,810
Likes: 1,232
From: Jacksonville

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

My bet is you don't have the right spacer. 10 speed cassette on a 9 speed hub needs a spacer ring (IIRC it's 1 mm). Also some Mavic hubs need a spacer.

It's not normal for your cassettes to wobble, and it will over time eat into the splines on the free hub body.

[Edit AZ you're faster.]
merlinextraligh is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 12:11 PM
  #10  
eippo1's Avatar
Thread Starter
I like beans
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 1
From: Meffa, MA

Bikes: Tarmac Pro, Bianchi Zurigo, Raleigh Gran Sport, Fuji Del Rey, Ironman Centurion

Hmm, interesting b/c these are all cassette replacements and I just reused the spacers that I had on there before. I even kept the same type of manufacturers on there that I had on previously.
eippo1 is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 01:19 PM
  #11  
idcruiserman's Avatar
Mmmmm potatoes
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,921
Likes: 0
From: Idaho
IMO it's normal. Every cassette I've owned has wobbled to some degree.
idcruiserman is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 01:21 PM
  #12  
UT_Dude's Avatar
Texas Fight!
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Never had a wobbly cassette. I'd check into that. The spacer theory sounds the best from my point of view. Otherwise, yeah, check the freehub .
__________________
T E X A S F I G H T !
https://www.chriscollins.org
UT_Dude is offline  
Reply
Old 06-27-07 | 06:48 PM
  #13  
Machka's Avatar
In Real Life
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 52,159
Likes: 773
From: Down under down under

Bikes: Lots

Originally Posted by UT_Dude
Never had a wobbly cassette. I'd check into that. The spacer theory sounds the best from my point of view. Otherwise, yeah, check the freehub .
Freehubs, I've discovered, only last about 25,000 kms ... I've been through 2 in the 4 and a bit years I've owned my bicycle. Somehow I would have thought they'd be more durable than that, but I guess not.

Anyway the real tell-tale sign that it's the freehub is the wobbly cassette combined with a rather annoying, rythmic, but not very loud, "clunk" that has you wondering, "What is that noise?" and checking to see if your taillight has somehow slipped and is nicking a spoke.
Machka is offline  
Reply

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.