Rotafix - how much?
 

I was cleaning my bike yesterday, and took the cog off & put it back on w/ the Rotafix method. When I was putting it back on, I didn't want to overtighten and strip the cog, but I wasn't sure how tight to crank it. I tightened the cog + lockring pretty tight, but I don't know if it's tight enough, and I reaaally don't want to strip my hub as soon as I go to stop.

Any good way I can be sure it's on tight enough w/out stripping the hub?

Yes, there is a tried and true method:

1) Use proper tools
2) Get an experienced mechanic to do it using proper tools

man a chain whip dosent cost that much

Neither does it let you torque up as tight as Rotafixing. Maybe we should wait, and let someone who knows answer the question? (I don't know the answer!)

Yeah, a chainwhip isn't that much, but I also don't have much $$ to spend on bike stuff, and as far as I know, Rotafixing can actually get it tighter then a chainwhip.

But yes, I do need a chainwhip. Thanks for the suggestion.

The body of the hub/end of the thread isn't a sufficient enough indicator of tightness? Let's hope you get some logic when you buy a chain whip.

I've been using the rotafix method for awhile since breaking two cheapo chainwhips.
In my experience the real danger is being able to get the cog off again later. I usually
just tighten the cog till it is snug on the hub, then torque it a little bit more (about 2 inches
using a 700 wheel). Trial & Error.

jeff

Have ya ever stripped a hub putting the cog on?

email the guy at www.grinderbikes.com.
That guy builds fixie conversions for people and rotafixes them all, with no lockring and no locktite. I rode one of his conversions around for several thousand miles with a rotafixed wheel and it never stripped or failed. I'm a big guy (215 pounds) and I skip/skid frequently. According to him (what he told me about 3 months ago), hes never had a customer report a stripped hub or unscrewed cog. If you want to know how tight to rotafix, hes the guy to ask.

Cool, thanks. It's on a track hub with a lockring, so that's not an issue - I'll still ask him though.

Yeah...I'm using a track hub (Surly) now and I rotafixed the cog on there, before installing the lockring. I wasn't sure how hard to screw it on there, so I just gently rotafixed it (enough to get it tight, but not feeling like I was risking the threads), and I've never had a probelm with it unscrewing or stripping.

Right on - that's what I was looking for. I think I got it good.. I'll give it a ride later and we'll see...

It sounds like you just wanted someone to tell you what you already wanted to hear (which is kinda easy to do, sometimes).

It doesn't matter to me either way, becasue it's not my bike, but why not use proper tools?

In an emergency (e.g. 15 miles from home, no tools, no cabs, get it fixed or walk...), I'd understand, but it makes no sense to me why someone would risk breaking one of the single most expensive parts of their track bike, the rear hub -- Not to mention labor costs to rebuild the wheel -- just to avoid buying and using a chainwhip and lockring wrench. Which, by the way, all hub manufacturers recommend you using.

No offense to the OP, but IMHO, Rotafix is a pretty ghetto/redneck solution.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I've noticed that you don't really have
to crank on bike parts that much to get it right. Being a skinny guy I always
overcompensate by overtightening so lately I've been backing off. Maybe its
time to buy a torque wrench

Maybe it is ghetto, but whatever. It's what I can do right now, and I was asking for some advice on it. From what I've heard/read the rotafix method does a fine job of tightening the cog. I used my lockring wrench to tighten the lockring, so that doesn't matter.

I didn't want to just hear the answer I wanted, I wanted an answer that actually answered what I asked, not one telling me to get the "right" tool, etc.

Anyways, thanks for the help/advice.

can someone enlighten me. i dont understand how rotafixing a cog on can get it any tighter than a chainwhip. personally, i think even a chainwhip with a long bar on the end of it for extra torque would actually be easier and more effective.

carleton, I'm not trying to be an ass, it's just kind of frustrating when the only answer I can get is telling me how wrong I'm doing it. Who knows, maybe I AM doing it totally wrong and as soon as I try to stop my whole hub will fall apart because I didn't have the right tool.... but when ya can't afford that junk ya gotta do what ya gotta do. bleh. A chainwhip is on my list anyways though.

Yeah, it's so ghetto that it was invented by those redneck Italian track racers. What?

For the record, I have no idea how a torque wrench would help. If you're not using the rotafixa method, you're using a chainwhip, which has no socket-wrench connection. Rotafixa does the exact same thing as a chainwhip for a fixed-gear hub. You would need to be a freaking hulk to strip the cog threads on your hub by othertightening. Seriously. Just tighten the hell out of it. Most folks, if they ruin a hub, do it on the lockring threads, not the cog. So tighten the hell out of both, and you should be fine.

The only bad thing about rotafix is messing up the paint on your BB shell. Go until the cog is tight, tighten up your lockring, and do a few hard sprints up and down the block, then retighten your lockring and forget about it.

rag.

problem solved.

what ever man do what you want but a chain whip seems to work fine for me.Its your bike you can **** it up anyway you want i wasent trying to be a dick but im sick of cheap ass losers trying to rig every ****ing thing then a week later *****ing why it dosent work right so **** you

**** **** ***** *** *****ing *****.

You are uninformed. Rotafix is totally valid. Most chainwhips are ****ing crap.

um yeah **** you chain whips for life *****es

Asterisks 4 Evah! *****

**** ***** ****************************r************