I have to say that the fact you make videos like these is one of the reasons I tend to favour Park Tool whenever I'm buying new bike tools. Great stuff!
It sounds so obvious now but I had the same issue. When I replaced my cassette I expected to see gouging of the freehub splines, because I felt play when I tugged on it in the bike stand. I never tried *engaging* the freehub first by rotating it clockwise before tugging on it. Now I know the slight movement is normal and is play inside the freehub, not worn splines or loose lockring.
Update: bought Park tool MLP-1.2; FR-2.5GT; and CP-1.2. It fixed after tighten the lockring with spec. Thank you much! This helped to confirm my two months old S Levo issue. Symptoms from weird - noise - noise lounder when changing gears. Checked and found loose cogs, still think it normal for new bike... Confirmed problem after found this very helpful video.
Excellent Calvin - as you say all machines and especially bikes talk to us, usually to say fix me or spend money - gerching gerching! Brilliant video sir. 😊
Calvin is a treasure I still remember when my parents bought me his big blue book of maintenance and i still keep coming back for more insight from him!
Thanks for the great video. I have had an increasing rattling and finally figured out it was the back sprockets that were loose. This video and the one about cassette removal and installation were such a help. Bought the Park Tool from Amazon. Took it apart, cleaned things up and then re-installed and tightened things up. Wow! My bike hasn't run this smooth in a long time. Thanks again! P.S. -An old chain and a pair of vice grips is a great substitute for the chain whip tool.
Thanks - you've put my mind at rest. I've just fitted a new cassette and I noticed there was a little bit of side-to-side play on the hub and I was wondering if I hadn't tightened enough. Good to learn that a little play is not a problem. great series of videos - I've learnt a huge amount from them.
Beautiful! Sussing out a knock-knock that happens only when I coast at a certain speed. Determine it isn't the cones. Monkey around on the workstand - hard to replicate there - but I catch the slightest intermittent knock while coasting. Must be the freehub. Pop off the cassette, wash everything off, inspect everything, dig the dirty squeeze grease off the cone and squeeze a little clean back on to please the bearing gods. Put everything back together. Shiny clean, spins well, but... cassette wiggles a tiny bit. I ask Park Tool for help. Watch this video till end. "This much play, that much coasting knock: normal. Bike not destroying itself. You're free to go." This is the happy ending I constantly crave. Happens rarely, but oh so satisfying when it does. Thanks again, Calvin!
i know this video was posted year ago but 3:00 save me from all my worries to my newly bought shimano hyperglide. Thank you so much Calvin and Park Tool. Informative and simple, helping us newbs!
I was just suggested this video so that's why I am late. But man, how great is this explanation! US and European and also a guideline as to what a certain amount of torque should feel like. It's all you can wish for. Mad props!
Eureka! That was my issue. I have about 3000Mil on my 2 year old E-Bike and started to notice a "new" noise, checked the rear cassette and that was my issue too. Thanks for the education.
thanks Kelvin, i have worked on my own bikes for decades and on my particular bike atm my cassette does have a slight wobble to it, more so than any other bike from the past, enough to make me wonder if i had a problem, but thanks to you it's the norm to have a bit of play in it, but I'm still gonna service it soon, again thank you master
1:40 You know not to question or mess with someone on anything with bikes when they can get the wheel off cleanly like that. I always catch the chain when I do it.
Great video. Started hearing a weird knocking sound from the rear end when landing drops and jumps. Checked the rear mech clutch, rear axle and eventually found play in the 12 speed cassette exactly as shown at the start of the video where a few of the smaller gears have rotational play independent of the larger gears. Whilst waiting on the locking tool to arrive, I'm glad I found this video as I was worried I might have had a damaged cassette and was hopelessly optimistic that it would tighten up.
I was doing some DH yesterday and hear a rotten sound from the back end. I stopped and checked over the bike and found that the 3 biggest sprockets on my nx cassette were very loose. So while I was at work today, I was thinking of things I could do when I get home to fix it. The only things I could think of was to tighten the ring to torque spec or dismantle and troubleshoot further. I just watched this video and it confirmed my initial thought. Gonna go tighten it up now.
Thank you Park Tools! I bought a new bike, ride it for a week and noticed also some wobble in the cassette. Was about to head to the shop and demand for a fix but saw your video and now I am relieved that its only normal freehub play.
I am in that same exact position. Although I have to admit I wonder if this is common for all bike hubs as in it is designed to be that way? Or is the ones that wiggle more like detective ones that shouldn't but do have a slight 1mm wiggle?
That "don't confuse" at 3:50 yeap exactly what I had done haha, I was worried because the locknut wouldn't tighter any further. While pedaling that small play wasn't there. No more confusion! Thank you.
THANK YOU, DAMN KINDA GAVE ME ANXIETY THAT MY CASSETTE HAS A LITTLE PLAY OF THE FREEHUB, THOUGHT IT WASN'T NORMAL, AND THEN I WATCHED THIS GUY LOL. LIFE SAVER.
Thanks, Calvin. 😊 This video was especially AMUSING, as well as helpful. ** You are an excellent teacher, always bringing us valuable information in a very relevant way. Thanks so much!
I have seen a common third situation (mostly on well-intending DIY mechanics): Missing the freehub spacer behind a 10/9/8 speed cassette on an 11spd freehub; or on a Mavic freehub with the extra length. Locknut is bottomed out and tight, but still have a loose cassette. Thought this is worth mentioning.
Starting this winter,i will buy basic tools to play around woth the bike and learn to fix it s issues from these videos,since whenever i go to any bike shop,they don t seem to bother and don t fix the issues i have.
Totally saved me some money. I was about to spend cash on a new cassette since my HG driver is relatively new and looks in great condition. Thank you for these types of videos.
Really useful video! I noticed the same noise from my drivetrain but could not realize what was wrong...it turned out the cassette bolt was a bit loose...I really appreciate these videos and you guys earned a new subscriber :) Keep up the good work!
fantastic video, just developed that noise today and thought it was due to chain strech, but found a loose cog thanks so much for the info, Parks Tools best value in the business
I went to the bike shop today and they wanted to charge me daam near $35 just to do this simple thing I can do. Thank you youtube and thank you ParkTool!
Thanks for a quick and to the point instruction video. Mine has "free hub play." It seems a little excessive. The chain slips. No one attributes this to free hub play. I'll try the other fixes first.
Thanks for this video... I was a little worried with my new Shimano RS31 rear wheel.. it was having this light wobble...and the mechanic from the Shimano authorized service center told me that this is normal for Shimano wheels... I got worried because my other Fulcrum and Alexrims wheelsets do not have such. Now, with this video, it even validated what the Shimano mech told me.
I recently discovered my cassette was loose and probably has been for quite awhile but shifting was still fine. I thought,hmmm,local bike shop was the last one who tightened it after replacing two broken spokes a few years ago. I bought a Park Tool FR-5.2 lockring tool and tightened it myself to 40nm with a click style torque wrench. Problem solved. I do most of my own repairs but sometimes need a shop because they have the tools I don't. Usually a gamble which mechanic you get and some are hacks. Thankfully I don't use them very often.
i have the casette wiggle on my relatively new bike and i was worried that something is wrong. but thanks for the explanation, that this is common (i guess it depends on the freehub type and quality) and called freehub play. btw i have a shimano FH-MT510-B hub with a 12 speed casette on my mtb.
This was exactly the problem I had but it took me months to identify where the noise was coming from 😤. Never for a moment did I think it would be. If you're bike is 'claterring' over terrain check the cassette is tightly fixed.
Nice video! I ran into pops when the chain moved from segment to segment on my XT. Although it improved when I tightened the nut, it was still present. I more carefully disassembled the cassette and noticed that the fit to the freehub splines was loose. Since the cassette was fresh, I bought another freehub and was shocked that it was loose as well. I brought it to the attention of the shop and they said it was normal; " just tighten it more!". (I had used a torque wrench to 40 Nm). So, I went a little more and just try to ignore the freehub and cassette pops (no really that bad, right?). Pitiful!
