Repair guides › Drivetrain

Remove and install cassette

The stack of rear cogs. Slides onto splines of a freehub body on the hub and is held by a lockring. The freehub has the pawls (the clicking you hear when coasting). The HG 8/9/10-speed freehub fits 8, 9 and 10-speed road/MTB cassettes, so you can upgrade speeds without new wheels.

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Tools

• Degreaser: Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner ($)
• Shop rags + nitrile gloves: shop towels and nitrile gloves ($)
• Chain keeper (dummy hub): Park Tool DH-1 dummy hub ($)
• Bike grease: Park Tool PPL-1 PolyLube 1000 ($)
• Cassette lockring tool: Park Tool FR-5.2 ($)
• Chain whip: Park Tool SR-12.2 Sprocket Remover ($$)
• 12" adjustable wrench: Crescent 12 inch adjustable wrench ($)
• 3/8" click torque wrench 10–60 Nm: Pro Bike Tool 3/8 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench Set 10-60 Nm ($$$)

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Steps

1. Remove the rear wheel and the QR skewer.
2. Fit the lockring tool into the lockring. Wrap the chain whip around a middle cog so it pulls clockwise.
3. Hold the whip, push the wrench counter-clockwise. The lockring clicks loose loudly. That is normal.
4. Slide cogs off, keeping them in order on a zip tie.
5. Clean the freehub body; a thin layer of grease prevents creaking.
6. Line up the wide spline on the new cassette with the wide groove on the freehub and slide each piece on.
7. Thread the lockring by hand, then torque. Refit the wheel, close the QR firmly and check indexing.

Torque

Diagram

Signs it needs doing

• Chain skips even with a new chain (worn cogs)
• Cogs wobble (loose lockring)
• Teeth look like shark fins

Problems this fixes

• Chain skips or jumps when pedaling hard