orocasa

I recently had a difficult time removing the lock ring on my 20 year old GT Avalanche mountain bike Shimano cassette. The park cassette removal tool I was using would not engage deeply enough into the lock ring to get a good grip on it. As soon as I tried turning the tool to unscrew the lock ring it would slip out of the lock ring. The same tool worked fine on my 2013 Jamis Road bike cassette sliding deeply into the lock ring and getting a good grip. I subsequently purchased another tool from Performance Bicycle with a center post which slides into the axle and acts as a guide to stabilize the tool. But that one slipped out on my mountain bike cassette lock ring also.

I took the advice of another frustrated lock ring remover and secured the slipping tool with a quick release axle skewer. Tightening the skewer held the tool in place while I was able to turn it with an adjustable wrench. This method worked pretty well but there must be a better way. I wasn't able to get my torque wrench on the cassette removal tool with the skewer in the way. Is there a different tool that fits the older cassettes and lock rings better?

wschruba

Nope. The cone seal interferes with the lockring tool. Put it back on the same way you took it off.

Alternatively, sometimes spacing of the freehub allows for slipping a 1mm spacer behind the cassette--and it may be all you need to get more reliable engagement.

Bill Kapaun

Is one possibly a Free Wheel hub?

Jeff Wills

I've always secured the removal tool with the QR skewer. If you want to try a different tool, try one with a built-in pilot: Cassette Lockring Tool | Park Tool

orocasa

Thanks, I did. The axle skewer works pretty well.