billyymc

So I bought two DT Swiss wheelsets about a year ago - one for an older (2007) road bike (quick release) and one for a gravel bike I built last year (with through axle).

Both rear wheels are annoying. Not like hang out and drink your beer all the time annoying, but click, tick, creak annoying.

It's not as bad on the road bike as it is on the gravel bike. On the road bike it's a pretty consistent tick / light scratching sound. Only when pedaling reasonably hard. doesnt' seem to be any pattern to it. So today after a ride I took off the wheel and tightened the cassette a bit more (I only have a low torque torque wrench for carbon bits - not one for the cassette). Will give it a try later and see if it helped.

On the gravel bike it's more of a grating sound and seems to be at a certain point in the wheel, and doesnt' go away when coasting (but is probalby worse under pedaling pressure). I've removed the freehub body and greased the pawls, etc. I've checked and the bearings seem ok (on both bikes). So today I took the cassette off the gravel bike and stared at it as if I might find the problem. As I was putting the cassette back on I realized that it has some forward/backward play in it (i.e. - it doesn't sit rock solid on the splines of the freehub). There was no side to side (or lateral) play when it was tightened, but there is front/back play. Could that be making the noise?

I'm ready to hang these wheels on the wall and order new wheels for both bikes.

Andrew R Stewart 

Are you sure it's a wheel issue? Have you tried the same wheels with different cassettes? The same cassettes on different wheels? How's the spoke tensions or chain wear? From the play it at face value might be a lack of a this cassette spacer behind the block but the above are also considerations. Andy

billyymc

Nope - not entirely sure. I don't have another wheel to try on the gravel bike. I do on the road bike so if that persists I'll switch, and if it goes away I'll switch cassettes and see what happens.

The play of the cassette on the gravel bike - I dont' think it would be solved by a spacer...it's not an in/out play (i.e. as if you were pulling the cassette off the hub). It's a slight rotational play....like the splines aren't the right tolerance and you can wiggle it slightly forward and back before it's engaged with the splines.

Bob Ross

fwiw I have several different DT Swiss wheels -- though all of them built on 240s hubs -- on several of my bikes. And while I don't think I'd ever claim any of them are "silent" I would confidently mention that they are all quieter than any of the other non-DT Swiss wheels I own.

dsbrantjr

The cassette is not going to be able to be moved if it is being properly clamped by the lock ring. I think you need a thin spacer behind it to allow the lock ring to bear on the cassette and not on the end of the freehub.
The correct torque, 40N-m typical, is more than you might think, and known under-torquing it is not helping.

billyymc

Well it looks like a couple votes for I probably need a spacer, so going to give that a try with a thin spacer behind the cassette.

I think I'm ok on the torque - 40 N-m is around 30 foot pounds and I have a reasonable feel for what that is from working on my cars.

Will let you know how it works out...fingers crossed. These wheels ride great, but the extra noise annoys me to no end!