Originally Posted by
cyrano138
Update: Finally got around to this project today. Swapped out the 1mm spacer behind the cassette for a 4ish mm spacer, tightened it down and now it's fixed. The only play is from the free hub body.
Just out of curiosity, is it normal for there to be some play in the cassette if you twist it? Like if you grab the largest cog with one hand and the smallest with the other and twist like you're opening a mayonnaise jar, and there is movement, is that normal? It doesn't seem to affect the way it moves now that it's reinstalled, but it does look to be an original cassette with a lot of wear on it.
The cogs on the cassette should be solidly in place without any movement. Are cogs loose or are they pinned together? There are often rivets or threaded pins keeping the cogs together. If you freehub body is worn, this might help with the looseness of the gears. You may still need to replace the body if that doesn’t work but I’d try pinning the cogs if they aren’t first. Always go for the cheap and easy fixes first.