maartendc

Hello all,

I am trying to use a brand new 7-speed cassette on a 9/10/11-speed wheel, for my old Cannondale that has a 7-speed drivetrain. Wheel is a brand new Shimano RS010 wheelset. It is listed as a 9/10/11 speed wheelset / hub.

Now i am trying to install a Shimano HG-41 7-speed cassette on it: https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-HG...Speed-Cassette
I am using a 4.5mm spacer from "Problem Solvers" as I have read this is the correct spacer to use to go from 7-speed cassette to 10-speed hub: https://www.treefortbikes.com/Proble...d-Alloy-Spacer

Now when I install the cassette using this spacer, after tightening the lockring down, and spinning the cassette, there is a significant "wobble" from side to side (couple of mm). Meaning it is not sitting perfectly straight on there.

What could be causing this? All parts are brand new. Am I using the wrong spacer? Is the lockring not tight enough? Is the hub messed up? (I used this wheel with a 10-speed cassette briefly, and it seemed fine). The cassette only goes onto the hub one way, so I am sure that is right.

Thank you!

88Tempo

This is just a guess, but make sure the spacer meets the rivets that hold the cassette together squarely. You might end up notching the spacer to clear the rivets.

alcjphil

You need another spacer to account for the difference in width between a 10 speed and an 11 speed cassette, 1,85 mm as I recall

maartendc

My Shimano RS010 wheel did come with a small 1.85mm spacer I believe: https://www.google.com/search?q=Y4T724000&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-1-d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQlODt97HiAhWCc98KHcO6C7QQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1284&bih=695

I have tried with both this extra 1.85mm spacer and without, but I see the wobble in both cases. I do see that this spacer has some "indentations" on it, perhaps those are not seated correctly or something?

Should the 1.85mm spacer go closest to the wheel center, or closest to the cassette? Perhaps I put the spacer on upside down?

Thank you!

maartendc

I see, that is a good suggestion, thanks. I do see there seem to be little rivets on the back of the cassette:

https://www.evolutioncycles.co.nz/as...iew/186822.jpg

Will look for those when I get home. Thanks!

88Tempo

If you look at the back of the cassette you should see 3 rivets the indents should line up with those.

Looks like we were typing at the same time. I haven't messed with a 11 speed setup yet, but I had something similar happen on a 9 speed hub.

2old

I've only used 7-speed cassettes on nine-speed hubs, so one spacer installed prior to the cassette. Probably, you need two spacers, but should be able to tell before you install the last cog whether you need more spacers.

fietsbob

High precision comes at a higher cost, so it may be within adequate precision considering the price tag.

the upper pulley float, sideways, is part of an indexed shifting system , so , It compensates

for that little discrepancy..

maartendc

Ah, that would explain it if those rivets stick out.

I believe I put the 1.85mm spacer with indentations at the back, and the flush spacer against the cassette / rivets. That would cause it to wobble because it seems like only 2 rivets stick out.

Thanks so much! I will report back if solved.

maartendc

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think so.

Like I said, the hub seems fine ("straight") with a 10-speed cassette I have tried it with. Also, the wobble is really significant, I don't think that would be acceptable even on a cheap wheel.

Thanks

squirtdad

best I can tell you could do 7 speed cassette with spacer on 8,9,10 speed but run into issues with 9,10,11

possibly a 4.5 mm space and a 1.85 spacer.... .

but in any event this is going to be a kludge and probably have on going issues...... too big a technology gap

squirtdad

another think to consider is that your bike is 99.99% 126 mm spacing and the 9/10/11 is 130...... there is a wide variety of opinion on whether you should put a 130 in an aluminum 126......

maartendc

This is true, but I have been running a 130mm rear wheel for about 4 years now on this bike (I do believe it is 126mm spacing). Never had any problems.

Not sure if it is bad for the frame, but i can just "bend" the rear triangle apart a bit when fitting the rear wheel. Seems to work fine.

EDIT: There seems to be a thread about this here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...r-spacing.html
Seems like others have successfully fit a 130mm into this frame. It really does not take much force at all to bend the frame slightly apart, so I believe it should be fine.

ThermionicScott 

Unless you are really attached to your 7-speed shifter, why bother with all this? Put on an 8/9/10/11-speed cassette and a matching shifter and then you won't need to futz with spacers and wobble and everything.

Alternately, if it's possible to swap the freehub body to a 7-speed unit, you could re-dish the wheel and it would be stronger.

The only thing that 4.5mm spacer is good for is wasting opportunity.

maartendc

This is a bike with really nice Dura Ace downtube indexed shifters and Dura Ace 7-speed derailleur that are period-specific to the bike. So yes, I'd like to keep it 7-speed.

That being said, the wheels I have now are just ready for the junkyard, and I have a cheap 10-speed wheelset lying around, hence the need to convert.

I will probably invest in some really nice 7-speed freewheel wheels down the line, just not at the moment.

squirtdad

this may be it..... a comment on the treefort bike site mentioned having to file notches

and it is mentioned in this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...mm-spacer.html

maartendc

Just a quick update: You were both right.

It was indeed the rivets holding the cassette together! There were only 2 rivets, making the cassette sit lop-sided against the flush 4.5mm spacer. The 1.85mm spacer actually had 3 notches in it for this purpose, so I just made sure the 1.85mm spacer was up against the cassette, and the 4.5mm spacer behind that.

Works like a charm now, everything straight and tight. Hope this info helps someone who has similar issues in the future. Cutting notches in the flush spacer, or taking out the rivets from the cassette would also have worked as alternative solutions, if the 1.85mm spacer did not have notches.

Thanks everyone!

Athens80

For future reference, here's a video on the subject.
Just use the wider spacer, or add a 10-to-11 spacer, to make the video apply to using a seven speed cassette with an 11 speed hub.

ridingfool

not sure what Cannondale u have but I have a older one that has downtube shifters and if your bike has the same u can run it in friction mode and use a 8 speed cassette I have done this with hed Ardenne rims and spacing is 126 but rim is 130 and shifts perfect also just used one spacer that was supplied with the rim

maartendc

I bet that would work, but I hate the friction shifting mode. My downtube shifters can be used both in friction and indexed mode. Indexing is 7-speed.

I live in a rolling hilly area, so constantly shifting up, down, up, down again. I would hate to do that with friction shifters.

squirtdad

thanks for the update.... to often people do not do that