Frozen Cassette Lockring

[GKSki]

Accidentally overtorqued a cassette lockring at 40Nm not hearing the wrench click to torque, so not certain how tightened i really did it.

Tried removing it to start over and broke my chain whip. I can repair that and keep trying, but does anyone have any tips for removing an overtorqued cassette lockring.

[202cycle]

Stronger chain whip and a longer wrench.

[tlg]

Stronger chain whip and a longer wrench.

And spray some penetrating oil, WD40, etc on it first and let soak in.

You need to overcome the torque plus friction in the threads.

[cxwrench]

Grab a spoke or 2 with the hand you're holding the chain whip with. Push against the spokes and the whip. You'll never break another whip.

[GKSki]

Thanks all. I rebuilt the chain whip and got the lockring off. Seems I mistook the noise the serrations of the lockring and first cog make with the click of the torque wrench or vice versa. Been doing this a long time, so this was a first.

Going to lube the lock ring threads and try to use a smaller torque wrench when I reinstall the cassette. I once had a cassette come loose on a ride, so I guess I went the wrong direction with this one.

[GKSki]

Grab a spoke or 2 with the hand you're holding the chain whip with. Push against the spokes and the whip. You'll never break another whip.

Thanks, CX, but with these bladed Fulcrum spokes (just had to replace one; reason for the cassette removal), not sure I want to hold onto the whip plus a spoke or two.

My whip was missing the forward piece and always served me as is, but for this I had to rebuild it and reinstall new chain for both parts of the whip.

[cxwrench]

Wrap a rag around the spokes...wear a glove...

[tlg]

Going to lube the lock ring threads and try to use a smaller torque wrench when I reinstall the cassette.

When a thread is lubricated - less torque is required to achieve the same axial load or tension. Reduction of torque for lubricated vs. dry threads is between 30-50%

There is no need to lube the threads.

[aclinjury]

ugh, if your torque wrench was calibrated correctly, then it should have clicked once the specified torque has been achieved. You could not have overtorqued the lockring if the torque wrench was calibrated correctly.

For the future, you could try to use a flame or a heat gun to heat up the hub/lockring core. This may allow for an easier removal.

[tlg]

ugh, if your torque wrench was calibrated correctly, then it should have clicked once the specified torque has been achieved. You could not have overtorqued the lockring if the torque wrench was calibrated correctly.

Some torque wrenches don't click as well as others. It can be easy to miss. Especially if in the upper or lower range of the wrench.

[cxwrench]

ugh, if your torque wrench was calibrated correctly, then it should have clicked once the specified torque has been achieved. You could not have overtorqued the lockring if the torque wrench was calibrated correctly.

For the future, you could try to use a flame or a heat gun to heat up the hub/lockring core. This may allow for an easier removal.

You absolutely can over tighten even if the wrench is set properly. Nothing stops you from turning the wrench further it just clicks to let you know you've reached the desired torque. You can blow right past it quite easily.

[aclinjury]

"click" type torque wrench uses a clutch mechanism that would slip once the specified torque has been reached. Even if he didn't hear the click, the clutch would still have slipped, thus preventing over torquing.

However, click type torque wrenches need to be calibrated quite often to keep them accurate, and they must be set back to zero when not in use. I'm willing to bet OP's torque wrench has never been calibrated, and maybe not even set back to zero when not in use either.

[tlg]

"click" type torque wrench uses a clutch mechanism that would slip once the specified torque has been reached.

Absolutely not! A clicker torque wrench will continue to turn. It's only an audible click you hear..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_wrench#Click
A more sophisticated method of presetting torque is with a calibrated clutch mechanism. One common form uses a ball detent and spring, with the spring preloaded by an adjustable screw thread, calibrated in torque units. The ball detent transmits force until the preset torque is reached, at which point the force exerted by the spring is overcome and the ball "clicks" out of its socket. This design yields greater precision as well as giving tactile and audible feedback. The wrench will not start slipping once the desired torque is reached, it will only click and bend slightly at the head; the operator can continue to apply torque to the wrench without any additional action or warnings from the wrench

However, click type torque wrenches need to be calibrated quite often to keep them accurate

For an occasional home user... not really.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CALIBRATE A TORQUE WRENCH? - e2b calibration
If you’re looking for a straight answer, it is standard practice to calibrate your torque wrench every 5,000 cycles or every 12 months, whichever comes first.

[GKSki]

Mine has not been re-calibrated, I will give you that, but I am not a professional mechanic and use it very infrequently. I do turn down the spring completely after each use, and I do trust it based on how I feel it tightens for me.

You most definitely can blow by the torque setting by ignoring the click. This time I was in a hurry and confused the noises of the click of the torque wrench and the two serrated surfaces tightening together.

[aclinjury]

interesting, my wrench will click and slip once torque has been reached, and further wrenching will slip.

[tlg]

interesting, my wrench will click and slip once torque has been reached, and further wrenching will slip.

That's a slipping/slipper style torque wrench. Not nearly as common as a click style.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_wrench#Slipper

[GKSki]

I can see a lot of benefits to this "slipper" type torque wrench. However I wouldn't want to be torquing my vehicles wheel bolts at 120Nm and have it reach torque setting and slip. Sounds like Tommy John shoulder surgery would be in order.