I have this wheelset which claims to be an 11-speed HG freehub. I've been experimenting with installing 3 cassettes and I'm finding some strange behavior:
Cassette | Description | Needs 1.85mm spacer? |
---|---|---|
Shimano CS-M771 | 10-speed 11-36 MTB cassette | No |
SRAM PG-1050 | 10-speed 11-32 road cassette | No |
SRAM PG-1070 | 10-speed 11-36 road cassette | Yes |
Each cassette has been installed at least 5 times with no deviations in results. I've also verified that every stock cassette spacer is included, assembled in the correct order, and does not appear damaged. Mounting the 2 top cassettes with a spacer I can't get the final cog on. The bottom cassette without a spacer has a lot of play no matter how tight the lockring is. I've also tried swapping lockrings and not found a change in results.
I think the freehub might be a 10-speed - I took 3 measurements from the base of the freehub inwards of the notches, out past the splines to the very tip of the hub, and averaged them at 34.925mm long, which lines up with the 10-speed length. This would explain the behavior of the top 2 cassettes but not the bottom.
I have a second wheelset that's 8/9/10 speed, and I can mount each cassette with no spacer and no play, as expected. I think this rules out a manufacturing defect with the bottom one.
Does anything stand out to anyone? Do some freehubs fall in between 10 and 11 speed, or do some 10-speed cassettes not need a spacer to run on 11-speed hubs? I'm looking for any kind of tips more out of curiosity rather than just getting the bike running. Thanks for your help.