Using a singlespeed cog with an aluminum freehub body

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm worried
that the freehub body splines are going to get notched heavily, more so than
with a full cassette on. I'm wondering if anybody here knows of an easy
preemptive modification to distribute loads over a greater length of the
splines.

I was thinking that if I could find steel cassette spacers, I could weld the
singlespeed cog to the spacers.

I would be using a 3/32" cog, but I'm opening to using anything thicker.
Does anyone know where I can get something thicker?

Or am I worrying too much?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
> singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm
> worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
> heavily, more so than with a full cassette on. I'm wondering if
> anybody here knows of an easy preemptive modification to distribute
> loads over a greater length of the splines.
>
> I was thinking that if I could find steel cassette spacers, I could
> weld the singlespeed cog to the spacers.
>
> I would be using a 3/32" cog, but I'm opening to using anything
> thicker. Does anyone know where I can get something thicker?
>
> Or am I worrying too much?

I found part of the solution. Chris King and Surly both make singlespeed
cogs intended for aluminum freehub bodies. Would anybody happen to know any
others?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[colnalu]

Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
> singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm worried
> that the freehub body splines are going to get notched heavily, more so than
> with a full cassette on. I'm wondering if anybody here knows of an easy
> preemptive modification to distribute loads over a greater length of the
> splines.
>
> I was thinking that if I could find steel cassette spacers, I could weld the
> singlespeed cog to the spacers.
>
> I would be using a 3/32" cog, but I'm opening to using anything thicker.
> Does anyone know where I can get something thicker?
>
> Or am I worrying too much?

Hi Phil, first pls excuse me not addressing your question ...

My musings - there's maybe not so much to worry about as far as using a
single cog, unsupported. Take Campagnolo's cassettes as an example.
While Record and Chorus use carriers that group cogs in sets of 2 (3?),
Veloce cassettes comprise individual cogs, which of course *don't*
spread the forces over a wide area of the freehub body. I suppose a
really powerful rider would eventually wreck the freehub body with
Veloce but cause less damage with Record/Chorus.

Are the cassette cogs you have at present, ganged and on carriers, or
are they individual? If it's the latter, then using a single cog won't
be any worse than what you have already.

/Robert

 

[Kinky Cowboy]

On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:28:32 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
>> singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm
>> worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
>> heavily,
>I found part of the solution. Chris King and Surly both make singlespeed
>cogs intended for aluminum freehub bodies. Would anybody happen to know any
>others?

http://www.endlessbikes.com/products/components.html


Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

colnalu wrote:
> Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
>> singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm
>> worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
>> heavily, more so than with a full cassette on. I'm wondering if
>> anybody here knows of an easy preemptive modification to distribute
>> loads over a greater length of the splines.
>>
>> I was thinking that if I could find steel cassette spacers, I could
>> weld the singlespeed cog to the spacers.
>>
>> I would be using a 3/32" cog, but I'm opening to using anything
>> thicker. Does anyone know where I can get something thicker?
>>
>> Or am I worrying too much?
>
> Hi Phil, first pls excuse me not addressing your question ...
>
> My musings - there's maybe not so much to worry about as far as using
> a single cog, unsupported. Take Campagnolo's cassettes as an example.

Problem right there... the freehub body splines are much taller on Campy
hubs, so there's less pressure on the splines.

> While Record and Chorus use carriers that group cogs in sets of 2
> (3?), Veloce cassettes comprise individual cogs, which of course
> *don't* spread the forces over a wide area of the freehub body. I
> suppose a really powerful rider would eventually wreck the freehub
> body with Veloce but cause less damage with Record/Chorus.
>
> Are the cassette cogs you have at present, ganged and on carriers, or
> are they individual? If it's the latter, then using a single cog won't
> be any worse than what you have already.

The hub is brand new and hasn't had anything mounted on it yet. I just
remember seeing other peoples' notched alu freehub bodies with loose-cog
cassettes, and since all the time on the bike would be spent on the one cog
in the middle of the body, I wanted to avoid that if possible. I do have a
cog from a 7-speed cassette I could put on, but the thicker
single-speed-specific cogs with wider spline engagement look like the
ticket.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Kinky Cowboy wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:28:32 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>>> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
>>> singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm
>>> worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
>>> heavily,
>> I found part of the solution. Chris King and Surly both make
>> singlespeed cogs intended for aluminum freehub bodies. Would
>> anybody happen to know any others?
>
> http://www.endlessbikes.com/products/components.html
>
>
> Kinky Cowboy*
>
> *Batteries not included
> May contain traces of nuts
> Your milage may vary

They look nice, they're cheap, and they're even produced domestically. But
aluminum cogs? Do you use these? If so, how's the wear life?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Kinky Cowboy]

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:48:33 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Kinky Cowboy wrote:
>> On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:28:32 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>>>> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily in
>>>> singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body. I'm
>>>> worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
>>>> heavily,
>>> I found part of the solution. Chris King and Surly both make
>>> singlespeed cogs intended for aluminum freehub bodies. Would
>>> anybody happen to know any others?
>>
>> http://www.endlessbikes.com/products/components.html
>>
>>
>> Kinky Cowboy*
>
>They look nice, they're cheap, and they're even produced domestically. But
>aluminum cogs? Do you use these? If so, how's the wear life?

If they're cheap (compared with King, anyway) who cares about wear
life? No, I don't have any of these, so I can't comment on life
expectancy. They do make big sprockets, so I could get a dramatic
improvement in drivetrain life by running 51x24 instead of my usual
34x16; I don't need to, because I've got a steel freehub body, and
Shimano DX sprockets are like $5 each


Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Kinky Cowboy wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:48:33 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Kinky Cowboy wrote:
>>> On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:28:32 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>>>>> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily
>>>>> in singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body.
>>>>> I'm worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
>>>>> heavily,
>>>> I found part of the solution. Chris King and Surly both make
>>>> singlespeed cogs intended for aluminum freehub bodies. Would
>>>> anybody happen to know any others?
>>>
>>> http://www.endlessbikes.com/products/components.html
>>>
>>>
>>> Kinky Cowboy*
>>
>> They look nice, they're cheap, and they're even produced
>> domestically. But aluminum cogs? Do you use these? If so, how's
>> the wear life?
>
> If they're cheap (compared with King, anyway) who cares about wear
> life? No, I don't have any of these, so I can't comment on life
> expectancy. They do make big sprockets, so I could get a dramatic
> improvement in drivetrain life by running 51x24 instead of my usual
> 34x16;

Eek... No log crossings at that point...

> I don't need to, because I've got a steel freehub body, and
> Shimano DX sprockets are like $5 each

My weight weenism is catching up with me. My current mountain bike is
almost 24% of my body weight.


--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Kinky Cowboy wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:48:33 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Kinky Cowboy wrote:
>>> On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:28:32 -0400, "Phil, Squid-in-Training"
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
>>>>> I've built up a MTB wheelset that I'm going to be using primarily
>>>>> in singlespeed mode with spacers on the aluminum freehub body.
>>>>> I'm worried that the freehub body splines are going to get notched
>>>>> heavily,
>>>> I found part of the solution. Chris King and Surly both make
>>>> singlespeed cogs intended for aluminum freehub bodies. Would
>>>> anybody happen to know any others?
>>>
>>> http://www.endlessbikes.com/products/components.html
>>>
>>>
>>> Kinky Cowboy*
>>
>> They look nice, they're cheap, and they're even produced
>> domestically. But aluminum cogs? Do you use these? If so, how's
>> the wear life?
>
> If they're cheap (compared with King, anyway) who cares about wear
> life? No, I don't have any of these, so I can't comment on life
> expectancy. They do make big sprockets, so I could get a dramatic
> improvement in drivetrain life by running 51x24 instead of my usual
> 34x16; I don't need to, because I've got a steel freehub body, and
> Shimano DX sprockets are like $5 each
>
>
> Kinky Cowboy*
>
> *Batteries not included
> May contain traces of nuts
> Your milage may vary

I did some research. Surly's singlespeed cog is 4.35mm wide at the splines,
King's cog is 5mm wide (and stainless), and Endless Bike Co's cog is 6.35mm
wide, but it's aluminum.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training