Fixing Your Broken Bike Tutorials
Fixing a Loose Cog and/or Lock ring
If you have a loose cog or lock ring, there is major trouble in your future if you don't tighten things up. You can easily wind up without the ability to skid stop or even accelerate by pedaling.
As we all know by now, fixed gear cogs are called "fixed" because they're supposed to be fixed onto the wheel hub without the ability to move from its position. By pedaling, the chain turns the cog which turns the wheel. When the cog is loose, there is a good chance that when you pedal, (thus engaging the chain around the fixed gear cog) you are going to wind up spinning JUST the cog, because there is no tension between the cog and the wheel anymore.
This is extremely bad for your hub threading and your cog threading. When this happens, you're basically guaranteed to have a semi-major repair in your future. If you're lucky, you'll be periodically checking on the tightness of your lock ring and cog. If you find that anything is loose, follow the instruction in the video below.
You don't even need special tools with this method - this method is great if you're out on the road and find your cog slip when applying a lot of torque. IMMEDIATELY perform this technique to ideally prevent any future stripping of your cog.
**NOTE - DO NOT PERFORM THIS NEXT STEP UNLESS YOU DO NOT PLAN ON EVER CHANGING OUT YOUR COG. ONCE LOCTITE RED IS USED AND DRIED, IT BECOMES VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE THE TWO COMPONENTS. IT TAKES HEAT OF NEARLY 400 DEGREES TO WEAKEN THE BOND ENOUGH TO TORQUE OFF THE COG ONCE LOCTITE IS APPLIED**
Another great idea is to pick up some LOCTITE RED THREADLOCKER from the local hardware store. If you find your cog slip AT ALL, get some of this and liberally apply it to both the threads of your cog AND your hub. Follow the instructions - you will need to degrease your cog and hub threading for this to work and you will need to wait for the Loctite to set.
From reports on bike forums, Loctite Red is the end-all, be-all for making two parts stick for the rest of known eternity. It isn't recommended by many because once it's on, IT'S ON. If you don't mind the concession of never getting your cog off again, thus meaning having to buy a new wheel, cog and lock ring if something breaks back there in the future, go for it. Ultimately, you don't WANT your fixed cog to move. Loctite will definitely keep your cog from slipping, just have a blow torch handy if you ever plan on getting it off.
Now, in regards to getting a LOCK RING off... This can be accomplished through using a Lock Ring Tool, but as said earlier, it doesn't NEED to be the Lock Ring Tool that gets your lock ring loose. If you have a hammer and pick (I use the tip of needlenose pliers), you can jimmy the tip of your pick into the indentations of the lock ring, (try lining the lock ring up so that an indentation is about 20-30 degrees off center TO THE RIGHT so you can get leverage). From here, WHACK the sucker as hard as you can with the hammer IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN IS NORMAL TO REMOVE ALMOST ALL OTHER NUTS.
Remember "Lefty Loosey, Righty tighty"?
Lock rings are the OPPOSITE.
Don't forget that and accidentally tighten your lock ring to the point of not being able to get it off, or worse, stripping the threads.
As we all know by now, fixed gear cogs are called "fixed" because they're supposed to be fixed onto the wheel hub without the ability to move from its position. By pedaling, the chain turns the cog which turns the wheel. When the cog is loose, there is a good chance that when you pedal, (thus engaging the chain around the fixed gear cog) you are going to wind up spinning JUST the cog, because there is no tension between the cog and the wheel anymore.
This is extremely bad for your hub threading and your cog threading. When this happens, you're basically guaranteed to have a semi-major repair in your future. If you're lucky, you'll be periodically checking on the tightness of your lock ring and cog. If you find that anything is loose, follow the instruction in the video below.
You don't even need special tools with this method - this method is great if you're out on the road and find your cog slip when applying a lot of torque. IMMEDIATELY perform this technique to ideally prevent any future stripping of your cog.
**NOTE - DO NOT PERFORM THIS NEXT STEP UNLESS YOU DO NOT PLAN ON EVER CHANGING OUT YOUR COG. ONCE LOCTITE RED IS USED AND DRIED, IT BECOMES VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE THE TWO COMPONENTS. IT TAKES HEAT OF NEARLY 400 DEGREES TO WEAKEN THE BOND ENOUGH TO TORQUE OFF THE COG ONCE LOCTITE IS APPLIED**
Another great idea is to pick up some LOCTITE RED THREADLOCKER from the local hardware store. If you find your cog slip AT ALL, get some of this and liberally apply it to both the threads of your cog AND your hub. Follow the instructions - you will need to degrease your cog and hub threading for this to work and you will need to wait for the Loctite to set.
From reports on bike forums, Loctite Red is the end-all, be-all for making two parts stick for the rest of known eternity. It isn't recommended by many because once it's on, IT'S ON. If you don't mind the concession of never getting your cog off again, thus meaning having to buy a new wheel, cog and lock ring if something breaks back there in the future, go for it. Ultimately, you don't WANT your fixed cog to move. Loctite will definitely keep your cog from slipping, just have a blow torch handy if you ever plan on getting it off.
Now, in regards to getting a LOCK RING off... This can be accomplished through using a Lock Ring Tool, but as said earlier, it doesn't NEED to be the Lock Ring Tool that gets your lock ring loose. If you have a hammer and pick (I use the tip of needlenose pliers), you can jimmy the tip of your pick into the indentations of the lock ring, (try lining the lock ring up so that an indentation is about 20-30 degrees off center TO THE RIGHT so you can get leverage). From here, WHACK the sucker as hard as you can with the hammer IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN IS NORMAL TO REMOVE ALMOST ALL OTHER NUTS.
Remember "Lefty Loosey, Righty tighty"?
Lock rings are the OPPOSITE.
Don't forget that and accidentally tighten your lock ring to the point of not being able to get it off, or worse, stripping the threads.