Drivetrain feels sloppy

[Jerid Kerle]

Hi all! I am rather seasoned in 20inch bikes but as far as mountain bikes go I’m a rookie! So my question is how do you eliminate or better a sloppy drivetrain? I dont ever remember any slop what so ever on my 20inch but I had a profile cassette in the rear. What I am referring to is the half turn of the crank before the rear cog/cassette engages? Is it as simple as replacing the rear hub something better?

[schwim ✓ supporter]

If the hub allows it, you can upgrade the freewheel to something better, but more often than not, the freewheel is designed to fit that particular hub. You really wouldn’t want to upgrade the hub in a cheapwheelset, but rather upgrade the whole wheel.

The less expensive wheelsets are those with the most play because they build them with fewer engagement points(pawls) internally, forcing you to rotate the assembly further before a teeth engages. The more expensive wheelsets usually use smaller pawls with heavier springs, allowing for more engagement points. That’s also why the more expensive wheelsets are often louder, since the springs are pulling the pawls into the sockets with more force.

If you know the model of your hub, we can probably figure out if it’s something that can be upgraded.

Here’s a pretty good pic to show you what’s going on inside:

[Jerid Kerle]

[url:1ha101fs]http://support.diamondback.com/2014-bikes-mountain-full-suspension-trail-xc-recoil-comp-29[/url:1ha101fs] After reading your post I researched the wheel set and it seems as though everyone has problems with the rear cassette. I have never trashed a front wheel so I think I might leave it alone for now and focus a rear wheel combo any suggestions? What kind of money buys a good wheel? Im not brand picky by any means and would rather get more for money than paying for a sticker!

[schwim ✓ supporter]

Concerning cost, it can range from "ooh, that’s a bit more than I’d like to spend" to "Well, do I really need both kidneys?"

There’s a couple things to pay attention to other than wheelsize. You want to make sure the wheels are compatible with your axles, brakes and hub width. If you have a bike shop near you, they will sometimes have wheels a model year or so older that they will sell on the cheap or sometimes a good set of take-offs where someone upgraded to the kidney-selling wheels and didn’t need the old set any more.

If you do decide to buy online, Pricepoint.com and JensonUSA.com will often have less expensive sets for sale.

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