I think I have done this right but I'm not sure so asking for clarification if anyone knows!!
Just purchased a new set of Mavic Aksiums and they came with a shim. I took the cassette off my old (shimano) wheels and put it straight onto the Mavic one, after doing it up tight the cassette was loose. So…… I put the spacer onto the hub first then the cassette and tightened it up. All is now snug but the rear mech is waaayy out of alignment.
Did I do this correctly and so all i need to do is adjust the rear mech? or should the shim/spacer go on before the lock ring (so the cassette is snug up to the spokes)??

Searched on the web but i cannot find any pictures/diagrams to explain it and there are so many combinations of cassettes/hub I am very confused!!! 🙁

Help…………..

10speed cassetes need a 1mm spacer between the casette and the wheel (i.e spacer on first).

No two manufactureres are the same when it comes to freehub positioning so it always needs the mech tweaking to suit.

Agrred.
10 speed is a thinner casstte than 9 speed.

The spacer that comes with mavics is wider than the 10spd one – you need it for 9spd cassettes too. If it's 10spd then use the wider of the two.
And yep.. It's just a matter of adjusting your mech.

ok thanks all, it is a 9 spd. So to clarify, the spacer goes on first then the cassette ? 😕

Correct.

It doesn't seem right to be adjusting your mech though. You shouldn't be doing this everytime you swap a wheel!

I have a similar thing with a set of Mavic wheels and had to find a spacer (they didn't come with one). I thought the spacer went between the spokes and cassette but no mech adjustment was needed. I need to check at home now….

Never worried about this before, but having read this thread I may have been doing this wrong for years on Mavic / Shimano combinations.

For Shimano 9 speed cassettes use the Mavic spacer.

For Shimano 10 speed use the Mavic spacer plus the Shimano spacer supplied with the cassette.

Never had any problems, but any thoughts appreciated.

coleman i follow your logic. the mavic spacer is a very very thin piece of pressed aluminium , the shimano spacer is a more substantial machined 1/2mm spacer , if a 10 speed block on a 9speed freehub needs the 1/2mm spacer and a 9speed block on a 9speed mavic freehub needs the pressed one then the 10 speed on a 9speeed mavic should need both , in reality i suspect you could do without the mavic one if you have the 10speed one in place – i certainly did when i dropped my mavic one through a gap in the decking …..