I’ve just got my hands on a 2nd hand 2008 kona coilair with magic link. I am pretty ok at the whole self maintenance thing and after after checking the bike over and giving it a full servicing I’ve noticed that the cassette seems to move laterally slightly. I have taken it off, checked the freehub (which is fine), cleaned it up, put it back on and tightened it back up again and it still has a bit of movement. I’ve never come across this before…

any ideas?

How much movement is a bit?

about 1 mm

Is it a mavic hub?

no its a shimano hub, with shimano 11-34 cassette

cassette moving on freehub or cassette “amplifying” play in freehub?

Dumb question – You have tightened the lock ring down properly?

yeah i have – there is still the same movement. I cleaned it completely so there’s no bits of mud or anything in the way.

no movement in the free hub, its solid

Sure? 1mm play at the 34T cog would be acceptable to me. You can see the cassette moving on the freehub?

Pop into your local bike shop and grab a thin spacer to slide behind the cassette. Is it 8 or 9 speed ? Anyways that’ll solve it, probably just intolerant tolerances. If you get my drift…bit of wear.

I had this on my Trek. The Freehub is an oddball (It gets a mention on Sheldon, I think). The stops at the end of the splines are too far inboard.
I made a spacer to cure it. A bought part might be available.

Also check the lockring tightens fully without the cassette attached, occasionally they bottom out on the freehub’s sealing ring.