Eagle cassette stuck on XD Driver

Trying to remove the GX eagle cassette from my Bontrager Rapid Drive 108 hub with XD Drive Freehub on my ’20 Fuel EX 8 and can not get it to budge for the life of me. Using a park tool chain whip and the FR-5.5H cassette tool and all my not inconsiderable weight…like I’ve actually stood/jumped on it. Thoughts?

they are known for seizing if there’s been no anti-seize applied to the freehub body

Big breaker bar on the end of the cassette tool. Plus another person holding the cassette tool so you can concentrate on the bar

You gotta get the lock ring part moving as above.

Then it might be stuck to the freehub too, had one which undid the lock bit and the top cogs stayed firmly put. Then you need to lay it on the bench and give it a tap from the back with a screwdriver and hammer.

I’d soak it in some penetrating oil first (Plus gas or similar).

You can strip the splines off the cassette if you go all-out gorilla on it. Make sure the cassette tool is very well engaged. Make sure the splines on the tool are long enough – I bought a second tool with longer splines for my XD cassette. Sometimes you can use a QR to hold the tool in place (depends on the tool), which helps. Use a cheater bar as above. Go carefully.

I am apprehensive about the next time I have to change my cassette. I haven’t had it off for a long while and it may well be seized like yours.

EDIT: if your bike is a 2020 model it can’t be that old. It’d be unfortunate if it had seized.

reads thread, wanders off the check 6month old bike’s XD driver and apply antiseize liberally

Unlikely to be seized (hopefully) as the bike is only 2 months old. Might just have to find a breaker bar…though my concern is the cassette tool cogs aren’t engaged enough. Anybody have specific recommendations?

though my concern is the cassette tool cogs aren’t engaged enough. Anybody have specific recommendations?

Remove end caps from axle to help engagement.

Some cassettes don’t have deep seating for the removal tool, prob only about 5mm, others seem to be full depth

Park tool driver has always worked for me, had one really stubborn one, but breaker bar and parktool driver worked a treat.

about to as the same question, got 2 cassette tools but both grounded out before I got a really solid engagement with the cassette spline, seems they were grounding against the shoulder of the hub end adapter, rather than the end of the adapter as I first thought.

Can’t remove the endcaps as they have a top hat sort of design that prevents them from coming all way out.

Yeah just wondering if anyone makes thinner tools that will engage more, pic to illustrate what I may not have explained very well (assuming I can get pic to work)

Red = cassette
blue = tool
grey = hub end cap/adapter

I was using a shimano tool on a hope pro4 with eagle xd cassette, managed to get it to work but it was a nervy few minutes hoping the tool didnt slip and spanner the splines, like I said not much engagement.

I was using a shimano tool on a hope pro4 with eagle xd cassette, managed to get it to work but it was a nervy few minutes hoping the tool didnt slip and spanner the splines, like I said not much engagement.

You definitely have to take the end cap off on Pro 4 hubs. I’ve got a cheapo cassette tool and as long as the end caps off, I can get my eagle cassette off with no probs

I pop the tool in a vice then use the wheel to unscrew the cassette.

This largely solves the problem of it being seriously difficult to undo the damn thing and hold the chain whip off its actually on tight enough in the first instance.

40Nm is some fair welly when you’re trying to apply in both directions and stop the thing slipping.

I have an ice toolz cassette lockring tool which I got specifically as it fits nicely into XD cassettes

BoardinBob, yeah much better with cap off, didnt know you could do that

DangeourBrain, pretty sure you can only tighten with the vice method, you still need a chain whip to keep freehub still to undo it….dont you?

Another tip is to use an old QR lever through the hollow axle to hold the spline tool in place while you haul on it.

Scienceofficer
Member
Another tip is to use an old QR lever through the hollow axle to hold the spline tool in place while you haul on it.

Yeah, that’s what I do after partially damaging the splines on a cassette once, when the tool slipped.

With the tool engaged in the cassette splines, give it a chap with a hammer along the axle path. Can help free up any binding.