SRAM T-type cassette worn out after 940 miles

[Pazman]

very normal if you ride aggressive. Im lucky to get 700 ish out of Shimanos cassettes. If your fast, you use certain gears way more than others. I average 4000' of climbing every ride, riding as aggressive as anyone can..

Trick is to buy the cheapest cassettes, because they wear out so fast under load

I was getting 1500 miles out of a cassette and 3 chain which I would change every 500 miles . T-type was said to last much longer .
That’s why I posted to ask if this was the norm .
After more investigation and finding other with the same issue it turns out it was an alignment issue , it’s now running sweet , the cassette is fine and will hopefully run for another 900 miles

 

[Pazman]

Another update, went out today for a ride and now gear 8 is skipping , I can see the chain isn’t mashing correctly with the gear where they first meet.
Adjusting the axle torque moved it back down to gear 7 .
As there is no real adjustments other then micro adjustment I don’t know what the issue is .
I have replacement the cassette with a new GX t-type but the issue persists ,so no issues before changing chain , now new cassette and chain and still it persists
Time to speak to sram again

 

[Emteebee]

If both cassette and chain are new, yet chain still skipping, either b-gap is far out of spec or chain tension too low, of which the first is most likely. SRAM has very handy chaingap tool for this, just around €5.

Regarding SRAM’s recommendation of wear mark 0.8%, this is complete nuts. By 0.8 both cassette and chainring are scrap metal. Swapping a batch of 3-4 chains based on length/wear, and together wearing those out to 0.8 or more makes sense. Recommending as a manufacturer to ride a single chain to 0.8 sounds like you’re out for spare parts sales, since you know that 0.5 is the absolute limit for cassette to accept another chain. To date, SRAM hasn’t given any logical explanation for their move to 0.8 except for marketing BS.

 

[Stihldog]

I’ll explain my experience when I picked up my new Fuel EXE T-Type AXS main battery powered derailer in January 2024.

Gave the bike a short test ride in the parking lot …no problems. Next day went for the first trail ride. Shifting didn’t sound or feel right. Made a few slight adjustments with the AXS app for some different alignments. After making those fine adjustments the skipping would change from high gears to low gears. wtf. Back to the LBS.

Myself and 4 other staff members went through all the alignment procedures. (Initial Setup is slightly different and the red ring in the cassette must be used).

It was a sales rep who noticed that an axel bushing was installed backwards. Probably during assembly at the factory. That was corrected, rear wheel installed properly, alignment procedure done and I tested in the parking lot again. I changed the gears several times and applied torque to every gear.

Problem solved! . After trail trials on our mountain I was impressed …really impressed.

Haven’t had an issue since but I have less than 1500 kms. Something I found out later …these cassette's are expensive .

 

[Pazman]

If both cassette and chain are new, yet chain still skipping, either b-gap is far out of spec or chain tension too low, of which the first is most likely. SRAM has very handy chaingap tool for this, just around €5.

Regarding SRAM’s recommendation of wear mark 0.8%, this is complete nuts. By 0.8 both cassette and chainring are scrap metal. Swapping a batch of 3-4 chains based on length/wear, and together wearing those out to 0.8 or more makes sense. Recommending as a manufacturer to ride a single chain to 0.8 sounds like you’re out for spare parts sales, since you know that 0.5 is the absolute limit for cassette to accept another chain. To date, SRAM hasn’t given any logical explanation for their move to 0.8 except for marketing BS.

when The bikes in a bike stand and i turn the cranks I can see that when in 8th gear the chain isnt meshing correctly where they first meet causing the skipping , tighten the axle more and it does it in 7th gear .
all other gears are Perfect .
This only started when I changed the chain , nothing else has changed .
This doesn’t point to a worn cassette to me as the gear with the issues changes due to diffent torque on the axle .

 

[Pazman]

this is what mine is doing

 

[Mikerb]

There are a couple of things I do not fully get in the set up process. It says to do the set up with the shock non compressed. So in a bike stand the shock is fully open. Yet in a normal riding mode the shock is at least at SAG and will only ever be uncompressed when the rear wheel is off the ground.....not a situation where you are likely to be changing gear!!

I have noticed that some gear changes are not particularly good when testing with the bike on a stand...yet works fine when riding. Some of this seems to be due to the fact that some gear changes...especially to the largest cogs.....actually need some crank pressure on the chain to deal with the ramps. Some may be due to the rear triangle ( ie as a bove) hanging rather than being at SAG.

One thing some may forget is that if you just remove the rear wheel ( in the stand) ...and you have moved the mech to the open position to release the chain.........when you replace the wheel, the mech needs to be released before the thru axle is fully tightened to its torque setting. (not that tightening using a torque wrench is possible with a lever type thru axle!!...Oh well .......what a ctual torque is applied should make no difference since there is nothing compressible in the axle path!)

 

[Pazman]

There are a couple of things I do not fully get in the set up process. It says to do the set up with the shock non compressed. So in a bike stand the shock is fully open. Yet in a normal riding mode the shock is at least at SAG and will only ever be uncompressed when the rear wheel is off the ground.....not a situation where you are likely to be changing gear!!

I have noticed that some gear changes are not particularly good when testing with the bike on a stand...yet works fine when riding. Some of this seems to be due to the fact that some gear changes...especially to the largest cogs.....actually need some crank pressure on the chain to deal with the ramps. Some may be due to the rear triangle ( ie as a bove) hanging rather than being at SAG.

One thing some may forget is that if you just remove the rear wheel ( in the stand) ...and you have moved the mech to the open position to release the chain.........when you replace the wheel, the mech needs to be released before the thru axle is fully tightened to its torque setting. (not that tightening using a torque wrench is possible with a lever type thru axle!!...Oh well .......what a ctual torque is applied should make no difference since there is nothing compressible in the axle path!)

The setup guide stating the sock fully extended is so the tension On the chain correct .
have removed my rear wheel many times and it never caused an issue with the gears ,but now it does ,loser and hear 8 doesn’t mesh tighten it more and gear 7 doesn’t mesh with the chain .
im things the bushing the mech use through the frame may be the issue ?

 

[Mikerb]

You may be right......check to see if the lip on the outside of the bushing is intact. I guess if that lip has broken it could explain the difference of mech alignment to the cassette depending on the amount of torque applied to the thru axle. As I said a bove, once any slight spread of the chainstays has been closed there is nothing further in the thru axle path that can be further compressed...............the full torque only ensuring maximum friction of the axle threads to the female threads so that the axxle does not loosen.

 

[Winford]

I don’t know what the issue is .

Buy another cassette, all mine do that in about 2 to 3 months. im on my 3 rd one in 7.5 months. You will need a spare whether its your issue or not. The gear/s slipping are the ones you spend the most time in, and a new chain rides differently thna the old chain that matched closer to the wear. Its time. I was like you in the beginning, tried figuring it out by filing burrs off chain, swapping chain, etc ect ect but put a new cassette on, and off I rode like it was a new bike again.

 

[Pazman]

Buy another cassette, all mine do that in about 2 to 3 months. im on my 3 rd one in 7.5 months. You will need a spare whether its your issue or not. The gear/s slipping are the ones you spend the most time in, and a new chain rides differently thna the old chain that matched closer to the wear. Its time. I was like you in the beginning, tried figuring it out by filing burrs off chain, swapping chain, etc ect ect but put a new cassette on, and off I rode like it was a new bike again.

Sounds expensive pal lol
I fitted a new GX tyre cassette but it’s still not running great with a new cassette and chain , it’s not as bad as it was but still has an issue meshing together on 3rd gear now .
I’d found a lot of other with this issue even on new bikes .
Some kind of alignment issue

 

[Winford]

Sounds expensive

if you ever get a KOM and or trophies for being in the top 10 riders, you go through parts that wear a little faster. Also on my third set of rear rotors. If you ride fast, and do some climbing, you take care of your ride. My bike never shifted right. Put on a new Di2 shifter and now its like butter.

 

[Winford]

side note, electric shifting does not just bolt right up. Your motor was programmed from the factory to manual or electronic shifting.

 

[Mikerb]

Did you check the bushing??
Reading your initial posts again you said the issues started when you changed the chain. So maybe check that your new chain was cut to the same length as your original. Assuming it is cut to the right length, even so a new chain will be both stiffer and slightly shorter than the original so one other thing you could try is changing the B tension "pin" position. I dont know what bike you have but many are not listed in SRAMs guidance so I suspect those brands made their own decision how to set up T Type. Your axle tension/torque is moving the problem from one cog to another but even so the issue is the same and that could be related to chain tension...............and that is only related to the B stop pin position and chain length. Worth a try??

 

[Pazman]

Did you check the bushing??
Reading your initial posts again you said the issues started when you changed the chain. So maybe check that your new chain was cut to the same length as your original. Assuming it is cut to the right length, even so a new chain will be both stiffer and slightly shorter than the original so one other thing you could try is changing the B tension "pin" position. I dont know what bike you have but many are not listed in SRAMs guidance so I suspect those brands made their own decision how to set up T Type. Your axle tension/torque is moving the problem from one cog to another but even so the issue is the same and that could be related to chain tension...............and that is only related to the B stop pin position and chain length. Worth a try??

It was setup from new by canyon , it’s a strive on cfr Ltd .
No issue until changing the chain , strange how the issue can shift from gear 7 to 8 by tightening the axle , I’m going to order a new bushing and see how that goes .
B stop is setup correctly as by canyon and to sram recommendations

 

[Winford]

It was setup from new by canyon

they do a terrible job, my chain was too long from the factory, and there was slop with the derailleur all the way back.

would not have not effect on your issue, just letting you know, not to trust canyon.

 

[Mikerb]

It was setup from new by canyon , it’s a strive on cfr Ltd .
No issue until changing the chain , strange how the issue can shift from gear 7 to 8 by tightening the axle , I’m going to order a new bushing and see how that goes .
B stop is setup correctly as by canyon and to sram recommendations

.....and have you checked the new chain is the same length as the original? Given the bike has a carbon frame maybe also check the chainstay drop outs are not damaged and causing the issue of different thru axle torque changing the spacing.

 

[randycpu]

I’ve just recently bought a Levo SL pro. T Type transmission axs shifters.
ill be running two chains swapping every 100 miles or so. Hot waxing both chains.
cant see why youd run one chain till the cassette and chain die. Doesn’t make sense.
cassettes mostly wear because the chain gets longer and then your put all the power through less teeth which then accelerates the wear. In the theory with good maintaining and decent lubricant cassettes and chain ring should last for quite few chains if you change the chain when it reaches 0.5% wear.
For top information on all things to do with chain and transmission maintenance check out
Zero Friction on You Tube. Be warned he goes into extremely lengthy detail about why you should do all the above I’ve mentioned ..

I am new to the T-type, but have questions:
- I've heard about the chain rotation methodology. With all the chain changes, what do you do about the Powerlock being "single use"?
- Are you using one of the new style chain checkers? Where did you get the 0.5% for T-Type?

 

[Mikerb]

Different folk have different approaches. Yes the powerlinks are single use so a new set every time you split the chain......but some say they re use them with no problem....personally I would not risk doing that. Some rotate 2 or even 3 chains but advice seems to be to run 1 chain and 1 cassette until they both need changing. I am doing the latter. Yes I use the new type chain checker . I will run the same chain until it gets to 0.8 then change both chain and cassette. Your choice which regime you use but worth thinking about costs and your time/effort .......T Type chains are not cheap!!

 

[randycpu]

Different folk have different approaches. Yes the powerlinks are single use so a new set every time you split the chain......but some say they re use them with no problem....personally I would not risk doing that. Some rotate 2 or even 3 chains but advice seems to be to run 1 chain and 1 cassette until they both need changing. I am doing the latter. Yes I use the new type chain checker . I will run the same chain until it gets to 0.8 then change both chain and cassette. Your choice which regime you use but worth thinking about costs and your time/effort .......T Type chains are not cheap!!

Thanks for the reply.
Yes on the high cost. X0 chains are US$100 and cassettes are $400...

 

[Stihldog]

… X0 chains are US$100 and cassettes are $400...

My experience with the Sram T-Type transmission began with the Fuel EXE 8 in January 2024. I decided to build a spare wheel set for this bike so I could quickly swap the tires for different riding conditions (ie; road, flat gravel or riding with my wife. My main wheel set, which I use for mountain trails, are carbon rims, Project 321 hubs, Maxxis tires, butted spokes and Filmore valves.

I purchased another Sram T-type cassette and 2 rotors for the spare wheel set. . That’s when I got sticker-shock. The basic cassette was almost $400. Over $1000 for the “best” one… wtf.

I need to purchase a spare Sram T-type chain and a few quick links (6 links). A spare quick link will be added to my small toolkit that hides in my stem or air pump. (I’m moving towards a Co2 cartridge and adapter for local rides only).

Yup…it’s starting to get expensive, but the shifting is like “butter”. I expect less wear and tear on this system with regular maintenance but time will tell.

I will reuse the quick-link, but only once …maybe twice. but I will always carry a spare in my little tool kit. Specific Sram chain checker…I’ll cross that bridge when I need to. I have two types already.

 

[Eduardoramundo]

I have done 1,000miles on my T-Type over the last 15 months. The front ring was getting quite noisy so I changed it to a new one which seemed even more noisy.

I then changed the chain which worked great apart from gear 9 which skipped.

I then changed the cassette and now all is well.

I did meaure the original chain and it was over 1.0 wear.

 

[irie]

[QUOTE="Eduardoramundo, post: 578995, member: 5304"

I did meaure the original chain and it was over 1.0 wear.
[/QUOTE]

Wow, that's a lot!

 

[Eduardoramundo]

[QUOTE="Eduardoramundo, post: 578995, member: 5304"

I did meaure the original chain and it was over 1.0 wear.

Wow, that's a lot!
[/QUOTE]
Yes, I was very surprised. I used two different chain checkers as well.

 

[Waynetta]

I am new to the T-type, but have questions:
- I've heard about the chain rotation methodology. With all the chain changes, what do you do about the Powerlock being "single use"?
- Are you using one of the new style chain checkers? Where did you get the 0.5% for T-Type

I am new to the T-type, but have questions:
- I've heard about the chain rotation methodology. With all the chain changes, what do you do about the Powerlock being "single use"?
- Are you using one of the new style chain checkers? Where did you get the 0.5% for T-Type?

Hi randycpu
I’ve bought a couple of spare power links as a back up but will be re using the original ones as I’ve always reused power locks on the older 12 speed NX eagle chains with no issues. I’ve done that for 6 thousand miles on my first Levo SL.
0.5% is the recommended chain wear limit if you want to keep the casett and Just change chains .
Zerofriction web page is a good source of info and recommend you check it out.

 

[James_C]

I have always reused quick links and they havent failed. probably been unclipped 10-15 times in the life of the chains. I run the transmission until it slips. Its well over 1.0 at that point - chain checker is really loose and not touching either side of the rollers. Seems pointless to change before it slips, waste of money.

 

[randycpu]

side note, electric shifting does not just bolt right up. Your motor was programmed from the factory to manual or electronic shifting.

Please explain...

 

[randycpu]

I have done 1,000miles on my T-Type over the last 15 months. The front ring was getting quite noisy so I changed it to a new one which seemed even more noisy.

I then changed the chain which worked great apart from gear 9 which skipped.

I then changed the cassette and now all is well.

I did meaure the original chain and it was over 1.0 wear.

Did you use a new style chain gauge?

 

[Eduardoramundo]

Did you use a new style chain gauge?

New Park tools T-Type one and an old one.

 

[Winford]

Please explain...

your emotor is programmed from factory as either manual shifting or electronic. So if you dont have the shimano computer adaptor and cables, and software, you cannot program your manual motor to accept electronic shifting. You will get an error code and bike wont even power up. And no bike shop will do said programming because its a liability. Most people just get the hacking software, and shimano computer adaptor and reprogram the bike themselves