Author Topic: Failure of ZTTO Ultralight MS Cassette MTB 12 Speed 10-52T  (Read 3166 times)

Tijoe

In anticipation of a longer distance bikepacking trip, that I just completed, In January I purchased a 10-52T version of the ZTTO Ultralight MS Cassette.   https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807011522435.html

I have been running the ZTTO 10-50 version for several years without any problems.

I installed the brand new 10-52 cassette on my bikepacker about 3 weeks ago, made adjustments, and believed I was good to go for my ride.
1-day after arriving home, I stripped the bike apart to clean and inspect everything.  While cleaning the cassette, (Now, with only 800 miles on it), I noticed that 4 of the teeth on the lowest "52 tooth" aluminum cog were bent and mangled.  All 4 of these teeth are in areas where ZTTO has machined what appears to be shift ramps to help the chain be driven up onto the cog.   2 of the teeth have cracks below the tooth where the ramp machining has made the cog very thin below the tooth.   Therefore I took measurements:  The 52 tooth cog is between 2,1 and 2.18mm thick. Where the teeth are all failing, and the ramps cut into the cog are  nominally .71mm thick. This is 33% of the metal left below to the tooth. This is a bad/weak area design!!!
FYI - The rest of the cassette still looks brand new!

In comparison, My ZTTO 50 tooth cogs on my other cassettes all have ramps that leave 50% of the material below by the teeth with ramps. 

On this 52 tooth cog, this appears to be a bad design to remove so much material below a key tooth used to help lift the chain onto the cog!   (See pics.)

yesterday, I wrote the store I purchased the cassette from explaining the problem.  They reply was. - "friend the biggest cog is aluminum alloy"   
This morning, I directly wrote ZTTO explaining the problem and failure.  I will share what they write back.

My questions to other forum members is: 
- Have any other of you purchased and used the 10-52 version of this cassette?
- How deep are the ramps cut into your 52Tooth aluminum cog?  (I am wonder if this ramp machining was cut too deep on my cassette, or is it the same for all of them.)





Tijoe

Re: Failure of ZTTO Ultralight MS Cassette MTB 12 Speed 10-52T
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2026, 08:37:13 AM »
Update:

On May 27th, I ordered another ZTTO Ultralight MS MTB 12 Speed 10-52T cassette from the same store I purchased the first one.   The order was supposed to arrive by June 18th, but was late.   I left for my 8 day bike packing trip and when I arrived home Saturday, the cassette was delivered.

I took my failed cassette and set it next to the new one.  I measured the shifting ramp cuts that are machined into the 52 tooth cog. The failed cog does indeed have the grooves cut deeper into the thickness of the cog.   The new one has a machined surface that is .2mm thicker than the failed cog. The tooth width where the one tooth is cracked and other were bent are also about .25mm thinner than the tooth widths on the new cassette.  (The new 10-52 cassette has basically the same ramp cuts/dimensions as my other ZTTO 10-50 cassettes on the 50 tooth cog) 
ZTTO's machine shop definitely messed up the machining of the shift ramps on this cog by cutting all of the grooves too deep.
 

I have been working with the "ZTTOBIKE Store" and have sent them my findings/proof and they will be shipping me a new replacement cassette.