Freewheel woes
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Freewheel woes
Back with the 1930s Raleigh roadster... I've decided to dismantle it completely and get the frame resprayed. Have been quoted £60 for that, which seems a bargain. I'm also using the process as a teaching aid for next time, which is where my present difficulty lies.
I wanted to dismantle the rear hub completely, so taking the singlespeed freewheel off was today's task. After watching a few videos, I used a centre punch on one of the two holes in the lock ring and set to. Success, got it moving. Removed it, to be confronted with the freewheel innards, which I hadn't want to see. Tiny ball bearings, springs and pawls went awol, so I had no choice but to dismantle it. Leaving me with 111 ball bearings, three spacer rings, two springs and two pawls in a bag for later. I'm hoping I can reassemble it, but in the meantime, the body is still on the wheel, as photo.. Simply put, how do I get it off? Any and all help appreciated, even sarky ones
I wanted to dismantle the rear hub completely, so taking the singlespeed freewheel off was today's task. After watching a few videos, I used a centre punch on one of the two holes in the lock ring and set to. Success, got it moving. Removed it, to be confronted with the freewheel innards, which I hadn't want to see. Tiny ball bearings, springs and pawls went awol, so I had no choice but to dismantle it. Leaving me with 111 ball bearings, three spacer rings, two springs and two pawls in a bag for later. I'm hoping I can reassemble it, but in the meantime, the body is still on the wheel, as photo.. Simply put, how do I get it off? Any and all help appreciated, even sarky ones
Motorists' mantra: Cyclists must obey the law and the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES. Unless their doing so would HOLD ME UP.
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Re: Freewheel woes
Not without some risk of destroying it. You can use a vice or a large spanner to grip the pawl flats and unscrew it.
111 ball bearings is a lot. Shimano BMX freewheels have 96, and that is more than most.
111 ball bearings is a lot. Shimano BMX freewheels have 96, and that is more than most.
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Re: Freewheel woes
From the photo it looks like there are two slots or dogs in the body and they should been used with a matching tool to remove the (assembled) freewheel … one could still try to utilise those slots with the freewheel as it is now.
I’d be tempted to clean up the existing freewheel that’s in place and reassemble it in place too, get it working again and then purchase and use the appropriate removal tool. As for the number of ball bearings I’d fill each race with as many as it would take when tightly packed and then remove one ball from each race. Use new ball bearings and get the size (which will be an imperial fraction) by carefully measuring the old ones.
I’d be tempted to clean up the existing freewheel that’s in place and reassemble it in place too, get it working again and then purchase and use the appropriate removal tool. As for the number of ball bearings I’d fill each race with as many as it would take when tightly packed and then remove one ball from each race. Use new ball bearings and get the size (which will be an imperial fraction) by carefully measuring the old ones.
Last edited by Carlton green on 3 Aug 2022, 3:33pm, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
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Re: Freewheel woes
Again, apologies for duplicate thread. Thanks for the advice, the freewheel body cam off relatively easily, and without damage, after putting it in the vice. I'll put it all to one side for now, and concentrate on something simple, like cleaning the wheel, before attempting to reassemble.
Presumably, with the benefit of hindsight, I should have used a chain whip to remove the whole asemply intact?
Presumably, with the benefit of hindsight, I should have used a chain whip to remove the whole asemply intact?
Motorists' mantra: Cyclists must obey the law and the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES. Unless their doing so would HOLD ME UP.
Re: Freewheel woes
I suspect you should have used the correct socket tool to remove it whole, but I don't know which tool that would be for an old part by a company that often invented its own "standards".ericonabike wrote: ↑3 Aug 2022, 3:47pm Presumably, with the benefit of hindsight, I should have used a chain whip to remove the whole asemply intact?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Re: Freewheel woes
A chain whip wouldn't have helped you. The "freewheel" would have freewheeled when youtried to remove it.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840
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Re: Freewheel woes
Good point well made! I struggle with spatial awareness when it comes to visualising thread rotation. In that case I'm at a loss as to how it could have been removed intact. The only "removal points" are the two holes in the lock ring. Still it was the 1930s. Perhaps they figured it was so well made, no-one would ever need to remove it...
Motorists' mantra: Cyclists must obey the law and the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES. Unless their doing so would HOLD ME UP.
Re: Freewheel woes
No.ericonabike wrote: ↑3 Aug 2022, 6:27pm Good point well made! I struggle with spatial awareness when it comes to visualising thread rotation. In that case I'm at a loss as to how it could have been removed intact. The only "removal points" are the two holes in the lock ring. Still it was the 1930s. Perhaps they figured it was so well made, no-one would ever need to remove it...
In both your photos I can see the 2 cutouts for a 2-dog remover....they are close to the pawl sites
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
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Re: Freewheel woes
Some cheap freewheels sold today have no removal facility. They can be removed as you did with this one, but are probably intended for BSOs that will do 40 miles in a nice summer, then rot at the back of the shed forever.
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Re: Freewheel woes
Not so in the 1930s - I can see the two cutouts now.
Motorists' mantra: Cyclists must obey the law and the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES. Unless their doing so would HOLD ME UP.
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Re: Freewheel woes
Epilogue - found a, single speed freewheel in my parts bin. Nothing special, made in Taiwan, can't remem er how I got it. But, its the same depth as the one I've taken off. It has the same umber of teeth and is the same diameter. And, wonder of wonders, it screws on to my 80 year old hub! Very happy to use it, and leave reassembling the old freewheel to another day...
Motorists' mantra: Cyclists must obey the law and the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES. Unless their doing so would HOLD ME UP.