Freewheel removal

[Once A Hero]

Trying to save this Suntour freewheel which is currently attached to a broken hub.





Am I right in thinking it just requires a 4 notch tool to remove it, turning anti-clockwise, or does the ring with the two pin holes have to be removed first?

I’ve got to get a new tool (Park Tool FR3) as the last time I had a similar freewheel to remove the tool got destroyed in the process. It appears as though one of the 4 notch tabs has sheared off this one already, so I might not be able to save it. Any tips for removal welcomed.

 

[Bike Hoarder]

Yep, 4 notch tool mounted in a vice and use the wheel as leverage.

 

[bikeworkshop]

You must either run a (mtb) qr through the axle and tool to hold them together - or even better, remove the axle (usually the cone/ locknut fits through the fw bore)
And then bolt the tool onto the hub to prevent the tool twisting when you break the fw threads free.

It looks like the tool interface is already damaged here - a bad sign.

The next method is to dismantle the freewheel, lh thread on the 2 pin tool.
There's a million bearings in there, and although dismantling is easy, reassembly is a pita.
Once the fw is dismantled Pawls and all, you can usually grip the body across the pawl recesses in a vice, and get enough leverage to remove a stubborn fw.

I'd be wary of fitting a freewheel with damaged tool interface onto a quality hub though.
Perfectly usable, just not perfectly removable.

 

[Woz]

As above. Plus the outer dust cover is broken at the pin hole (top right) so won't old oil very well.

May not even be worth saving the individual sprockets ?

 

[Once A Hero]

Ok chaps, will give it a shot when my new tool arrives.
9 out 10 freewheels I’ve had have been stuck fast, so not holding out much hope here.

 

[bikeworkshop]

As above. Plus the outer dust cover is broken at the pin hole (top right) so won't old oil very well.

May not even be worth saving the individual sprockets ?

Good spot @Woz
I've got a feeling the cover plate is the bearing cone, so the mechanism is destined for the scrap

 

[Dface]

Not done one of these for a while now but that cover with the 2 holes in that’s broken will be a cone that the bearings run against so it’s destined to fail anyway. I wouldn’t bother buying a tool, I’d remove that broken ring (clockwise if I remember) then pull the cogs off (loads of bearings will fall out but no wheel bearings) then remove the pawls and you can either use a big wrench, across the two flat bits inside where the pawls were and twist off anti-clockwise or you can do it with a vice too by carefully getting the jaws across the 2 flat bits and ‘nipping tight’ (just enough to grip, don’t want to squeeze the hub oval) then use the wheel to twist off the remains of the freewheel. Same as how you’d remove a normal freewheel. It’ll come off fairly easy with either of the 2 methods above. You’ll need a new freewheel though (You do anyway)

 

[Once A Hero]

Well at this stage it seems the only thing I may be able to save from the drive side is the dork disc (as the hub itself is already broken). It’s a shame really as the cogs are in great condition.
I do want the axle and gubbins to transfer onto another hub however.

 

[Once A Hero]

Well new tool arrived, nipped it up in the vice with a q/r steadying it, gave it good twist and it unwound!

Or so I thought…


Nope, just sheared the 3 remaining tabs off, so I’m left with the body attached to the hub and a million bearings scattered about the garage floor.



Annoyingly the dork disc is held in place by the freewheel body too. I’ve tried to remove the body directly in the vice but it’s not shifting, so I’ve removed the axle and bearings for use in my spare hub.

Now just to de-spoke it for a hub swap.

I hate freewheels.