6 speed freewheel

[chillyuk]

I have just bought a Shimano 6 speed freewheel. I am surprised how flimsily they seem to be built. The three big sprockets are held together by small spacers and rivets. Has anyone any experience of these and are they up to the job or will the rivets come loose in a few months.

 

[tyred]

I've never seen one riveted together

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Cassettes are riveted together and work fine. I don't think I've seen a screw-on like that (I assume it's a screw-on) but it should be OK.

 

[chillyuk]

I can't find a photo showing the spacers but this photo shows the rivet heads on a Shimano MF-TZ20, which is what I have bought. the two biggest sprockets have no other fixing to the freewheel body other than 6 rivets in each sprocket.

 

[tyred]

That is strange. I bought a 5 speed Shimano freewheel recently and it definitely isn't rivetted together. However, Shimano generally built quality part (Campag fans start to fix bayonets) so I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[Cranks]

A bit more money but definately get more for your buck, Defiant freewheels. Worth remembering for next time.
I'm sure your Shimano will do the trick for now though.

 

[rh100]

It looks the same as the megarange one I just replaced due to the new wheel needing a cassette.

Both our Trek bikes came fitted with these and seem to be ok.

 

[brodie]

If it's like many freewheels, I would guess most of the sprockets slide onto the freewheel body (like a cassette slides onto the freehub), then they are held in place by the smallest sprocket which screws onto the body. The rivets are probably just to hold the sprockets in a certain position relative to each other, they don't hold the sprockets onto the body.

 

[briank]

Yes, the rivets may spread the load a little but most of the power through the chain to the back wheel is transmitted through splines which prevent the sprockets turning on the freewheel body. (Once upon a time, you could replace individual sprockets at they wore out!)

 

[chillyuk]

Here is a photgraph of the freewheel from the back of it where you can clearly see that the two largest sprockets are not connected to the freewheel body. The third largest sprocket is connected to the body, and then the biggest two sprockets are attached to the third sprocket, and are only connected to the unit by rivets and spacers. I am sure it is a proven design, but I must confess to a lack of confidence in it!

 

[briank]

I (we) stand corrected: there seems no way to interpret that picture other than as you say. I'll go and root about in the cellar for something similar to examine. Your point that it is a proven design though is very fair: I think if there were a problem with it, the collective memory of this forum would have flagged it up for you.