Freewheel problem

[Buck]

I bought my son a Ridgeback Storm bike as a project for us to do up together. It was in pretty poor shape but that was the idea! We've replaced the brakes, brake cables, gear cables and given it a good clean and tidy up but I am struggling with one thing - the freewheel. The rear wheel axle bolt is loose and after a few revolutions the wheel seizes up as it appears to be tightening itself up.

I bought a Shimano UG fit freewheel remover which fits perfectly but I cannot remove the freewheel. I am trying to to turn it anti-clockwise to remove as I've checked on here/you tube and it shows as a normal thread.

It's a 7 speed cassette and says "SLICK SHIFT SYSTEM BY DNP" on the outer ring

I've also used some penetrating fluid to try and unseize it but no joy. Before I admit defeat and end up at the LBS, any tips?

Thanks

 

[Buck]

 

[cyberknight]

probably siezed you might need a fark off lever to shift it , in fact if it is really farked it might be easier to just buy a new wheel

 

[midlife]

The freewheel runs outside of the axle so shouldn't interfere with the axle and bearings, the splines on the DNP are meant to be quite deep and need a long splined tool, the shimano one might only engage a bit of the splines.

The freewheel looks old, I'd be tempted to remove the cogs, remove the bearing lock ring, dismantle the freewheel ant either use a vice on the remaining body.

 

[rogerzilla]

Hold the freewheel remover in a vice and turn the wheel, or do what I do. Sit on the wheel, use the biggest adjustable spanner you can find, and knock seven shades out of it with a mallet on the end of the spanner.

They get stupidly tight, more so if the rear sprockets are large.

 

[Slioch]

Even on a well maintained bike, I still occasionally need to resort to my BFS (big flipping spanner) to get the freewheel off.

 

[Buck]

Thanks all.

This bike hasn’t been well looked after so I’m sure it’ll be seized on.
Daft question but can I take the cassette off without undoing the central internal nut? My understanding is that the cassette is screwed on and released via the above?

I’ll see if I can find a pole or similar to give me some extra leverage and to give it some oomph!

 

[rogerzilla]

Yes, the freewheel is not held on by anything else.

 

[midlife]

Thanks all.

This bike hasn’t been well looked after so I’m sure it’ll be seized on.
Daft question but can I take the cassette off without undoing the central internal nut? My understanding is that the cassette is screwed on and released via the above?

I’ll see if I can find a pole or similar to give me some extra leverage and to give it some oomph!

Its not a cassette, it's a (multiple) freewheel lots on YouTube about removing freewheels

 

[Buck]

Thanks all. I’m used to road bikes and this is new to me! Anyways, with your advice and suggestions, I’ve managed to adapt something to create a long pry bar and with Buck Jr holding the wheel we got the freewheel off. Yay!
I’ll be able to sort out the axle now as well as check and grease the bearings. Also off to order a new freewheel to replace the rusty and worn original

 

[Lovacott]

I bought a Shimano UG fit freewheel remover which fits perfectly but I cannot remove the freewheel. I am trying to to turn it anti-clockwise to remove as I've checked on here/you tube and it shows as a normal thread.

Freewheels can be gits to get off, especially if the thread wasn't greased properly before it was first fitted.

I got mine off by removing the lockring and taking off the sprockets (all of the bearings will fall out so put some newspaper down to catch them). I then used a large pipe wrench to remove the remainder of the freewheel hub (it took some effort). You will wreck a freewheel taking it off this way, but the only time you would need to remove a freewheel is when you are replacing it. If you have changed the freewheel, you should also change your chain.

A new rear wheel axle and bearing set can be picked up in Halfords off the shelf pretty cheaply. You will need a cone spanner and standard spanner to lock up the nuts once you've set your bearings. You may have to have quite a few goes at getting the bearings set properly. You don't want them over tight but you want zero play when the wheel is set.

 

[rogerzilla]

Sometimes you have to unscrew the first one or two sprockets (needs two chainwhips) before you can even get to the cone. I had to do this last year on a Regina freewheel. Oddly, when I took it apart, the body came off very easily with a spanner on the pawl flats - no vice, no hammering. The previous owner can't have ridden it up many hills.

Alternative theory: the threads tighten (compressed) when the freewheel is assembled, and disassembling the body relieves this pressure.

 

[francovendee]

They can get stupidly tight and need a huge force to get them off. I've only been defeated once. I had the removal tool in a large bench vice but I gave up after seeing the jaws of the vice being forced apart. Cheaper to buy a new wheel than a new vice.

 

[Buck]

This one had suffered a life of neglect and was rusted on and is now off to be recycled with the new one due this week!

I’ve just got to get the wheel bearings set right now so they spin freely but there isn’t too much play!

 

[Big John]

I call this 'the knock on effect'. One job leads to another, etc, etc. You can't beat a good fettle though,eh? 😉