Freewheel removal - which direction

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but have
been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one I've
just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal on it
with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off. If I'm looking at the freewheel, do
I turn it anti-clockwise to come out, or does it go in the opposite direction? I remember reading
something about it going a certain direction so that the turning wheel tightens it. BTW it's a
Shimano freewheel if that makes any difference.

_Pedaling_ tightens it, if that will help you. In other words, clockwise tightens it, counter-
clockwise loosens it, just like a normally threaded bolt or nut.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

It has a right-hand thread. Just think about how the action of pedalling tightens the freewheel by
rotating it on the hub. It unsecrew in the opposite direction.

If you have the remover mounted in a vise, it will be easier to loosen the freewheel by an initial
jerk rather than just using steady pressure.

Nick

"DaveB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but have
been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one I've
just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal on it
with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off.

In article <[email hidden]>,

DaveB said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but have
been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one I've
just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal on it
with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off. If I'm looking at the freewheel, do
I turn it anti-clockwise to come out

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yes, counter-clockwise unscrews it.

Quoted message said:

or does it go in the opposite direction? I remember reading something about it going a certain
direction so that the turning wheel tightens it. BTW it's a Shimano freewheel if that makes any
difference.

Thread-on freewheels of various makes pretty much screw onto the same hub interchangably, although I
suppose there can be exotic exceptions.

The best way is to clamp the tool in a vice mounted on a heavy workbench, and turn the wheel by the
rim. If you have to use a wrench instead of a vice, the longer the handle, the more leverage you can
apply. Slow & steady force with a lot of leverage does the trick better than a lot of whalloping. I
use a very big crescent wrench and a length of iron pipe to extend the handle. Vice grips will kill
the flats on the freewheel tool in no time; they also rather annoyingly tend to spring open right at
the moment before progress is made. There used to be "pocket vices" available, which fit over the
tool's flats and take the brunt of the punishment dished out by the wrench or whatever tool is used
to do the turning, but I don't know if they still make 'em. I haven't seen one in a long time.

Incidentally, if the hub has loose bearing balls, a wire-mesh tea ball works wonderfully to
dunk them in whatever degreaser you use, and keep them all together. It can save a bunch of
counting later on.

cheers, Tom

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[point] bc [point] ca

I tried for a while then gave up and went back to the bike shop. They used the vice the same as
I tried but it took two men to get it off, one arm on each quarter of the rim. No wonder I
couldn't do it.

Dave B.

DaveB said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but have
been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one I've
just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal on it
with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off. If I'm looking at the freewheel, do
I turn it anti-clockwise to come out, or does it go in the opposite direction? I remember reading
something about it going a certain direction so that the turning wheel tightens it. BTW it's a
Shimano freewheel if that makes any difference. Dave B.

DaveB said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but have
been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one I've
just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal on it
with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off. If I'm looking at the freewheel, do
I turn it anti-clockwise to come out, or does it go in the opposite direction? I remember reading
something about it going a certain direction so that the turning wheel tightens it. BTW it's a
Shimano freewheel if that makes any difference. Dave B.

Here's a trick I've used for when you don't have a vice (apart from smoking, drinking, etc.) but do
have a socket set. Put the appropriate size socket on the freewheel tool, and on the socket put that
funny bar-type handle on which the (usually 1/2"😉 drive can slide up and down. Now find a door frame
that doesn't matter if it gets a bit dinged up
(e.g. a back shed), or wrap the socket handle in a rag, and wedge the handle in the hinge side of
the door. This gives you resistance against which you can unscrew the wheel (anti-clockwise
[as we say in Australia], holding it by the rim).

HTH,

&roo

As far as I know, all freewheels are removed in the same way. You should be sure that you have a
freewheel, and not a cassette. I have never removed a cassette, and don't know how to do that.
Freewheels are threaded with a normal right hand thread. In this fashion, when the chain pulls on
it, it tightens. To remove it you turn it counterclockwise when viewing it from the drive side. They
can be quite difficult to remove.

Ernie

DaveB said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but have
been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one I've
just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal on it
with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off. If I'm looking at the freewheel, do
I turn it anti-clockwise to come out, or does it go in the opposite direction? I remember reading
something about it going a certain direction so that the turning wheel tightens it. BTW it's a
Shimano freewheel if that makes any difference. Dave B.

It turns of in the same direction it coasts. It tightens in the direction of pedalling (so pedalling
tightens it, duh). In other words, it's a right hand (standard) thread.

Remove the quick release skewer, attach the freewheel remover and reinstall the skewer loosely, to
hold everything in place. Place the remover in a vise, tighten the vise and turn the wheel
counterclockwise to loosen the freewheel (you'll need to use some force). remove the skewer and
unscrew the freewheel the rest of the way by hand.

To reinstall, clean the threads, smear on a little grease (or anti-seize) and thread it back on.
Regular pedalling will tighten it back up.

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Incidentally, if the hub has loose bearing balls, a wire-mesh tea ball works wonderfully to dunk
them in whatever degreaser you use, and keep them all together. It can save a bunch of counting
later on.

Quoted message said:

cheers, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Tom

Good idea! I'l have to remember that ode!

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

"E. Willson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

As far as I know, all freewheels are removed in the same way. You should be sure that you have a
freewheel, and not a cassette. I have never removed a cassette, and don't know how to do that.
Freewheels are threaded with a normal right hand thread. In this fashion, when the chain pulls on
it, it tightens. To remove it you turn it counterclockwise when viewing it from the drive side.
They can be quite difficult to remove.

Ernie

I'm sure the guys in the bike shop would have got it right...

Anyway, removing a cassette is as easy as pie - use the splined tool to remove the lockring and then
all the sprockets and spacers just slide right off.

Ritch

(Ritch) said:

"E. Willson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

As far as I know, all freewheels are removed in the same way. You should be sure that you have a
freewheel, and not a cassette. I have never removed a cassette, and don't know how to do that.
Freewheels are threaded with a normal right hand thread. In this fashion, when the chain pulls on
it, it tightens. To remove it you turn it counterclockwise when viewing it from the drive side.
They can be quite difficult to remove.

Ernie

I'm sure the guys in the bike shop would have got it right...

Anyway, removing a cassette is as easy as pie - use the splined tool to remove the lockring and
then all the sprockets and spacers just slide right off.

Ritch

A chain whip helps when you try to remove a cassette lockring- holding using your hand can lead to
some interesting wound patterns 🙂

That's where an old pair of leather motorcycle gloves come in handy. Dave B.

Dan Daniel said:

(Ritch) said:

"E. Willson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

As far as I know, all freewheels are removed in the same way. You should be sure that you have a
freewheel, and not a cassette. I have never removed a cassette, and don't know how to do that.
Freewheels are threaded with a normal right hand thread. In this fashion, when the chain pulls on
it, it tightens. To remove it you turn it counterclockwise when viewing it from the drive side.
They can be quite difficult to remove.

Ernie

I'm sure the guys in the bike shop would have got it right...

Anyway, removing a cassette is as easy as pie - use the splined tool to remove the lockring and
then all the sprockets and spacers just slide right off.

Ritch

A chain whip helps when you try to remove a cassette lockring- holding using your hand can lead to
some interesting wound patterns 🙂

Dan Daniel <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Ritch) said:

"E. Willson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

As far as I know, all freewheels are removed in the same way. You should be sure that you have
a freewheel, and not a cassette. I have never removed a cassette, and don't know how to do
that. Freewheels are threaded with a normal right hand thread. In this fashion, when the chain
pulls on it, it tightens. To remove it you turn it counterclockwise when viewing it from the
drive side. They can be quite difficult to remove.

Ernie

I'm sure the guys in the bike shop would have got it right...

Anyway, removing a cassette is as easy as pie - use the splined tool to remove the lockring and
then all the sprockets and spacers just slide right off.

Ritch

A chain whip helps when you try to remove a cassette lockring- holding using your hand can lead to
some interesting wound patterns 🙂

Oh yes, I forgot that most people don't have hands like the incredible hulk.

Ritch

The reason your free wheel was so tight is because of the pressure from tightening up as you pedal
the threads chemically weld to the hub, a bit of grease on the threads be for you put the cluster
back on can help prevnet this. Over all though a cassete is better if only because it makes it
easier to replace broken spokes. Personally I keep my cassette only a bit over finger tight and it
has never come undone on the road.

Regrds Matt

DaveB <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I tried for a while then gave up and went back to the bike shop. They used the vice the same as
I tried but it took two men to get it off, one arm on each quarter of the rim. No wonder I
couldn't do it.

Dave B.

DaveB said:

I'm about to do a well overdue overhaul of my rear wheel hub. I did the front a while ago but
have been putting off doing the back because I didn't have a freewheel remover. Now I've got one
I've just gone to take the freewheel off but it's stuck on pretty tight. Beofre I go all brutal
on it with the vice I thought I better check which way it comes off. If I'm looking at the
freewheel, do I turn it anti-clockwise to come out, or does it go in the opposite direction? I
remember reading something about it going a certain direction so that the turning wheel tightens
it. BTW it's a Shimano freewheel if that makes any difference. Dave B.