Probably a soak in oil would restore the ratchet, failing that, remove the lock ring and the cogs separate from the hub, grasp the hub in the vise and unscrew, no special tool needed, the freewheel can be reassembled if theres no alternative
When I remove a freewheel on an old wheel like that I stick the too into a vice then sit the wheel down onto the tool and engage it, then grab the wheel on each side and with a quick push and pull turning the wheel to the left, it will pop loose then you can just spin the wheel until it comes off the freewheel.
Also I soak the back side of the free wheel with penetrating oil, getting oil down into the slot and usually it will free up and start spinning. I guess it depends on how rusted but I have never not been able to loosen one up and get it freewheeling again. You can even take them apart and there are a ton of small bearings inside which is not fun to deal with. Its interesting to take one apart and see how they work with the prowls that keep it going only in one direction.
@@jstar1000 yes, thats the way i do it too normally, but in the absence of the proper tool the other way works fine, especially if the freewheel is scrap
Probably a soak in oil would restore the ratchet, failing that, remove the lock ring and the cogs separate from the hub, grasp the hub in the vise and unscrew, no special tool needed, the freewheel can be reassembled if theres no alternative
I never thought to soak the hub to free the ratchet or to remove the cogs to loosen the freewheel. Thanks lots!
Thank you 👍
You are welcome
I seen a Chinese guy take one off with a quill stem and handlebars. It’s on TH-cam, was pretty ingenious
Neat! I'll look it up.
When I remove a freewheel on an old wheel like that I stick the too into a vice then sit the wheel down onto the tool and engage it, then grab the wheel on each side and with a quick push and pull turning the wheel to the left, it will pop loose then you can just spin the wheel until it comes off the freewheel.
Also I soak the back side of the free wheel with penetrating oil, getting oil down into the slot and usually it will free up and start spinning. I guess it depends on how rusted but I have never not been able to loosen one up and get it freewheeling again. You can even take them apart and there are a ton of small bearings inside which is not fun to deal with. Its interesting to take one apart and see how they work with the prowls that keep it going only in one direction.
I've done that too. But I've had wheels that were so bad that they wouldn't budge.
@@jstar1000 yes, thats the way i do it too normally, but in the absence of the proper tool the other way works fine, especially if the freewheel is scrap
@@edscyclingwithcoyotes I had one of those, and eventually realised I was turning the wrong way
@@rodneyhanson9884 Yeah, I think we've all done that at one time or another.