Freewheel removal or fit a cassette

bice
bice Posts: 772
edited March 2010 in Workshop
After foolishly putting a new chain on my five speed hack, I found the chain slipped as the freewheel is worn out. It is about 30 years old.

Fortunately, a friend will flog me a replacement for £5. Unfortunately, the existing freewheel is a Suntour fit type that has to be removed with a two-splined adapter, which I haven't got.

The wheel is a bit wonky, too, I now notice and I will have to attend to that. it too is about 30 years old. (This bike, a ladies light tourer was left in the office car park by the air conditioning unit for three years and was loaned to me to get rid of it, on condition I returned it to the ex-employee if she ever asked for it.)

I do have a 700mm wheel (existing one are 27') with a seven speed cassette.

What should I do:

1/ Somehow get the Suntour freewheel off and replace with the new five speed? Any tips for removal without an adapter? Don't mind destroying it as it is worn out.

2/ Fit the 700mm wheel with the 7 speed? Any tips on this? Not sure about dishing wheels. Never done that and would I need to anyway? I would have thought the seven speed could work with a few spaces and perhaps pulling the stays apart if necessary?

3/ Save myself a lot of grief and put back on the old chain, retrieved from the bin, true up the wheel a bit and ride the hack until it falls apart?

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Comments

  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Option 3 will be the quickest / easiest

    Option 2 would be next. Just bend the stays apart a bit, drop the 700c wheel in and see what the chain line is like and whether you can make the brakes work on it

    Failing that you'd need to get hold of the Suntour freewheel tool and some way of clamping it. You could ask a friendly LBS how much they'd charge to get it off.
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Park ... er-896.htm

    might just work :) although at £5.99 it may be more than the value of the bike :wink:
  • lae
    lae Posts: 555
    You could possibly get the old freewheel off by putting a blunt chisel in the notch and tapping it with a mallet. You might bugger the notch though, and then it'd be even harder to remove.

    Presumably it's a steel framed bike - you can spread the frame slightly to accept the 700c wheel if you need to. You might not even have to re-dish the wheel. Your brake pads will have to drop by approx 4mm to match the 700c rim.

    I'd put on the 700c wheel and see how it fits as it might not need any adjustment at all. Easier to find tyres in that size too.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Hi, I wouldn't recommend trying to use the tool to remove a cassette that's been on there that long - those suntour types had a habit of breaking their splines before you removed anything.
    I once had a bike shop remove one by welding a rod to the freewheel and using that as a lever.
    Alternatively find a 27" on fleabay.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Undo the bearing retainer on the freewheel. It looks like a cassette lockring but will just have 2 holes in it. Use a punch to undo this and pull the sprocket assembly off. You can then clamp the bit left on in a vice and remove it by turning the wheel.
    My Fleet.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I think Sheldon had something on brutal, destructive, irreversible freewheel removal. Possibly. I'll have a look
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html

    just wot John T said. Tap said ring clockwise with a punch.
  • bice
    bice Posts: 772
    Thanks for replies. I tried to fit the seven speed cassette, but the cones disappeared into the bearing dust caps, the axle was too long and the bearing race was quite pitted. In the end, took the 5-speed wheel to an LBS, who removed the old freewheel for £6.

    I trued up the wheel, fitted a £5 freewheel and it's as good as new

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