Bicycle Mechanics - Frustration!!!!!!!!!

OK. The night started off good, a nice trip to the LBS to get a freewheel remover. We chatted a bit about the singlespeed project that I was going to build up. I bought a frewwheel remover to take off the freewheel, it would be my first time changing a freewheel. The LBS guy was nice, and said if I needed any help, just come on in, and they would get off the freewheel.

I got home, and I immediatly got to work. I took off the nuts, and the axle spacers. Now here's where it gets bad. I had a bent axle and I didn't notice it. I inserted the freewheel remover and it went in about 3mm. It felt pretty secure, and since it was fitting over a nut, I figured this was normal. I put the wheel with the freewheel remover in a vice and proceeded to turn. I felt it budge, then a large snap. I was happy, thinking I had got it off. NO. The top 3mm of the freewheel remover was stripped completely. then I noticed the bent axle. The freewheel remover would not go in b/c the axle was bent!

Body Count:
-1 axle
-1 $8.99 freewheel remover
-1 young man's hope of ever becoming a mechanic
-1 single speedproject down the drain...I'm not going to throw any more money at this 7- year old huffy.

You may still become a mechanic, grasshopper, but you must learn from your mistake. If a tool has an insert depth of 20mm and it goes in 3mm something is up.
Try this first, loosen up the other end of the axle, so that it will wiggle some.
If the tool is not to messed up to slide into the freewheel, tap it fully in. If you just stripped the end it should go in and have enough grip.
Stick it back in the vice and turn the wheel counter clockwise.
You can probably keep using the tool, a couple of my underlings do this stuff from time to time and the tools (Park) work OK even when they are pretty messed up looking.
BIG NOTE: There are two similar splined freewheel tools. One is for Shimano and one is for Falcon. The spline count is the same but the falcon splines are deeper. If you use the Shimano tool on the Falcon freewheel it will screw it up(Note previously mentioned underlings)
Never ever throw money at a huffy Take the thing apart, put it back together, learn stuff. But don't spend money on it.

One other trick.

After you install your freewheel remover onto the freewheel, put the quick release or axle nut back on finger tight, then back it off 1/4 turn. That will keep your freewheel remover from jumping out and self-destructing. After you initially break the freewheel loose, you can take the nut back off and easily remove the freewheel the rest of the way.

No need to give up your hope of becoming a bike mechanic. There is an education process involved in every profession. You simply paid a $8.99 installment on your education tuition. If you stick with it, there will be more such payments. I know I've paid my share, I imagine Rev.Chuck has made a few too.

Rev.Chuck is also right about throwing money at Huffies. The same is true when playing Polker. When you're holding a losing hand, don't throw good money after bad hopeing it will improve.

I tried that replacing the nut on the axle thing. I rotated the freewheel off, and tightened it onto the nut. It took a lot of fiddling to get the nut off the freewheel. I wouldnt recomend this for use with a bench vice, but it may help when using a large spanner on the tool.

do you guys know how to take out the axle of hub without taking off the freewheel? The bent axle is what keeps the freewheel remover from seating, but if I was to take out the axle, I could remove the freewheel.

Um if you remove the lock nut on the freewheel side, and both the locknut and cone on the non drive side, you should be able to push it out. hmmm now I gotta go check.

The cone or the seal on the cone, is probaby hitting the back of the free wheel. Grab the other end of the axle, break the locknut, on the freewheel side, loose and take it off. Then pull the spacer out. That should give you enough room to get the tool in the freewheel.