Bicycle Mechanics - Mystery lockring in Suntour freewheel

I'm trying to remove a freewheel cassette. It's the Suntour two-notch kind that should open with a Park Tool FR-2. I've got the tool, but that notched ring vetoes my most muscular pleas for withdrawal.

Here's a pic of a FR-2 freewheel:
http://www.parktool.com/images_inc/repair_help/FR2.jpg

To get to my situation, picture the cog stack protruding about 1cm further out than the freewheel body; then imagine an 18-spline lockring on the surface of the outer edge of the freewheel body. What the heck is that? It resembles a BB lockring. Diameter ~31 mm. It can't be holding the cogs together because it's deep inside and doesn't even ratchet with the cog assembly. Whatever it is, Park Tool doesn't make a tool for it. Do I need to open that lockring in order to get the notched ring to unscrew, or is it irrelevant for my task?

I'm trying to remove a freewheel cassette. It's the Suntour two-notch kind that should open with a Park Tool FR-2. I've got the tool, but that notched ring vetoes my most muscular pleas for withdrawal.

To get to my situation, picture the cog stack protruding about 1cm further out than the freewheel body; then imagine an 18-spline lockring on the surface of the outer edge of the freewheel body. What the heck is that? It resembles a BB lockring. Diameter ~31 mm. It can't be holding the cogs together because it's deep inside and doesn't even ratchet with the cog assembly. Whatever it is, Park Tool doesn't make a tool for it. Do I need to open that lockring in order to get the notched ring to unscrew, or is it irrelevant for my task?
Fit the tool onto the freewheel & run the skewer thru w/o the spring on the tool side - don't tighten the skewer totally because you need some room for the eventual turn of the freewheel body. Then put clamp the tool into a good vise & use the wheel to turn the freewheel off. I remember many a stubborn freewheels but none that ever beat me.

Don't worry about your mystery lockring - freewheel bodies thread onto the hub w/o any "lockring". Now about your mystery lockring - the last sprocket of many freewheels is threaded onto the body and that is probably what you're describing. I suppose they had dedicated splined tools but I never really used one since a guy can actually remove the threaded sprockets with a pair of chainwhips (i.e. you can change sprockets w/o removing the freewheel body from the hub).

One last thought: Working with a freewheel should give you a new-found appreciation for modern cassettes (I sure don't miss 'em)!

I do not believe that is a Sun Tour freewheel but probably is a Regina. Roger

You sure it isn't a Suntour cassette? I have one on a Specialized Rockhopper.

how many cogs are there in the freewheel? in some suntour cassettes/freewheels the smallest cog is also the "lockring" which means it threads into the freewheel body. if this is the case then you would need 2 chain whips to take the cassette out.

it may be better if you post a pic of the actual thingy.

One last thought: Working with a freewheel should give you a new-found appreciation for modern cassettes (I sure don't miss 'em)![/B]
I've got a bunch of freewheel removers in my box. I think there were a couple of styles of Suntour remover. I don't remember. I'm getting senile.

I'm with metabike, if you've never worked with freewheels, ashtabulas, krappy headsets, you don't know how easy today's new bikes are.

If you don't have a vice, you can put a vice grip tool on the freewheel remover (with the skewer as metabike says), put on a pair of boots on, and slam down hard with the bottom of your boot. Never, ever failed me even with the most stubburn freewheel.