Bicycle Mechanics - Uniglide Cassette Disassembly

Hi guys, I've got a question regarding an older style shimano uniglide cassette (the one with 9 splines). i've managed to dig around the net and find out how to wrench off the cassette unit (used the chain around the bottom bracket and wrapped it around the largest cog, then used the chainwhip to twist off the smallest cog).

once the first cog was off, the other four cogs slid right out along the splines (but i'm unable to separate this little group for some reason).

anyways, the axle of the wheel is a solid rod and once i yanked that out, i can see bearings inside.

now my question is this.. how the heck do i remove that freewheel/racheting mechanism from the hub itself? i want to get inside and have a peek at the pawls.

hope that made sense.. haven't got a camera handy, otherwise i'd take pics to help explain.

There is a thin metal dust guard in the end of the freehub
gently lever that out.

Theres a big hollow bolt inside there. Is difficult to see.
Its a Torx fitting.
But a big 10mm Allen key will fit it.

The freehub will come off as a unit.

Is kind of difficult to get inside it.
Managed it a couple of times.
Think I used a drift to turn the bearing cup inside the freehub.

The pawls and ramps might be rusty, gummed or worn.
Very fiddly to fit together too.

aha! thanks, grif.. hopefully i can find something that'll act as a hex key around here..

i need to pop that baby open so i can reverse one of the pawls and jam up the freehub from racheting :)

i've got exactly the opposite problem of the other poster who wants to clean his uniglide cassette, eh?

aha! thanks, grif.. hopefully i can find something that'll act as a hex key around here..

i need to pop that baby open so i can reverse one of the pawls and jam up the freehub from racheting :)

i've got exactly the opposite problem of the other poster who wants to clean his uniglide cassette, eh?


Leave it on the hub if you want to disassemble the body itself. Look for notches in the bearing race (the one with 9 1/4" balls in it). I can't recall whether it's left or right hand thread, but it should be obvious once you try it.

The cogs are probably held together with wee tiny bolts. You can remove them, no problem, and you need not run them when you reassemble.

Now on that reverse one of the pawls thing.... You would be better off welding the darn thing. Reversing a pawl:

A. won't work

and

B. will lead to a freehub body that spins both ways


There is nothing for the pawl to bear against going backwards, and the load will soon destroy the one pawl you've left in the 'forward' direction.

No one wants to give you a threaded hub wheel? Have you no friends?

Leave it on the hub if you want to disassemble the body itself. Look for notches in the bearing race (the one with 9 1/4" balls in it). I can't recall whether it's left or right hand thread, but it should be obvious once you try it.

The cogs are probably held together with wee tiny bolts. You can remove them, no problem, and you need not run them when you reassemble.

Now on that reverse one of the pawls thing.... You would be better off welding the darn thing. Reversing a pawl:

A. won't work

and

B. will lead to a freehub body that spins both ways


There is nothing for the pawl to bear against going backwards, and the load will soon destroy the one pawl you've left in the 'forward' direction.

No one wants to give you a threaded hub wheel? Have you no friends?

melville..

aha! yr right about the bolts.. i was fiddling with them earlier and contemplating yanking them out, but wasn't sure if everything would fit back together after.. looks like i can do this now without worrying about it.

hmm.. for some reason i had thought that reversing one of the pawls would prevent it from going forward and back, but since yr the more experienced one, i'll take yr word for it. guess i don't need to disassemble the freehub casing now.. i'll just have to figure out where to have a co-worker weld it.

i'm sure someone would give me a threaded hub wheel.. and i can certainly afford to buy one of my own, but i just wanted to mess around and see how this cassette stuff works :) thanks for the insight!