Recommend a good 2-prong freewheel remover?
05-14-09, 05:49 PM
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Recommend a good 2-prong freewheel remover?
I just sheared the 2 prongs off my Cyclo remover trying to get the freewheel off my new Frejus.
Any strong ones out there?
Any strong ones out there?
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72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
05-14-09, 07:19 PM
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I have the Park, and recently beat on an attached wrench with a 1 lb hammer, and it held up fine. Remember to use the skewer or axle nut to keep it well positioned on the cluster.
05-14-09, 08:09 PM
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PB Blaster last night and today + skewer to hold it in place + my massive guns = sheared right off 
.
I'll get the Park
.I'll get the Park
05-14-09, 10:08 PM
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It's the FR-4 that fits SunTour. Not sure if Cyclo uses the same or not.
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05-14-09, 10:40 PM
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Older 2 prong Suntour = Park FR-2, more recent 4 prong Suntour = Park FR-4. Collect them all....
I've never had one of these fail or bend, despite many years of service that involves vigorous beating on a long wrench with a large wooden mallet. I have munged up some wrench flats doing this, but never the park tool. Do fix them in place with the skewer to avoid disaster...
I've never had one of these fail or bend, despite many years of service that involves vigorous beating on a long wrench with a large wooden mallet. I have munged up some wrench flats doing this, but never the park tool. Do fix them in place with the skewer to avoid disaster...
05-14-09, 10:45 PM
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I couldn't get a freewheel off, even after spraying with Liquid wrench 4 times over two days. I didn't have a long enough skewer, so I took it to the LBS. Ben put the freewheel remover in the table vise and clamped it down good so the prongs were up. Then he put the wheel on top, and pretended he was driving an old bus with no power steering. After about three grunts, there was a satisfying "crack" sound, and it threaded off.
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Use that skewer! Especially with 2-prong FR's. And Park is the brand I use. Never had a problem with their 2-prong FR-2.
05-15-09, 12:42 AM
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Did I miss something? ... I don't recall mention of what particular freewheel is on the Frejus.
There were some VERY different spacings used on different freewheels. Not all 2-prong removers were suited to all freewheels.
Since it is a Frejus, I would imagine you might have a Regina freewheel? ...Yes?
If this is the case, a company called Bicycle Research makes a tool similar to the one shown by Iowegian, and made specifically for older Regina notched freewheels. Those 1960s-1970s freewheels are uncommon, so the tools are in little demand and thus are NOT cheap. But, you can get one from these folks: https://www.bicycletool.com/reginafreewheeltool.aspx
Bicycle Research Regina freewheel tool #CT-1:
Park FR-2 ... VAR #188 ... Cyclo 72 freewheel:
There were some VERY different spacings used on different freewheels. Not all 2-prong removers were suited to all freewheels.
Since it is a Frejus, I would imagine you might have a Regina freewheel? ...Yes?
If this is the case, a company called Bicycle Research makes a tool similar to the one shown by Iowegian, and made specifically for older Regina notched freewheels. Those 1960s-1970s freewheels are uncommon, so the tools are in little demand and thus are NOT cheap. But, you can get one from these folks: https://www.bicycletool.com/reginafreewheeltool.aspx
Bicycle Research Regina freewheel tool #CT-1:
Here is a hypothetical example to illustrate what mean about a bad fit worst case scenario:
Tool on the LEFT is a Park #FR-2... good fit for a Suntour but VERY BAD for the Cyclo freewheel. Outer diameter of the prongs = 25.15 mm.
Tool on RIGHT is a VAR #188... perfect for old Cyclo Freewheels. Outer diameter of prongs = 28.55 mm
Outer most spacing of the notches on the Cyclo freewheel is 28.75 mm.
The distance from the "inside" shoulder of one notch to the "outermost" edge inside of the opposite notch is around 25.75 mm.
See where I am going?...
If you do the math, the FR-2 is narrow enough that one prong will tend to slip right out of one of the notches when you begin applying torque to the remover.
Tool on the LEFT is a Park #FR-2... good fit for a Suntour but VERY BAD for the Cyclo freewheel. Outer diameter of the prongs = 25.15 mm.
Tool on RIGHT is a VAR #188... perfect for old Cyclo Freewheels. Outer diameter of prongs = 28.55 mm
Outer most spacing of the notches on the Cyclo freewheel is 28.75 mm.
The distance from the "inside" shoulder of one notch to the "outermost" edge inside of the opposite notch is around 25.75 mm.
See where I am going?...
If you do the math, the FR-2 is narrow enough that one prong will tend to slip right out of one of the notches when you begin applying torque to the remover.
Park FR-2 ... VAR #188 ... Cyclo 72 freewheel:
05-15-09, 12:48 AM
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05-15-09, 05:54 AM
#13
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pneumatic wrench (car mechanics) works well with the right free wheel tool!
05-15-09, 07:15 AM
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It is a Regina, and slipping off the inside might be the issue. But in any case, both prongs were ripped right off my cheap-o remover so I can't measure now to be sure.
I Ox acid soaked the freewheel in place last night and I can now see that it's not a rust finish - it's ORO. The chain has regained some color and flex, too, after having a nice rust patina.
PB Blast some more and a new good remover should do the trick. Thanks for the leads.
And the cheap-o remover says CYCL and then either an O or maybe a the registered mark. Hard to tell. Also says made in Britain.
I Ox acid soaked the freewheel in place last night and I can now see that it's not a rust finish - it's ORO. The chain has regained some color and flex, too, after having a nice rust patina.
PB Blast some more and a new good remover should do the trick. Thanks for the leads.
And the cheap-o remover says CYCL and then either an O or maybe a the registered mark. Hard to tell. Also says made in Britain.
05-15-09, 07:23 AM
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I couldn't get a freewheel off, even after spraying with Liquid wrench 4 times over two days. I didn't have a long enough skewer, so I took it to the LBS. Ben put the freewheel remover in the table vise and clamped it down good so the prongs were up. Then he put the wheel on top, and pretended he was driving an old bus with no power steering. After about three grunts, there was a satisfying "crack" sound, and it threaded off.
And I learned that trick by watching one of the mechanics at my LBS.
