marqueemoon

I picked up an ENO freewheel on craigslist the other day. I have a free/free Surly hub, so I just greased up the threads on the unused side and threaded on the ENO. Still, it's time for my crappy Shimano to go. There's no sense running two 17t freewheels.

I picked up a freewheel tool to get the Shimano off but that and a crecent wrench aren't cutting it. I found this on the Park tool site. If I'm understanding correctly I want to secure the freewheel tool against the freewheel with the axle nut, then grip the tool in the vise and rotate? Should I try a longer wrench with the tool first?

What's my next step if this doesn't work? (Yes I did grease the Shimano freewheel and hub threads liberally when installing). I don't want to **** up my hub or my wheel, and while I don't technically HAVE to do this now I'll need to do it eventually.

DerekRI

I've seen the LBS get the tool on with the wrench, then put the axle nut on, put the wheel on the ground standing, and just give the wrench a swift kick to loosen it up.

marqueemoon

Hmm. Well I tried a rubber mallet at home and that was no-go. I'm planning on stopping by my coop shop on the way home though. They've got a vise and more tools (and my gf who objects to my cursing at bike repairs will not be there ).

poopncow

Clamp the freewheel tool in a bench vise and turn the wheel like a steering wheel on a Mac truck. Note, you must take great care to push down on the dogs while you turn the wheel or the tool will "cam out". This will ruin the tool by either rounding the edges or snaping the dogs off.

Overall, this should be an easy operation.

poopncow

Oh right, just re read your post. good idea to hold the tool in place with the axle nut if you can. But the easiest thing to do is to use a bench vise....which you have access to.

marqueemoon

Well I got stuck at work tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

max-a-mill

yeah if your a big fella or just ride hard these things can really gets stuck on...

i destroyed the small vice in my garage trying to remove my last one. luckily the shop had a really big vise and we were able to pop it off. not without a considerable struggle though.

Sammyboy

I hold the rim, and use a giant pair of stillsons to turn the tool. The trouble I have is that as you loosen the freewheel, it tightens the wheelnut you have holding the whole thing on the axle. I have to stop about every 1/4 turn to slacken that off, and it makes me unhappy inside.

dirtyphotons

axle nut is the way to go. if it's stuck i'll hold the wheel with my hand and stand on the wrench. usually works, not always though...



to be fair that was on a stuck bb fixed cup. and yes, i was turning it the right way...

Hirohsima

This is what we did at the shop I worked at all the time. I still use this technique at home. Another posted for really stuck freewheels to put your QR on to make sure that tool does not "cam out" as Poopncow put it. This is a great trick. After the inital breaking loose of the freewheel, you can remove the QR all togehter since at that point, unless you cross-treaded it, it should come off really easily.

IMO, I would never NOT use a benchvise as the method of removing. When you are pressing down on a wrench while the wheel is standing leads to a stripped tool, or worse, a stripped or damaged freewheel because there is very little pressure making sure the teeth on the removal tool are engaging properly.

squeakywheel

That's how I do it. Place freewheel tool in notches. Thread axle nut on loosely to keep the freewheel tool from coming out of the notches. I don't crank the axle nut on tight because it seems it would act as a jamb nut in that case. Flip the wheel over and clamp the freewheel tool in a bench vise. Then act like you are making a left turn while "driving the bus".

Snordalisk

What kind of a wrench is that? Hope you didn't bang into something in a nasty way when it broke!

dirtyphotons

haha, oh yeah. forgot to give my loving endorsement of the park hcw 15

i was standing on it, and luckily my foot just fell to the ground when it broke. it did make a nice sound when it snapped and clanged around on my balcony though. i got several shouts of "everything okay?" from the neighbors. they thought the broken wrench was pretty cool...