Originally Posted by
LateNite
Thanks for responding. When I say it stops, I mean it will be freely spinning then jerk to a hard stop at the same place every time. I'm sure it needs replacing. It's probably the original freehub. I picked the bike up for $20 at a thrift store and put about 1500 miles on it this year. It's actually a better fit than my nice bike. What I didn't know was if a 6 speed would work with my RD, a friction Shimano "Z" series. Or 7 speed for that matter. Also 125 mm rear dropouts. Thanks again.
5, 6, 7, 8-speed... all will work with friction shifters. 126mm dropout width is standard for most 6- or 7-speed hubs. Replacing the wheel with a generic replacement wheel and an 8-speed cassette may be the cheapest and most expedient path forward, but will require spreading the rear triangle to 130mm. 7-speed cassette hubs are virtually extinct.
If it were my bike, I'd be rebuilding the rear hub and really cleaning out the freehub body. Shimano hubs of that vintage were cheap, but almost indestructible.