Originally Posted by
kmcrawford111
I had a 6 spd. Suntour freewheel come apart while riding. The only explaination I can think of is that the lockring (the kind you need a pin spanner for) must have been loose..... So while these may last forever, it's not a bad idea to check the lockring every now and then. I didn't think to.
It's pretty cool that these freewheels can be taken apart and serviced.
The ONLY freewheels I've ever seen come apart in use are those that have been user serviced (disassembled and reassembled). The factory does a good job setting them rock tight and they don't move. If you do opt to check the lockring for tightness be sure to remember that it's reverse threaded, so you don't loosen it in your effort to check that it's tight.
IME the soak,flush and oil method works well for service, and the only reason to ever open a freewheel (other than curiosity) is to remove a shim and take up some wear. OTOH, most bodies outlast the sprockets, and a complete freewheel is often less than the cost of replacement sprockets bought separately.
From a maintenance standpoint freewheels are one of those items where less is often more.