Bike Forums - View Single Post - Clean Your Freewheel

06-17-19 | 05:06 PM

#47

Velo Mule

Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2016

Posts: 2,924

Likes: 1,791

From: Long Island, NY

Bikes: Trek 800 x 2, Schwinn Heavy Duti, Schwinn Traveler, Schwinn Le Tour Luxe, Schwinn Continental, Cannondale M400 and Lambert, Schwinn Super Sport

Quote:

IMO, the best way to service a freewheel is to service it like any other set of bearings and races: Disassemble, clean, lube with grease, reassemble.

A freewheel is not a secondary cut of beef which benefits from an overnight soak in the marinade. A freewheel is not the Thanksgiving Turkey which enjoys basting.

Would you squirt some magic elixir into your headset or bottom bracket and expect it to be magically healed from all internal contamination? Would you figure out some way to soak your entire wheel in a vat of witches' brew made from some esoteric automotive mix of ingredients in order to service the hub's bearings?

Please treat your vintage freewheel with respect and service it properly.

Quote:

IMO, the best way to service a freewheel is to service it like any other set of bearings and races: Disassemble, clean, lube with grease, reassemble.

A freewheel is not a secondary cut of beef which benefits from an overnight soak in the marinade. A freewheel is not the Thanksgiving Turkey which enjoys basting.

Would you squirt some magic elixir into your headset or bottom bracket and expect it to be magically healed from all internal contamination? Would you figure out some way to soak your entire wheel in a vat of witches' brew made from some esoteric automotive mix of ingredients in order to service the hub's bearings?

Please treat your vintage freewheel with respect and service it properly.

...and discovered this.

Pastor Bob, you have made your points eloquently. And, I agree with you. I know that many here don't want to open up a free wheel and try to corral all those tiny balls and it is easy to buy an new one. I like my old SunTours and Shimanos. It is not too hard to do. By the way, I also like Regina Oro's and Atom freewheels, but don't have any in the fleet now.

I think Sheldon Brown advocated for not opening up a freewheel and I see his point. If your pedaling, there is no friction from the freewheel, there is nothing slowing you down, the only time a freewheel will slow you down is when you are coasting. A bike shop would never rebuild a freewheel, but as a hobbyist, I do it.

I like smooth quiet freewheels even if it doesn't really improve my efficiency.

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