Typically is the freewheel body for 5, 6 and 7 speeds the same with just different spacers?

Best to ask this guy: https://sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html

...it's not a simple answer. There were narrower six cog freewheels to fit into 120 spaced rear drops before there were 126 spaced drops. The fives are all pretty much from the 120 era, the sixes and sevens can often be interchanged (the whole freewheel), but as far as swapping freewheel cogs it gets a tad esoteric, even if you can find the cogs to fit your body.

Sheldon Brown has a freewheel/cassette crib sheet that gives cog, spacer, and overall width. It is the overall width and freewheel body shoulder that drives the freewheel body design. As for 5, 6 and 7, none have any sort of spacer to make up for an overall narrower width.

Without digging out old freewheels, my response would be no.

John

I meant spacers between the cogs. Anyone know if a Maillard/Sachs cog can fit on a Regina?

...have you ever recogged a freewheel ? I'm only asking because it's often quite laborious to get the cogs off, and for me personally (even though I can do it...I have a freewheel vise and everything to do it with), it's more trouble than it's worth with all the availability of pretty good used freewheels where I am located.

?. I've done three in the last week. All you need is two chain wrenches. My issue is this, I just finished my X4 build. I'm trying to get Campy syncro to work. Early on I started amassing parts before I received the frame. It had been a long time since I built up an older bike and totally forgot about all the different thread standards and my wheel set ended up with French hubs. The French thread stuff is few and far between.
I'm very close with the syncro but not there yet. I was looking at the Aris and I wanted to try that, I'm playing with the Regina synchro now. Unrelated but something I need to do is change my gearing. Right now I'm running 7sp 13-23 with a 42 little ring which is a little tough on the hills. I already have the French thread freewheel body so I just need the cogs, I'll just buy the freewheel for the cogs.
I'm also reconsidering my chain, maybe that's the issue. I'm running an 8sp SRAM chain. Maybe that's too narrow to get picked up. I just ordered an old Sedisport. I definitely want the new gearing before I fit the new chain.

I have. Lockrings can make it impossible. Vintage ones are a piece of cake since you only need to unscrew the first, and sometimes the second cog. As for the exact inside diameter of the different manufactures, I'm guessing that they are close, but maybe not identical. If it is too small you can resize it if you can get access to a lathe. If course if you had a lathe you could just make your own.

John

People post stuff like this a lot. I typically read it as: I've read a thread someone wrote detailing how it's done but, really truly, no I've never really done it. If you can remove a cassette you can crack a freewheel. The consumer freewheel vise from Var is not my recommended tool, though. Not my favorite Var tool.

My advice with Campy Syncro shifters is forego the Syncro and Syncro II shifters and use the three spring Syncro III shifters. Campy never actually sold them as downtube shifters, but that's what they are. They were sold as Time-Trial shifters on bar-ends through 10sp. Change the shift disc to your choice of color for 6sp or 7sp, or 8sp for freewheels. Or use them with 9sp or 10sp cassettes. Miche and Mavic make the best convertible cassettes that can be used with different spacers to run 8 or 9 or 10 or whatever Shimano or Campy.

You can get 9sp freewheels but they are rare.

...sure. Whatever you say. Life is short.

My only question is how to remove a Sunrace freewheel lockring. A few years ago I made a 4 prong tool from a 11/16 socket. It worked great and I've done a 30t cog swap. Unfortunately the lockring on the current Sunrace freewheels are tighten so much they won't budge. Sunrace freewheels are throwaways, but they used to offer freewheels with a 30t cog that isn't used enough to wear out. Want to take a current 13-25 and dump the 23t and add a 30t. Any suggestions?

John

...if this is easily done, why not just take a couple apart and see if you can make it work ? In the time you've spent typing in this thread, you could already have accomplished your goal.

Pardon my insensitivity. Obviously, you have a lot of time to devote to this, and an X4 is certainly a worthy project.

If you're going to need to buy a freewheel for the cogs anyway, why not just buy the same manufacturer ?


I honestly love these threads that devolve into whose wrench is the biggest. They make me more hesitant to write anything, and that saves a lot of time and trouble. So in a roundabout way, thanks.


Good luck in your adventure. One other tip, when looking for French threaded parts/components, it's always a good idea to check Amazon France (use Google Translate) and e-bay France.