Derailleur for a 14-38 5-spd rear freewheel?
06-24-08, 12:57 PM
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Bikes: '72 Schwinn Sports Tourer, '73 Schwinn Super Sport, '79 Schwinn Twinn Sport 10sp tandem
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Derailleur for a 14-38 5-spd rear freewheel?
Yes, that was the correct number, the rear freewheel has a largest cog with **38** teeth. I picked one of these up from a LBS, and would like to know if anyone makes a rear derailleur that can accommodate it. Biggest I've seen so far is a derailleur that can go up to 34 teeth.
Anybody ever heard of such a derailleur, that can handle a cluster with a 14-tooth smallest and 38-tooth largest rear cog?
Anybody ever heard of such a derailleur, that can handle a cluster with a 14-tooth smallest and 38-tooth largest rear cog?
06-24-08, 01:15 PM
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Bikes: 1970 Holdsworth Mistral, Vitus 979, Colnago Primavera, Corratec Hydracarbon, Massi MegaTeam, 1935 Claud Butler Super Velo, Carrera Virtuoso, Viner, 1953 Claud Butler Silver Jubilee, 1954 Holdsworth Typhoon, 1966 Claud Butler Olympic Road, 1982 Claud
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I've just put a 6 speed 14T to 38T "new old stock" Suntour freewheel on my 1980's Claud Butler. I expected to have to fit my long-cage toring rear mech but to my astonishment and delight, the existing Shimano 600 "Skylark" (original equipment on the bike), shifts it just fine. The front end is a Shimano 42T - 52T double and the shifters are downtube friction levers. I had to adjust the travel screws on the rear mech slightly but not the cables and haven't touched the chain. The original freewheel was an Oro 13T to 21T 6 speed. I guess I'm saying - try it and see! Good luck !!!
06-24-08, 02:27 PM
#3
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Interesting! I've got a similar cog, but I've only used it with period derailleurs meant to handle it.
Suntour intended you to use an AG-Tech derailleur and nothing else, but that was such a heavy clunky thing that folks used other things. In the last era before index, there were several floating jockey pulley rear derailleurs from both Suntour and Shimano (and Huret!), and every one I've tried will do the 38t.
Shimano made a Deore XT Super Plate.
Suntour made the AG-Tech, Mountech, and Superbe Tech, and maybe one I've forgotten.
Huret made the Duo-Par, both in Eco (steel) and Titanium (more common than you might think). Bunch of them came on mid-80s Treks.
The Japanese derailleurs (esp Suntour) tend to eat their upper pulleys, which are nonstandard items. The Huret uses standard Huret pulleys IIRC, but how standard is Huret these days!
I can't use the 38t cog to build a freewheel compatible with my index (Shimano) so I never tried it with my M730 Deore XT, but with the right dropout (derailleur hanger length) it would probably work.
Good luck!
Suntour intended you to use an AG-Tech derailleur and nothing else, but that was such a heavy clunky thing that folks used other things. In the last era before index, there were several floating jockey pulley rear derailleurs from both Suntour and Shimano (and Huret!), and every one I've tried will do the 38t.
Shimano made a Deore XT Super Plate.
Suntour made the AG-Tech, Mountech, and Superbe Tech, and maybe one I've forgotten.
Huret made the Duo-Par, both in Eco (steel) and Titanium (more common than you might think). Bunch of them came on mid-80s Treks.
The Japanese derailleurs (esp Suntour) tend to eat their upper pulleys, which are nonstandard items. The Huret uses standard Huret pulleys IIRC, but how standard is Huret these days!
I can't use the 38t cog to build a freewheel compatible with my index (Shimano) so I never tried it with my M730 Deore XT, but with the right dropout (derailleur hanger length) it would probably work.
Good luck!
