freewheel removal without tool?
 

i have a wheelset with an atom 77 freewheel and i'd like to swap it out for a suntour 7spd. any way to do this without the proper tool? i'd hate to buy one just for this one occasion that i'll EVER use it. thanks

Punch, hammer and vise. See Franko Franko's vid on Youtube.

got it! don't have a vice set up. perhaps a pipe wrench cheater bar will do the trick?
also, i only have a two prong suntour fw tool. the 7spd fw i have has four prongs. how can i install it without a four prong tool?

While I wouldn't recommend a pipe wrench, if it's all you got you might as well try. Make sure it's a good fit.

For installing a freewheel you do not need a tool. Do use grease on the threads, for ease of later removal.

thanks, again!!

I just looked at FF's video again, and there are just two very narrow flats on the FW body to work with, so be very careful with that wrench, or better: find someone with a vise.

i see what you mean. i doubt a pipe wrench could get a grip on those narrow flats. maybe i have a spanner that will work. in the end, i'm not attached to the atom. destroying with a pipe wrench wouldn't upset me. not sure how sellable it is, either

How far is the LBS?

The proper tool costs less than $10 and will save at least that much in reduced aggravation and potential injury if the Atom freewheel is jammed.

I've been so broke it was a strain on the budget to spend $10 on a tool or essential component. But it was worthwhile.

And you can always sell or trade it later.

BTW, unless the Suntour is a must, you might consider a SunRace replacement freewheel. I've used them for a few years. Outstanding values. And they use the more standard Shimano splined tool. I have Suntour freewheels and the tool, in a box, just in case nostalgia strikes. But I prefer the SunRace freewheels.

Incidentally, when replacing a freewheel, after greasing the threads I don't crank down the freewheel tightly. I snug it down just a bit with the tool and my long wrench (a foot long or a bit more), then ride and let my body weight do the rest. Easy on an indoor trainer. Or do a lap around the parking lot, standing to pedal. Doesn't take much to snug down a freewheel securely but still easy to remove later.

Sounds familiar!

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If I were to loan you the correct tool, will you send me the Atom 77 when you return the tool?

This ^^^^^

In a prior life I tried to avoid getting the right tools for a job like this (bikes and otherwise) but I have realized over the years that, for me, the aggravation almost always far exceeded the small price for the right tool.

This topic is timely for me since just last week I had to purchase a freewheel remover I didn't already have. I realize I am fortunate to be able to buy it since times are tough for many.

In all honesty, I’d stick with the Atom over the Suntour. Suntour 2 prong freewheels are a pain to deal with and going to 4 prongs didn’t improve anything. The freewheel tool doesn’t engage well and tends to cam out and/or tear the prongs off the tool. There was something about the Suntour that made them harder to remove (tighter tolerance on the threads?) and they had an inferior tool to do so. The 4 prong system often breaks on the freewheel body. Even today, when one comes into my co-op, I dread having to remove them.

Shimano, Sunrace, Atom, etc all use a much better system for removal and are easier to remove in the first place.

This required a vise, some soft wood, and a freewheel rebuild, but I did technically remove the freewheel without the tool (modified Suntour tool cracked the body) and without further damage.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1a89182c3.jpeg
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i totally get what you're saying on all points. thank you

as for the tool, money is money and there's usually more. and, of course $10 isn't much. i guess it's a matter of principle and the fact i'm already in the boat of automotive tools i've had to buy only to use once. i think i will take pastorbob up on his offer, though.

the suntour isn't a must per se, but it has the gearing range i'd prefer over the atom. otherwise, i'd just leave the atom on there. otoh, i have a 5spd 14-32 shimano freewheel as well. it has the twisty shimano teeth for better shifting, but i'm not sold on the huge cog gaps. kinda deliberating on the choice still

thanks for the ride to snug/install tip. i recall, now, having done just that before

i've got anywhere between $100-$200 in auto tools i'll never use, again. on top of that, i bought a shop press for doing suspension work that i might only use again (for other things) once or twice or year. it was/is cheaper than going to a shop by far, though

a month or few ago when i approached the idea of this swap out, i'd honestly wondered if i could arrange a trade of this nature. just what dr. universe ordered!

btw, is there anything particularly special about atom fw's? just curious. it's a 6spd 14-28

about 30 miles. i'd thought of a bike shop, already. they don't have the tool

i never had any real problem with them before...and, i have a few ST fw's. the 7spd in question here has lived on two bikes. the first, it came on a trek i bought years ago. i got it off of the 27" wheelset it to convert to 700c without much fuss. i can only assume it had been on for years, but don't know. for sure it wasn't as quick and easy as shimano stuff

Nothing really special, but it is always good to keep for spare parts, just n case.

I never heard of atom so I googled it to see what they look like. I stumbled across this vid that shows removal without the proper tool. I hope it helps.

thanks. the atom 77 is made by maillard. maybe that name is more familiar?

that is one of the videos i've seen already. pastorbob and i have worked an arrangement, though. he sends me the tool and i send him back the tool and freewheel in exchange :)

"for a few dollars more" you might get PastorBob to send you back the Atom freewheel with exactly the ratios you want ;)

The solution is win/win here - nice of pastorbobnlnh to come to the rescue!

Oh, and a six-speed 14-28 is a very, very nice combination. I actually won an Ebay auction for one - also an Atom 77 - a couple months ago. Although advertised as "spins smoothly", in reality it was almost seized up. I had to send it back :(

DD

that's something i had not thought of!! is that really possible??? pastorbobnlnh