Can anyone give me the name of the tool that removes this Maillard 5-speed freewheel? It's a new one on me.

that's the 24 spline tool, available on eboy

/markp

Haave a peek at this assortment I have. The one you seek might be Park-FR1 Splined. Beat of luck.

Randy that's a great collection but I don't think that 24 t Maillard tool is in your pile.

here's what it looks like - pic shamelessly horked from ebay listing. Hard to find this one and priced accordingly.

your "no name splined #2" is a Phil Wood thin wall tool

Would be a well equipped shop that had one of these

/markp

Yes, I see one, but it is pricey. I measured my spline diameter and it is 1.25", just as they have indicated in the online auction house offering. What was Maillard thinking? Is there anything mechanically advantageous to this design? I could see if the bearing races were a larger diameter, that could improve performance and durability.

That is the type I am still waiting on. From BikeInn. Online from Spain. Taking over three weeks so far. 20 dollars, others on ebay are 40 , also from Europe though. I am hoping it will arrive someday.

Tom.

Thanks. I appreciate it. I was able to re-pack the bearings and add new bearings with the free-wheel still on, even though I ordinarily take the free-wheel off to clean, inspect, lubricate, replace, etc. I've got one of those single-speed tools that you are showing that has the four prongs. Is that what it is? For a single-speed freewheel? Any particular make?

Back when these freewheels were common, the Suntour/Simplex/Regina two-dog freewheel remover was the most common style. As we all know, these can go sideways in all manner of ways, ruining freewheels in the process of removing them (or even in the process of not removing them). In addition, sometimes you had to remove the axle to get the freewheel remover on there - depending on the configuration of the hub etc. I imagine this was seen as quite a satisfactory alternative.

I have the Bicycle Research splined one, Randyjawa posted in his picture. I'm pretty sure it is what I use to get these off.

Pretty sure it's this one on ebay. $25. I can verify when I am not at work. Remind me if you need it, and I'll make sure to verify my tool fits my Maillards.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/265931001918

The Bicycle Research CT-3 or VAR-405 are the proper tools for those freewheels.

There you go! Someone better snap that one on ebay up! Deal of the week, maybe?

I ordered one from BikeInn last week, shipping to Oklahoma. Hope it doesn't take as long as that to get here!

Mine better not stop in Oklahoma! It seemed that it took some time to acquire mine? Once it shipped seems to moving along but tracking sucks.
Good luck.

Tom.

guess I was wrong about that one Randy, you do have the tool on your board.

Weren't these FWs common on Schwinn Varsity ?

/markp

Not for the faint of heart, but I once got one of these off using a pipe wrench. And not in the conventional destructive way. First I removed the axle and bearings. That gave me enough room to put the top jaw of the pipe wrench inside the center, so the side edges grabbed the splines. Then I tightened the lower jaw against the teeth on the cogs as much as I could so it didn't slip. Then I leaned into the wrench. It was several years ago, and I can't recall how hard it was to get loose, so I might have just got lucky that it wasn't seized on the hub. You are using the wrench 90 degrees from the normal direction of force, so no warranties expressed or implied.

Mine came today. Finally. It is a VAR RL-40500. Now I can safely mount my Maillard freewheel, and take it off if.

Mine last checked in at The Hague four days ago which was, coincidentally, the date BikeInn originally said it would be in Tulsa. Maybe I should alert the Navy that there may be a lost ship in the North Atlantic! Or USPS is just really sloppy about scanning things.

Amateur. I’ll pst up my collection when I get home.

OE Campy, 6 prong Suntour and other gems.

Took a while to get here, but it fits like a glove!

I was wondering when you were going to get your remover tool. VAR, too! Nice.

I just went up to the bike co-op in Toledo, Ohio looking for one of these, and they had one! Worked like a charm. It felt like the larger diameter spread the force better, and that seems logical to me.