Bicycle Freewheel Disassembly/Assembly
I show how to disassemble and re-assemble a freewheel from a bike wheel. I also clean and lube the freewheel parts. I didn't replace the bearings. I just cleaned them and reused them. But if they show wear or damage, they are not too expensive to replace. The ball bearings in this freewheel were 1/8" balls. I think that is the most common size in freewheels. But that being said, there is no guarantee that yours are 1/8". Measure yours. And the number of bearings can vary. You can try to count yours, but generally you want to fill the races. I lubed the parts with marine grease.
If your freewheel is not working well, try cleaning and lubing it before taking it apart:
• How To Fix A Sticky Fr...
NOTE: Generally, freewheels are meant to be replaced. So why overhaul one like this? Maybe you are restoring a bike and want to keep the original vintage freewheel. There are a lot of people in the world that don't have easy access to new bike parts, or the parts may be very expensive to get where they live. Or maybe you just want to do it because you can.
Some of the tools used were:
Park Tool SPA-2 Pin Spanner:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...
Park Tool Chain Whip:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...
Dualco Mini Grease Gun:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...
Marine Grease:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...
These are the 1/8" bearings I used.
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...
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Awesome you know your bikes. Excellent
Cool
You're the great. Thanks for guide videos. Watching all over from Philippines! Now i can assure that i can fix/edit my 7 speed sprocket. Thank you! God bless! :D
I find it is much easier to put the bearings in the cassette [like the top bearings] and then over the freewheel, works every time! You just grease them in and they never fall out!!!
Packed too much bearings. My mistake. Watching it again so I'll fully understand.
Finally an instructional video that doesn't spend the first 20 minutes talking about the presenter's life story. Straight to the job and short and sweet.
thank you ,I LOVE it...
True rj is not like gcn that doesnt go straight to the point
Just fast forward
Right but you lost me when u said your going to take something apart
Right don't care if your from outer space just want to know how get my bike back on the road
Having worked in a bike shop for years and having done this many times I have the following suggestions: 1) Do NOT use standard waterproof grease (#2) on the pawls if you ride in very cold weather, it will keep them from working, use a grade #0 grease or oil 2) After cleaning with paint thinner, aka kerosene or paraffin in british english, coat all the surfaces inside the freewheel with a THIN coat of grease or non-detergent oil. 3) It is easer to put the balls in the big end in the race cup than on the cone. 4) If you have a bench vise, put the Freewheel removing tool in it facing up and place the wheel over it to loosen. then put the freewheel on it, lock ring up to remove cone ring. 5) No need to wrench tighten freewheel on hub as it will tighten the first time you ride. 6) If the Freewheel had some play, you can experiment leaving out the thin shim or replace it with a thinner one, you can make a new one out of anything, plastic or paper, in any rate put the thinner one on FIRST.
Foo why don't you do a video demonstrating it then why comment on how to do it better then show us. I'm a visual learner
Okey Donkey then. But nothing wrong with this video. Is easy to follow and worked for me. But thanks.
I agree I'm a visual kinda guy too I have too see it bout 20 times than I kinda get it.
John. Your post is now 3yrs old. I don't think it is good to 'upstage' someone who's trying to help. You will obviously know your stuff but commenting like this isn't great 👎
@@MikeB-Nemesis I actually agree with his comments because the purpose is different, he points to a first grade service tips which is for the benefit of cyclists. especially the part with using a thick grease can make pawls malfunction and I've seen in many videos servicers recommend using a liquid grease specifically for the pawls (some recomend light oil) to prevent them blocking and never to use a standard grease there. bearings of course use a standard grease
This is what makes utube great. Having to learn all this the hard way is a pain. Nice job. To everyone out there, don't forget to inspect those spokes when you have the freewheel removed!
RJ the bike guy should be called RJ the Bike god! Yet again, one of his extremely well made instructional videos bailed me out. Every time I want to delve deeper into bike repair, RJ seems to have the perfect video. My rusted stuck 1971 Schwinn 10 speed freewheel is back on the road thanks to your video - Thanks again!
Probably one of the best bike repair teachers I have found online! After watching some of your videos I was able to remove and repair my back wheel specifically my pauls that were sticking and not able to use bike. I cleaned my freewheel by removing cone ring only shining up everything inside and now able to use bike again. Big thanks for sharing your knowledge!
as always, the depth of my ignorance is revealed once again and I am ever grateful for the detailed, concise lessons. I am trying to mentor kids but I'm a terrible teacher, all over the place. You are an excellent teacher. I'll try to follow your example. Thanks !
The best way to learn is to teach.
What a cracking video! I have often wondered how I might lubricate the freewheel on my 80's tandem and now I know. The level of instruction was spot on. Many thanks.
Watched it all. First time I did this in the '80's it was discovery learning...and chasing little "BBs" all over the garage. 🤦🏼♂️
RJ, just went through this whole process yesterday on my '82 Chicago Schwinn. Thanks for the play-by-play. It's not for everyone but if you really love your bikes, have mild OCD like me and enjoy the process of taking things apart, cleaning and re-lubing, this ones for you. The best part is when you have it all back together again and it runs beautifully. Cheers!
was this on the schwinn cruiser five speed with f3 france schwinn approved cassette
Every time I look for an disassembly/assembly video of a random bike in my workshop, I always find it within your channel - love it, great how to's, keep it up!
Great refresher. I serviced one of kid's freewheels, then i later discovered I'd left a couple tiny bearings out. 😵 Finally put them back in with a bit more grease. I never knew a freewheel could spin so quiet. You don't even hear it ticking.
Thanks, nice video. To make it easier to work with a wheel on a flat table, cut down an old plastic 5 gallon pail so it's about 3 inches tall then set the wheel on it. It will sit nice and flat on the spokes instead of on the axle/hub. If you're removing bearings they'll fall into the bucket rather than onto the table or floor.
Good idea never thought of that one
Yes. I think any round (or square) container of that height would work. E.g. yogurt, seeds, , raisins, crumbs or CD cover. No need to cut. And to collect and store balls - pharmacy pills little one ( with sealed cup ). They are transparent and have paper stickers.
Great video. Just what I needed to see to overhaul my freewheel. A good way to handle the bearings is to dip the tip of a small flat head screwdriver into grease and let the bearings stick to the tip. I found this faster than using tweezers. Thanks again.
Just watched your free wheel video and I also read most of the comments and I see that people really appreciate a guy that sounds like he knows what he’s doing and leaves out all the BS that other video people might include which wastes a lot of our time. I like the way you get right to the job and talk and work at the same time. This is one video that I’ve been looking for and now I have the confidence to take my female apart. No other video guy got into such in-depth taking a part of a free will and Appreciate you showing the public how to do this. Jack 👌
I really enjoy all of your videos. You cover a huge selection of various bike maintenance procedures and I have learned a lot from you. Thank you, and keep them coming! Dan
i actually recommended this site as a how-to for newbie mike mechanics - who have access to tools etc
Nice Tutorial RJ! I'm glad that someone is actually doing this. I've done a lot of this stuff learning it on my own, but it sure would have been great to have something like this as a kid, or even as a adult to know how to properly repair things. I never had the money for a new bike as a kid so we got a lot of parts from the dump and just built our own. Good work, love the video!
Thank you for the video. Very helpful. For some people asking: the Shimano 6 / 7 speeds takes 30 bearings in the upper part and 35 in the lower. I´ve just counted them. TIP! My cheap and easy trick is to fill the grease inside a 5ml syringe and then you can easily reach any place to grease and get a very tidy result. Best regards from Argentina.
The number of bearings probably depends on the particular freewheel. They are not all the same.
Whats the size of the bearing balls?
@@midnightangel1196 Sorry, I don't know. I reuse the originals after cleaning and greasing
Excellent emphasis throughout and the camera work is focused and efficiently well time-managed. Especially found the pace and your deliberate patience enhancing a very easy to follow video. You instill confidence. The rusty patina on the cassette might disguise a "sleeper" out on the playground and you have probably unleashed a lot of kid power by overhauling this bike. It looks like a perfect father/son/daughter project and dad comes out a genius/hero. Your videos are tops. Thanks Mike Kirwan - Kenmore WA.
Nice thorough tutorial. Pointing out the LH thread on the bearing screw ring was particularly helpful. Thank you.
Thanks RJ, your videos are my favourite on the subject. Video and sound work is excellent and all your discussion goes straight to the point of the repair. I restored a 1967 Phillips (with a Raleigh frame), with your and of course, local advice. Your video on the Sturmey Archer hub repair was just wonderful.
wow, great video! This repair is a lost art. Will be super valuable for anyone seeking to keep their old Campy freehub going.
Bruh even in my country they dont fix those. We almost fix brake pads btw lol
I used to do this when I was young but I, forgot after 40 years brings back good memories thank you.
You have made your own fingers the best tools you used in your workshop. This is so good,to teach-first of all-how to use your fingers in work. Thanks.
thanks for the freewheel disassembly video, its very helpful. i getting a new rear wheel for my '79 schwinn varsity and watching this will make my life easier when i go to put it on
Thank you so much for this video! This one was especially useful, but many of your videos are helping me breathe all sorts of life back into my bikes.
Awesome video. I have a very similar freewheel and was counting the number of bearing balls on the inner and outer bearings as you took it apart. I am replacing an older steel-rimmed wheel with a newer alloy wheel, and have found the original Suntour freewheel on my 35-year-old bike to be virtually identical with the newer Shimano. As it turned out you explained everything perfectly, down to the detail of the number of balls in each bearing. Your instructions make it easy to put everything back together - bearings, shims, everything. The shims might be a bit tricky but I'll get there. Thanks so much for sharing!
35 year old 😲
My free wheel just started to grind so will get it overhauled along with the hub many thanks for your great videos .😊
I’ve watched this like 30 times while working on my bike. So helpful. The snap ring fell off my paws. Thanks
Looks like fun! I set my wheel on a small plastic dishpan to keep it from walking around. It also keeps the bearings in one place if they happen to fall out.
Heavy grease can be a bit too thick for pawls in cold weather. It can make the return action too slow and cause problems. Adding a few drops of oil to the pawls on top of the grease can help reduce the viscosity.
Thank you so much for the vid. The chain came off and got stuck behind the sprockets. Had to remove the freewheel in order to get the stuck chain. All the bearings came off to the ground, and had no idea how many where on each side. Went to the parts store to buy some . Now i will put the freewheel back together
Your videos were a real lifesaver in reviving a 32 year old commuter, thanks!!!
RJ you are still in my NO 1 list of bike mechanic guy in YT.. i had learned so much from your tutorial videos..now im confident enough to fix it by myself🙂 thank you🚴😬
This video has come in handy as I always wondered how to disassemble the freewheel in order to properly clean and lubricate it and what is actually inside. So I've managed to remove the lockring with a hammer and a centre punch like tool (but not sharp) while holding the freewheel down and using the removal tool (with a wrench) to stop it from spinning. And the rest should be easy peasy.
I've been watching a bunch of videos on this subject. Of all I've watched, you're the first that actually used an adjustable wrench correctly. Everyone else has used it backwards.
Thanks RJ!! I may try this on the freewheel I couldn't remove. Since it wouldn't come off. I laid the wheel on the side and poured some transmission fluid over the freewheel. Cleaned out some of the gunk. Now you can hear the pawls click again.
This video helped me save a completely rusted locked up freewheel. Put many miles on it since! Great vid and marine grease is the best
I know this is 8yrs old but you have fantastic teardown/assembly vids. It's helped me maintain my bike a lot!
You saved me a lot of trouble, starting with not knowing the threads were reversed. I wasn’t sure about how to put the bearings back in but you confirmed my suspicion. Grease is the key. Thanks!
This was one of the few things I have not done with my bicycles. Now I will clean and lube all my freewheels! Thanks!!!
Thanks RJ, the pin wrench gave the revelation I needed, and less than 7/8 English pounds on evil bay I just ordered one 👍🏼😎
Thank you RJ the bike guy. Your videos are excellent I've been watching for many years. Informative straight-to-the-point descriptive excellent!
Thank you. I could have not get rid off this cover untill I saw your film. Much appreciate.
Thanks RJ. Excellent job and invaluable info as I'm currently restoring my dad's old 1974-75 Fuji "Special Road Racer Tourer" for my little brother. Restored to original specs it should make a nice heirloom for he and his sons (one of them at least). He has been gone for a quarter century now and this is one of the few things we have left to remember him by. Sure makes it a breeze when you got a road map to follow. Appreciate it. Shawn Spencer
Can you share it on your channel?
Racing BMX in the 90s I learned to rebuild the rear sprocket on my bikes, adjust the spring tension on the pawls and would file the ends of the pawls so there was quicker engagement, also it made them click nice and loud. I love your videos and they've inspired me to start rebuilding bikes again
Interesting stuff. I'll have a go when the ACS crossfire freewheel pawls on my DMR start skipping. Grind and keep measuring with the verniers so all three pawls are the same length.
Thanks so much I was extremely stressed out when trying to put the bearing balls back, now I know how
many thanks for this, i m fixing my daughter's bike she bought secondhand. It had stood outside here in the UK whre the weather is not too kind, Nearly there now!
Thanks for the tip. I did in the long run manage to remove it with the punch tool. On the last punch my punch tool broke in half lol. Realized I need to get the right angle. THX
thanks, i accidentally disassembled mine instead of removing it as one. i probably could have reassembled it myself but the video made it worry free, thanks.
Me too man. Every other video says "don't bother disassembling it"...but what if I've already crossed that bridge??
same
Yeah don't remove the lockring if you simply just want to remove the freewheel from the hub.. I almost did that too, it's a smidge confusing
Thank you very much for this video I tried to do it before watching this video with the same cassette you were using and I put too many ball bearings in it and it wouldn't move however after watching your video I put 39 on the bottom and 31 in the top and it worked fine after that I also want to say that I didn't do it exactly your way I decided to put the race bottom on a thick paper towel and put the ball bearings around the edge of the race and then lift the paper towel slightly to move the bearings into the race this made it a lot faster and easier to do I did have to nudge a couple but it still made it a lot faster after that I just slid down the top piece with the chain rings over the bottom piece and it fell into place then I put 31 ball bearings in the top piece and then tightened it together with the screw on o-ring locking ring this all took about 3 to 4 minutes tops
RJ , one more time a nice job , but more important to me ,all this video ,bring back to me memories of my Father fixing free wheels ,in his bike shop 50 years a go in my native country ,thanks for bringing back beautiful memories
RJ, three years ago you made a video that would help me today. Thank you so much!
Clear and thorough instructions. Well done!
Thank you so much for this! It was very reassuring to see that it wasn't actually that easy to loosen the lock ring and the tool you tried at the beginning didn't do the job right away. Hopefully the hammer method will work for me when I try this tomorrow!
Update: it won't budge... All I managed to do was bend a nail and break a tool with a pointy tip thin enough to fit in one of those small holes.
@@darkcat5823 ive tried it in two freewheels, it worked on one but the other one would budge, as you said.
Simply the best bike mechanic here, well done 👍.
Hey RJ, one little tip that has saved me a lot of pain is to put the chain whip in one of the cogs in the middle so if for any reasons it slips, you dont skin your knuckles with the spokes. Great video.
Thank you again!! Took the department store schwinn out for a spin. Kept hearing a knocking noise. Knew it wasn't the bottom bracket. With the bike back on the stand. You could hear something from the freewheel. Figured I would try this before buying a new freewheel. And this worked!! Thank you again!!
Knocking came back after a few rides. Ended up replacing the freewheel.
Great Video !! Extremely helpful and detailed. Thanks for sharing the number of bearings on each side. My used bike was missing quite a few, but still worked fine. Added the correct amount. Keep up the good work !!
Outstanding video. Just brilliant. I'm servicing a 1980s MTB for a family member (never having touched an MTB:), and this is perfect. Thank you for your content and this is earning you loads of good karma :)
You are a God sir. This video saved my bicycle. The freewheel overhaul is a lost art. Thank you so much.
Thanks, I'm repairing an old bike and it helped a lot!
Thank you very much, RJ! Your tutorial really nice and clear. My freewheel can spinning smoothly now. 👍
Very helpful video. I thought my whole wheel was ruined. Bought a new Mongoose about a month ago. It started making a knocking sound when I pedaled the crank, didn't know where the knock was coming from so I let it go but it got worse (of course). Turns out the bearing retainer came loose from the cassette assembly causing the entire assembly to work itself loose until finally the cassette was wobbling around on the axle. Not a prime situation. Anyway, I think I can fix it now with a cassette from an old wheel I've got and with help from you excellent video. Thanks.
You just saved me 30 bucks! I was going to order a new freewheel for the restoration I'm doing but after seeing this, I'll give rebuilding the old one a shot!
Love this video, this is the same freewheel I've dismounted more than 20 years ago! Thanks! :-)
I put all the bearings in a drinking straw then let them come out slowly as I turn
I sneezed and swallowed 3 bearings.
instructions not clear, I just drank all my bearings.
Steve Legge tuff guys iron suppliment 😝
@@stevelegge3307 bottom layer or top layer bearings layer ? was thinking, rinse & dry top layer
thats so simple yet brilliant!!! THANKS A MILLION!!!
Thank you for this video. I wish I had watched it BEFORE I took the freewheel apart and had all of those ball-bearings fall out on my floor :) Luckily, I got them all, and even though I didn't count them. This video helped immensely!!!
Thank you very much RJ. You have demonstrated the opertion very well. Thank you.
Thx for making this video....I struggled a long time to get my my weel up and running..this helped alot👌👌👌
Enjoyed the video, very informative, told me exactly what I needed to know. I'm off to Amazon to buy a new one.
You can't seen to get the same freewheel anymore for my 1983 Raleigh Royal. with the same 5 speed tooth configuration, so decided it would be worth trying to clean it all, as it was sounding like a bag of nails. Used this very good video as a reference. Bought the pin spanner and freewheel remover nut from Amazon (£17), worked a treat. Thanks very much. Oh, I've used Castrol GTX grease, not sure that's OK, it's all I had in the garage. Sounds well tidy now like.
Just completed this. thank you so much. My freewheel was free in both directions cuz the groove of the spring was blocked by crushed metal in the pathway and not proping the fingers up. I figure My fix will not last long but i was intrigued to find how this works and what my particular problem was. I will order a new part but im happy to have solved the problem so far. I also ordered the gear cassette and found out it was the wrong item and needed the complete free hub assembly. Thank you very much.
Great tutorial RJ. We usually just replace them, but with stock shortages we are repairing a lot more worns parts to increase their longevity and save the customers more costs. This one will help thanks.
So true. I picked the wrong time to convert my 5 speed to a 7 speed with indexing! Just found a used 7 speed at a local co-op for $10 today and revisiting this video to overhaul it.
Excellent presentation as always and has given me an idea for another perfect use for my new Park wheel-holder tool that I just sprung for and received this very day. It wasn't inexpensive, but the number of applications is considerable when I think of the many times I've struggled with a larger wheel attempting to mount a super-tight tire, etc. It actually looks like something that you could use in a multitude of your operations that require a stabilized wheel assembly. Especially when your installing ball-bearings, or other 'gravity sensitive' little things that pop out inexplicably at precisely the wrong moment. Thanks for all your excellent camera work and easily understood narrative. A long time fan - Mike
I don't have one of those. I have gotten by pretty well.
Weld a nut somewhere to screw the axel to for a mount when truing a wheel or changing tires. Still working out the kinks and convenience for/against.
@@RJTheBikeGuy I have a question : at video time slider 8:22 you said there have thicker one & thin one cushion ring , why need those 2 rings why need one thicker & one thinner ?
Thanks for the video, I just rebuilt my Suntour freewheel circa mid eighties and it went smooth thanks to your video, the only thing I did different is I assembled the whole thing before threading it back onto the hub,
Thanks for the Vids RJ..Helped me alot getting my 37 year old nishiki lubed up!
Great Video, Perfect. Thank You for you time making this.
Nice video. Be careful not to put to much grease on the pawls, some freewheels happened to be sticky and the pawls don't quickly engage on the teeth. BTW, you can also check the spring by lifting a pawl and gently removing the spring with a flat screwdriver.
I followed your instructions and it worked perfectly! As usual, you rule RJ.
This is my next maintenance task. The freewheel is noisy and hasn't been looked at in ten years. Another very good video, thank you RJ.
Probably just flush and lube it. kzhead.info/sun/i7mMctZviGJ-oI0/bejne.html
@@RJTheBikeGuy I would, but I'm itching to dip into this fresh pot of grease I've had a few weeks. I've dropped some oil in there and things have quietened down now so thanks for the tip. 👍
Bro, you made my day. I'm currently trying to give some maintenance to my 1985 Fuji Sagres. This was really helpful :)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with the world! Instead of using a crescent wrench to remove the freewheel (after putting on the freewheel-specific tool), wouldn't it be easier, and a more positive grip, to use a socket wrench? Also keeps your knuckles away from those sprocket teeth!
Quite precise and well explained the step by step method for a freewheel tear down process!
I rebuild my hubs and cassette every winter. It's a fun job and gets the bike ready for riding season. It's an easy job that everybody should learn how to do because dry powdered rust is NOT an acceptable lubricant for bearings :)
It's not? LOL
I feel like a secret ancient temple will open door when the rod clicked backed in! Thanks for this feeling!
Okan Ozdemir like somethingout of indiana jones or tombraider 😂😂😂
Thanks for the vid! It was eduacation on what mechanism lies inside of a freewheel. Also,i noticed your freewheel has almost no wear on sprockets,usually my sprockets wear down until i need to grease bearings :)
This was just an extra freewheel that I have lying around. I think I replaced it with a 7 speed freewheel on a bike.
Eres. Feo
That old type of 5 spd freewheel is much more durable teeth don't ware down. You find those few series of shimano ones on lots of old crappy rusty bikes it's always worth getting them off, it's those ones around the time that teeth started to have shift profiles are really nice but before they really started taking the piss with 'weight savings' ie cheaper metal and thinner teeth for a like 7 or more speeds with essentially only the same kinds of range.
I should have mentioned, I liked your video and your instructions were very clear, just not doable without the special tools.
Thank you so much finally I can fix all my 1950s-1980s model bicycles thank you so much I'm eternally grateful to you 😊
Man I wished I saw this video before I stupidly took mine apart , Yeah I did Thanks to your video I now know to put it back together :-)
jesikebiking Same :)
jesikebiking ,that’s exactly what I did,took all the bike bearings apart and I didn’t know how to put the rear wheel back together and from this Iam learning and then I know to put it together faster!!! 😀😀😀😀
No sé que dijo en todo el video pero me sirvió mucho gracias
excellent video on removal of free wheel sprocket. This is the first that I've seen using a pin wrench. Now I know what those pin holes are for. thanks Rich
Contemplating this upgrade. Video is a proper eye opener with excellent advice. Very informative. Thank you.
If you do not have a ball-bearing guage line up about 8 ball-bearings in a row and measure against the edge of a rule. 8 x 1/8 equals 1 inch. 8 x 3/32 equals 3/4 inch. Much easier than trying to measure one bearing.
Good idea! I had a fun time measuring my bearings with a caliper, getting decimal inch readings & trying to convert to fractions!
Paul Grant
Victor I believe his point was if there we're 2 sizes of ball bearings here its easy to seperate them using the strait edge. Which unless they're .0001" difference in size is much easier than measuring 50+ ball bearings individually (maybe a couple at a time) using a caliper.
I've learned so much. Thank you!
KaiserFailed
Took my free wheel apart exactly as you said and everything worked perfectly. I used an ultrasonic cleaner to clean everything and sll those little bearings came out very clean.
They look clean. But they still may be worn.
I use a rag and lucas oil parts cleaner, it doesn't take very long and the parts I clean that way are like new when I finish.
Very good. Great process presentation. Keep up the good work I usually put the cassette together before I thread it onto the hub. I find it easier to control the bearings that way
good video saludos desde México🇮🇹
I would put my wheel on top of a large plastic Bowl that way if any bearings fall in the bowl and also sturdy should wheel very nice for you
That grease gun is brilliant! Instantly bought one.