Park FR-1.3

 

Yes, and don't remove the lockring or any other parts from the freewheel.

 

Put the Park FR-1.3 in a bench vice pointing up. Put the wheel with the freewheel on the tool. Turn the wheel counterclockwise to unscrew the freewheel. It can take quite a bit of torque so using this method is usually way less fraught than trying to use a wrench.

 

😀Thanks.

 

Anyone willing to help with the removal of the lock ring of this SunRace freewheel?
I want to service the ball bearings and the pawls.

 

Use a freewheel tool like the Park FR-1.3 to hold the center of the freewheel in a vice. Use a pin spanner to loosen the lock ring. I THINK the lock ring is left-hand threaded, so turn it anti-clockwise. Loosen it just a bit so it can be easily remove the rest of the way.

Now put the freewheel assembly over a small bucket or container before you remove the lock ring. Remove the lock ring, disassemble the freewheel, and watch as approximately 200 microscopic bearings bounce all over the place, hopefully being contained. You will need to reassemble it with all these tiny bearings. If you lose one of the bearings it will probably still work, but it won't be as smooth.

A better option is to flush the assembled free wheel with degreaser or something that'll break up and move all the crusty old dirt like WD-40. You can do this without taking it apart, and it is 99.99% as effective as the disassembly and overhaul. Once it is very clean inside from flushing blow it dry with an air compressor and then lubricate it with a thick oil. You want something thicker than Tri-Flow so that it will stay put, but thinner than grease.

Free wheels are not really designed to be serviced. They are cheap and designed to be thrown away when they wear out. If you open up that free wheel and find that the paws are worn down, you'll have a hard time finding replacements other than taking apart another freewheel and pulling those out. If the free wheel has seen enough miles that the pawls are worn out, there's a good chance that the gears or cogs on it are also worn out. At that point it is 100% worth your time to just throw it away and replace it with a new one.

 

Good summary, especially the last sentence! I think a new SunRace freewheel is about $14.

 

I just did a quick internet search for "how to service bicycle freewheel" and a ton of videos came up that show exactly how to do this process. Did you even try to look for the answer? RJ the Bike Guy has a video that demonstrates both overhaul and flushing techniques.

 

As others said, don't try to service the freewheel. I've done it, and it's a royal pain in the ass.

Today, I flush them with degreaser, then rinse well, then dry, then oil -- if there's a valid reason to do so.

Chances are, if it needs serviced, the cogs are worn enough that the entire thing should be replaced, anyway.

 

Thanks to you all. I am trying to learn how to do it. I don't care how hard it is: I just want to know how to remove the 4-notch lockring that SunRace put there. There must be a tool to do it!

I can take the freewheel off, that is not a problem.

I can use the pin wrench to remove the freewheel body. But, first I have to remove the 4-notched lock ring. It will help me remove the first cog and access the freewheel body, with the pin wrench.

This is most certainly a standard thread. It is marked by an arrow an 40 kgcm torque requirement.

Does anyone know the tool for removing it? Any workarounds?

There is only one video on which the guy uses a vice grip on the outside.

Thanks,
Vic

 

I can use the pin wrench to remove the freewheel body. But, first I have to remove the 4-notched lock ring. It will help me remove the first cog and access the freewheel body, with the pin wrench.

just to clarify, you need a freewheel tool like the Park FR-1.3 to remove the freewheel body from the hub. the pin spanner is to remove the lockring that holds the bearings inside the freehub body.

it would help if you would post photos so we know what you're talking about (no one here would choose to ride a modern bike with a freewheel), but it appears that there's some sort of outer lock ring. I'll post a photo for you:

Park makes a few bottom bracket tools with a 8-spline interface like that.

There's also this one, which has four internal slots. it's possible that the tool for singlespeed freewheels will fit in there, but it's also possible that Sunrace has a proprietary tool for installing those at the factory. like I said, these are not really designed to be serviced. unfortunately, they're designed to be thrown away.

it's unlikely that you'll find anyone on MTBR who has wasted their time on this task to tell you specifically which tool you need, so you'll need to visit a bike shop that stocks a lot of tools or a bicycle co-op that has one to lend you. chances are, the tool costs more than a new freewheel and the freewheel is not worth servicing as you will get more miles and better performance out a few one for less money.

 

Here is a photo:

 

I will give it a shot with the vicegrips.
I will let you know how it goes.

Also, I will look for the tool that you suggested.

Thanks.

 

Vice grips?

 

Yes! There is a YouTube video where a guy does it.

It seems to be the only option. The 4 notch tool by Sturmey-Archer freewheel tool is 35 mm across I guess the outer diameter. The outer diameter of the notches of this lock ring is 32 mm.

So, either I will improvise the tool by welding or use vice grips.

Does anyone know if the threads on the SunRace freewheel can accommodate a new different freewheel?

Also, can I change the hub of the wheel and use a freehub instead? I think it is called building a wheel.

Thanks

 

a hub that has threads for a freewheel will only work with a freewheel. a freehub is a totally different design and trying to convert it would make no sense. if you have access to the kind of tools that would make that conversion possible, you probably get paid enough to not bother. here's a better explanation with photos Shimano Cassettes & Freehubs

any freewheel hub should have the same threading, so you can unscrew a worn-out freewheel and replace it with another one. there might be some very obscure alternative threads used for something else, but you'd have to go looking for something like that to intentionally make your life more difficult.

you're going to weld something? WTF? you're polishing a turd now. go ahead and use a vice grip on it. that's the fastest way to the inevitable: destroying the whole thing so you have no choice but to replace it, like a rational person would do.

 

I am not worried about cost. I want to keep my mind sharp.
I just retired and I want to do a lot of projects which I had on the back burner.

I think of this an opportunity to learn and teach in a completely different area. I have 4 bikes. One road bike, a down hill bike, and two Mountain bikes. Understanding and working with them will help us all learn the nuances of how to upgrade and keep our bikes in a good running shape.

I have waited over 40 years to try my hand on the physical side of things.

I hope you find this humble explanation satisfactory.

Vic

 

Thanks. As I said in my introduction, I am just learning in my old age. The cost is not a problem.

I would like to build/upgrade with 36 spoke Shimano deore freehub with disc breaks, with a dura ace casette. However, I want to learn the process. I did not know many things about bikes, especially when reputable companies sell you substandard stuff.

For example, I bought this Trek MTB from Chicago for my wife. I never looked at it, or knew where to look to spot the difference between freewheel and freehubs. The shifter said Shimano and so did derailleur and shifters. So I assumed it was a Shimano cassette drive system.



Thanks

 

Thank you:

Are you going to help me make a rear wheel With a cassette and freehub. I will appreciate it a lot. I wanted to use 36 spoke deore freehub with disk break. I would like to use my rim, which is 26 × 1.95 inch.
I have a truing stand, spoke tension measuring tool, spoke tensioner wrench. A lot of other tools. I used to be quite handy in my 20s and perhaps my eyesight is not best anymore but I can use light and magnifiers to read stuff. My mind is still sharp and my hands are pretty study. I have lost strength and endurance. So I can do pretty much any physical work: just slowly!

I am counting on help from all our members. I can assure you that there will be a lot of mutual learning.

Best regards,

Vic

 

I love wheelbuilding and I highly recommend that you give it a try! You'll want to find a good guide and go with that. Check out the one in Sheldon Brown's website.

 

Wonderful! I just discovered that there are clincher tires. I remember only tube and tubeless tires.

 

Clinchers are tubed tires, and have been around for most of bicycle history. That's the most common type of tire you'll find around the world, which works with a inner tube.

Tubeless tires are a more recent invention (or the average rider, at least). Most enthusiast mountain bikers prefer tubeless tires with sealant. This topic has been covered ad nauseam for many years, so I'll let you look up the benefits. I guess a tubeless tire is also a technically clincher, but don't quote me on that.

Tubular (sew-up?) is what you find on competitive racing bikes, although they are falling out of fashion.