Hello guys,
I've have an issue with my freewheel ... well actually with the spokes (I've managed to brake some of them). Anyway I have to take down the freewheel to replace them(the spokes) but it seems that the freewheel is very tightened. I've used I vise clamp to secure the key and turn the wheel but without any results. I also sprayed some derust spray and tried again but again the only results was bending another spoke. Do you have any other ideas or should i go buy another back wheel.
Best regards from Romania,
Andy
PS : Sorry for the crappy English
Wow, sounds like a tough thing there. Actually, freewheels are sometimes really tough to remove as they are tightened by every pedal stroke. A wheel with enough broke / bent / damaged spokes will probably have problems to withstand the forces you need to unscrew the freewheel.
If you remove it, you have to: get spokes, true wheel, replace probably some more spokes (reason for spokes breaking is likely the dreaded chain drop). It would probably be an opportunity to get a "new" (well, a used one) rear wheel. Some bike shops have old wheels they are willing to part with for not too much money. Make sure the hub is still ok (if it is free turning without being too loose it should do). Question: how many gears do you have in the rear? Do you have indexed or non-indexed shifters?
On the broken spokes:
- you can sometimes carefully bend a spoke to get it threaded through the hole in the hub without removing the freewheel. Manufacturing spokes is a tough process, so slightly bending them is not tooo bad. (don't put a kink in then, though)
- are those spokes all on the drive side with the elbow to the outside? If so: you had a chain drop (chain dropped between spokes and freewheel), more spokes will break sooner or later, replace all outside spokes (with the elbow to the outside)
- lots of spoke breakages can be an indicator for a poorly built wheel (but this will crop up earlier in its lifetime, included for completeness sake)
Indexed - non-indexed: indexed: clicks to certain positions when shifting so the dérailleur matches up with the sprockets. If the shifters are not indexed you can replace the wheel with one with more gears (change the chain, too)
wheel: Hm, no bike shop. Take a look at the private sales ads of a bike magazine? Getting a fitting wheel somewhere online might prove difficult, 6 speed wheels are definitely outdated (doesn't mean you shouldn't use them, just makes getting them tough).
Oh, and I assume you are trying to remove the freewheel in the correct direction...
i have tried everything but the thing didn't even moved a bit ... I already talked to someone to buy a whole rim + freewheel (same as mine) for 35 ron (8.5 euro) ... which is pretty good I guess ... a friend will pick the rim and will inspect it before he will send it to me ...
hope after this I could dream again my bike in matte black
best of luck to everyone