Freewheel vise
#1
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Freewheel vise
Anyone have experience with this tool?
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Bicycle-Chai...8AAOSwjSldeSNE
Am I crazy for wanting to pry my freewheels apart? I've got about 10 that could probably use a good disassembly.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Bicycle-Chai...8AAOSwjSldeSNE
Am I crazy for wanting to pry my freewheels apart? I've got about 10 that could probably use a good disassembly.
#2
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Anyone have experience with this tool?
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Bicycle-Chai...8AAOSwjSldeSNE
Am I crazy for wanting to pry my freewheels apart? I've got about 10 that could probably use a good disassembly.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Bicycle-Chai...8AAOSwjSldeSNE
Am I crazy for wanting to pry my freewheels apart? I've got about 10 that could probably use a good disassembly.
#3
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That tool on eBay looks like a decent tool for short money. I personally pull all my freewheels apart using two chain whips, but that vise would certainly put some joy back into the task. You could always send them to Pastor Bob for the whole workup: https://www.freewheelspa.com/
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This is a new-to-me one.
It appears that one must bolt it down to a flat surface in order to use it: inconvenient.
Have VAR and Maeda on me workbench and they do just fine.
Their design is intended to drop into the jaws of a bench vise.
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This is a new-to-me one.
It appears that one must bolt it down to a flat surface in order to use it: inconvenient.
Have VAR and Maeda on me workbench and they do just fine.
Their design is intended to drop into the jaws of a bench vise.
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I agree with NoControl . I have used Pastor Bob and for a very reasonable price he will take care of your freewheel needs. It is not something I do often enough to want to do for myself. Plus he has not only the tools but a bunch of spares, again at a very fair cost. He has done a couple of mine and the smoothness and range of cogs is perfect! Joe. joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress
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that's an interesting tool and if you take freewheels apart may be handy to have. The main reason you'd want to do that is to replace cogs, so you'll then need to accumulate an inventory of cogs.
the modern Chinese made Shimano freewheels work pretty well, they are riveted together so this tool really is not needed.
Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA
the modern Chinese made Shimano freewheels work pretty well, they are riveted together so this tool really is not needed.
Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA
#7
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Although I've never used it, I can see how a freewheel would fit:
It does seem to be able to do more than just hold a freewheel, but I haven't found out what yet.
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I love my Bicycle Research freewheel tool. Up until very recently, you could buy direct for like $25. Seems like their site is no longer active. They are on eBay but pricey:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAR...L/152780731660
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAR...L/152780731660
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I like that one. You could just put some holes in your bench and use bolts as pins to keep the tool in place when in use. I've just used scrap wood and deck screws but always wanted an official tool.
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Ja machen mein herr Oberst.
The semi-circular bits form an axle vise; two sizes for two diameters of axle.
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Outillage VAR Nr. 365 -
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Last edited by juvela; 10-12-19 at 03:03 PM. Reason: insert image
#11
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I love my Bicycle Research freewheel tool. Up until very recently, you could buy direct for like $25. Seems like their site is no longer active. They are on eBay but pricey:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAR...L/152780731660
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAR...L/152780731660
A freewheel vise isn't necessarily required. Two chain whips you will need regardless. I'd start with that and see how it goes. Might be enough. However, after several decades the freewheel cogs could well be much more stuck on that they were when new, and a vise will help with that.
Last edited by Salamandrine; 10-12-19 at 12:57 PM.
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#14
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Narhay-
Not crazy, but no need for big expense. Get a slab of wood, place the freewheel and screw down (use 4 screws not just 2 as shown), use your chainwhip to loosen the locking cog and remove (after loosen the bearing cone). Disassemble.
Not crazy, but no need for big expense. Get a slab of wood, place the freewheel and screw down (use 4 screws not just 2 as shown), use your chainwhip to loosen the locking cog and remove (after loosen the bearing cone). Disassemble.
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I figured it would be something like that. Now I need to think of a reason to actually use it. It is a nice tool, BTW. Very elegant and minimalist. I like that. Very much.
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The "Bicycle Chain Vise" of the OP's post looks like a real pain to use unless you use exactly one size biggest cog I have the VAR tool which is similar to the Maeda. With a good bench vise, it is a joy to use.
Ben
Ben
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Mine is bolted to the wall, about chest height. Allows a lot of torque.
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On gear blocks where all of the cogs are threaded it can be a challenge to remove the last one.
For this VAR offers freeewheel vise Nr. 368 which clamps the cog threads on the body:
One seldom seen gear block vise is the VAR Nr. 03. Its tooth holders can be adjusted far enough apart to accept chainwheels. The chainwheel application has always seemed to me superfluous. It assembling or disassembling a set of chainwheels it is simple enough to place things on a flat surface and proceed. The one advantage is that it leaves both hands free; there is no need of steadying the parts. Purchased one new about forty-fives years back and have fired it up exactly twice - when it first arrived. Just to give it a try. It is oddly finished for a VAR tool in hammertone gold.
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On gear blocks where all of the cogs are threaded it can be a challenge to remove the last one.
For this VAR offers freeewheel vise Nr. 368 which clamps the cog threads on the body:
One seldom seen gear block vise is the VAR Nr. 03. Its tooth holders can be adjusted far enough apart to accept chainwheels. The chainwheel application has always seemed to me superfluous. It assembling or disassembling a set of chainwheels it is simple enough to place things on a flat surface and proceed. The one advantage is that it leaves both hands free; there is no need of steadying the parts. Purchased one new about forty-fives years back and have fired it up exactly twice - when it first arrived. Just to give it a try. It is oddly finished for a VAR tool in hammertone gold.
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That will work if the cogs are a little bit too tight for the two-chainwhips approach, but it doesn't work if the cogs are really tight. I don't fool around anymore--I just go straight to the Suntour vise clamped in a big bench vise. It's never failed me.
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#20
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I was thinking of bolting it onto a piece of 2x6 and then placing in the jaws of my vise so it does not need to be out all the time.
I've tried two chain whips before and am jealous of you all that that was all the leverage one needed.
I've tried two chain whips before and am jealous of you all that that was all the leverage one needed.
#21
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Now the supply has grown thinner at the co-op, and they're selling for prices in the ridiculous range on e-bay. So it seems less crazy to me to have a box of old Suntour and Shimano freewheels to strip for usable cogs and to mix and match them to repair my old ones where one cog has gone bad. Fortunately I have one of those BSR tools, which works well as long as you also have a MAPP gas torch to apply some heat and a can of CRC Freeze Off. The majority of those I have worked on did not come apart easily.
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Good post there 3 alarm. I am fortunate enough to have a lifetime supply of replacement cogs and bodies for what is arguably the best freewheel ever made (Dura Ace MF-7400) and the tools to disassemble and replace cogs. These units are very long lived. HOWEVER - I've done an A/B comparison of the DA freewheel and current issue chinese made Shimano freewheel - the kind you can find on ebay for under 20 bucks - and I gotta say that they are almost indistinguishable from a shifting / performance standpoint.
But I do take your point - that good quality freewheels in desireable ratios are bringing silly money on ebay.
Hopefully we won't need to resort to cryogenics or plasma cutters to keep our old freewheels on the road.
Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA
But I do take your point - that good quality freewheels in desireable ratios are bringing silly money on ebay.
Hopefully we won't need to resort to cryogenics or plasma cutters to keep our old freewheels on the road.
Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA
Last edited by mpetry912; 10-17-19 at 10:08 AM.
#23
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All that said, working regularly as a bike mechanic did tend to give you forearms like Popeye.
#24
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that's an interesting tool and if you take freewheels apart may be handy to have. The main reason you'd want to do that is to replace cogs, so you'll then need to accumulate an inventory of cogs.
the modern Chinese made Shimano freewheels work pretty well, they are riveted together so this tool really is not needed.
the modern Chinese made Shimano freewheels work pretty well, they are riveted together so this tool really is not needed.
Those pesky rivets in modern freehub cassettes are what Dremel tools are for. About a year ago I merged cogs from two of these "spiders" (one riveted, the other screwed) to make new 8-speed setup for my mountain bike.
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...for a long time I thought it was crazy to do all the work of changing out cogs on freewheels. That was when they cost ten bucks, and there were plenty of 5 and 6 speed close ratio freewheels available for purchase new. then there was a period when I could still find the smaller 5 speed ones with a 24 tooth largest cog in the used parts stream over at the co-op. So it still seemed like more work than I was willing to do.
Now the supply has grown thinner at the co-op, and they're selling for prices in the ridiculous range on e-bay. So it seems less crazy to me to have a box of old Suntour and Shimano freewheels to strip for usable cogs and to mix and match them to repair my old ones where one cog has gone bad. Fortunately I have one of those BSR tools, which works well as long as you also have a MAPP gas torch to apply some heat and a can of CRC Freeze Off. The majority of those I have worked on did not come apart easily.
Now the supply has grown thinner at the co-op, and they're selling for prices in the ridiculous range on e-bay. So it seems less crazy to me to have a box of old Suntour and Shimano freewheels to strip for usable cogs and to mix and match them to repair my old ones where one cog has gone bad. Fortunately I have one of those BSR tools, which works well as long as you also have a MAPP gas torch to apply some heat and a can of CRC Freeze Off. The majority of those I have worked on did not come apart easily.