72SuperSport

Hi, new to the forums. Looking to replace the freewheel on my all stock (except for the derailleur - swapped the GT 200 for a Shimano Crane with a long cage to match the original) 72 Schwinn Super Sport. Got a bit of a chain skip in 5th gear, which got worse after replacing the original Sedis chain - twice. Original freewheel appears to be a Shimano 32 - 14 tooth arrangement. Saw a Suntour on Ebay, NOS in the box, that almost looks like a bolt in except there's no 5th gear chain flange on it like the original freewheel. Same gear spread. Not sure if the threads on the original hub would match this freewheel...looking to see what others may have replaced theirs with, with good results.
Opinions?

Freewheel link...

New Old Stock Suntour Alpha 5 Speed Freewheel 14x32 with 21T 3rd Sprocket | eBay

eschlwc

i buy new sunrace freewheels off ebay in a shiny color that looks great on the bike. they have ramps too that shift flawlessly. they're inexpensive, which frees cash for new tape or whatever.

be advised to send the ebay seller of the sunrace 5-speed a message asking if the color of the shipped item matches the description; and be wary of seller:ichigear. if buying a 6- or 7-speed, you needn't worry so much about this -- it's merely a 5-speed issue.

i've tried a few ird 5-speeds, and been happy with them, especially their silence when coasting. but had i done it again, i would save the $30 on each one and purchased a sunrace.

all this assumes a 28t cog is the lowest needed. if you're touring the rockies, maybe you need a lower (32t) gear. i live in a very hilly town and get by just fine with the 28t. but if i did loaded touring, i would need a granny gear and/or a lower gear in the rear.

Metacortex

The threading on that SunTour freewheel does match the original hub on your bike. Because the rear dropout spacing is 125/126mm you should be able to use any 5 or 6-speed freewheel with that same threading, so you could upgrade to 6-speed if you wanted. Note that the outer chain guard (aka top protector) is not really necessary and won't be found on most other freewheels. Your Crane GS will also handle a wider range than the original, you could install a 14-34T unit instead of the original 14-32T.

vonfilm 

You can also use a Shimano 14-34 Megarange Hyper Glide freewheel. They are kind of funny looking but they are high quality and shift very well.

zukahn1 

I Would go with a 6 maybe 7speed Sunrace often recomened here at BF as a great low cost option on vintage bikes. Also if you want more gearing the Shimano Mega ranges are very nice. Booth will be superior to the original stock type freewhee for riding purposes. If your looking for vintage correct I can likely pic up a fairly nice Atom 5 or 6 speed at the local bike coop fairly cheap I just donated a couple to them and can likely get them back PM if interested.

dddd

For fiction shifting, I prefer Uniglide (first choice) and Suntour freewheels.

All of my Super Sports have 6-speed Uniglide freewheels now, as there was plenty of room on the stock hub.

I use 13-26t and 13-28t six-speed Uniglide six-speed freewheels because my Allvit derailers can only be modified up to six-speeds, and that requiring some extra work and fine-tuning.
I use nine-speed chains on all of my Super Sports and Varsities, works perfectly with the original steel chainrings and derailers, and shifts fantastically on my six-speed freewheels.

I like riding the Super Sports with the Twin-Stick shifters, even on competitive rides in the hills. Tough, but satisfying you could say, and great race-prep training.

zukahn1 

Well first choice on this bike for me would be a Sutnour Ultra NOS which will cost $40-100+ bucks and be hard to find. Or a nice true Uni for half that price. Almost any vintage I would go Ultriglide type with a 8/9 speed chain as mentioned. But this one is mine an on ebay
Shimano 5SPEED Uniglide Freewheel 14 28 Model MF Z015 | eBay

Jeff Wills

Does fiction shifting work if the wheel is true?

zukahn1 

It should I have got it to work on wheels with a wobble.

Metacortex

Fiction shifting only works if the wheel is false. <g>

It took a while for me to "get" that btw, then I cracked up!