Originally Posted by
louky
I am removing it because it's extremely stiff and gummy when trying to freewheel. I was going to try to clean it with wd-40...
Well, you need it removed so you can service the hub properly.
But you don't need it necessarily removed to overhaul the freewheel. All you need is a hammer and punch. And if you don't have a bench vise handy, just use the wheel itself to help you remove the freewheel lock ring, which is reverse threaded. Now, sometimes you have to punch it several times to free that lock ring. Keep punching. Once the lock ring is removed, keep the top set of bearings separated from the lower set. Use only a little bit of grease in both races. Don't lose those really thin spacers that automatically adjust the freewheel. Clean, but don't lube pawls. It's really simple and a lot better way to service a freewheel than just using wd-40.