Originally Posted by
SDHawk
If I pop the freewheel etc back on and use the tool to remove the 4-promg thing, will the whole assembly come off so I can easily get to the bearings?
Of course.
If it were me and I wanted to keep that freewheel, I would correctly reassemble it first with a little bit of grease on both races that will hold the bearings in place for reassembly.
Next time you do this (freewheel overhaul), it's fine to remove the lock ring while the freewheel is still threaded to the hub. BUT, use the correct freewheel removal tool to loosen the freewheel from the hub first, breaking that super tight, concrete-like bond.
You can then use the wheel itself to help you loosen the freewheel lock ring. Once the lock ring is loose, go back to the removal tool and remove the entire freewheel assembly without spilling a single bearing. Put the now independent freewheel on a towel for complete disassembly, so all those little bearings don't scatter all over the place. Ya dig?
