Freewheels and Cassettes.

[neptune]

Although I have tinkered with bikes all my life, it was usually three speed bikes. At the moment, as mentioned elsewhere, I am fixing some more modern bikes for my grandsons. My question is about freewheels and cassettes, specifically, tools for their removal. I have bought a tool off ebay, described as a cassette removal tools. It has a nut at one end to grip in the vice, or turn with a spanner. The other end is tubular, with twelve external splines.

I would seem that it is designed to be used in conjunction with a chain whip to remove the locking ring from a cassette, allowing withdrawal of the cassette. My question is this. Can the same tool be used to remove a freewheel? I mean a multi sprocket freewheel as used in derailleur gears, not the freewheel used on a single speed bicycle. I know that the single speed freewheel uses a different tool.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Neptune,

You will probably find that the splines are not long enough on the cassette removal tool for freewheels.

We have long reach version available for £16.50 including delivery with in the UK.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The splines are different from cassette to free-wheel, so you can't use one for the other. Why couldn't they make them the same?

You don't need the chain-whip thing.

 

[neptune]

d8veh. No doubt they made them different because then they can sell you two tools instead of one. TBH I am still somewhat confused. The tool I have, the splines are approx 17 mm long, and the splined section has a diameter of about 22 mm. I find it is not always easy to differentiate between a freewheel and a cassette.

I am told that on a cassette type, the splined locking ring turns with the sprockets when the sprockets are turned anti clockwise with respect to the wheel. I do not have a wheel like that to hand.

I have a wheel I am working on, which I think has a freewheel. The splines are deeply recessed inside the sprockets. The aforementioned tool fits into these splines, even though it was described a cassette removal tool. I put moderate pressure on the nut with a spanner in an anticlockwise direction,but it wont move easily.

With the tool inserted, the sprockets can be turned anticlockwise causing the ratchet to click, and the tool does not move. All this suggests I am dealing with a freewheel. I expect that if I grip the nut end of the tool in the vice, and turn the wheel it will unscrew. I will try that tomorrow.

If, as i suspect, it is a freewheel, can I then assume that the tool is unsuitable for cassettes?

 

[Gringo]

If in doubt ask Sheldon Brown

http://sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html

 

[Deleted member 4366]

A free-wheel tool only turns the non-ratchet bit, so it shouldn't freewheel in any direction. It only turns the bit on the threaded boss, so one way (anti clockwise) it unscrews the freewheel. The other way, it scres it tighter until it won't go any further.

I said you don't need the chain whip tool, but that's only for a free-wheel. You do need it fot a cassette because the bit that you unscrew is on the ratcheted part of the freewheel mechanism; however, the spline is always on the outside, not deep inside, so I'm struggling to make sense of what you said.

Whatever you have, you unscrew anticlockwise. Both of them take a fair heave-ho to shift.

 

[neptune]

Thanks for that. It gives every impression of being a freewheel, because when I attempt to unscrew it, there is solid resistance- the sprockets do not turn, suggesting no chain whip is necessary. The splined portion is deep within the hub. The wheel is a scrap one, so i am only stripping it for learning purposes. I will get it in the vice tomorrow. It looks like next time I am faced with a cassette wheel, I will need to buy a new tool. The tool I just bought will be useful, because my regular pushbike is a freewheel.

 

[neptune]

On this occasion, Sheldon Brown is not a lot of help. For the uninitiated, it is hard to tell if you are looking at a cassette or a freewheel when it is installed on a bike. I have figured that bit out now. I have now removed the sprockets, which as I expected, turned out to be a freewheel.

The tool, [ebay £2.19 delivered] did the job, and it needed less force than I expected. The wheel in question was scrapped due to wheel bearing problems.After removing the freewheel, I removed the wheel axle. The inner race on the right hand side of the wheel had totally broken in two inside the hub. It would seem that on low cost mountain bikes, freewheels are more common than cassettes, unless the bikes I am playing with are quite old, which is possible.

The freewheel I have removed looks to be in quite good condition, and I am thinking of putting it on another bike that I have, that has freewheel problems, in that the ratchet sometimes fails to freewheel when you [try] to stop pedalling. Both freewheels have the same tooth count, but on the other bike, it needs a different removal tool. Seems to need the same tool that would fit a single speed freewheel. I am assuming that both hubs will have the same thread pitch and diameter. So back to ebay for another tool.

 

[Gubbins]

On this occasion, Sheldon Brown is not a lot of help. For the uninitiated, it is hard to tell if you are looking at a cassette or a freewheel when it is installed on a bike. I have figured that bit out now. I have now removed the sprockets, which as I expected, turned out to be a freewheel.

The tool, [ebay £2.19 delivered] did the job, and it needed less force than I expected. The wheel in question was scrapped due to wheel bearing problems.After removing the freewheel, I removed the wheel axle. The inner race on the right hand side of the wheel had totally broken in two inside the hub. It would seem that on low cost mountain bikes, freewheels are more common than cassettes, unless the bikes I am playing with are quite old, which is possible.

The freewheel I have removed looks to be in quite good condition, and I am thinking of putting it on another bike that I have, that has freewheel problems, in that the ratchet sometimes fails to freewheel when you [try] to stop pedalling. Both freewheels have the same tooth count, but on the other bike, it needs a different removal tool. Seems to need the same tool that would fit a single speed freewheel. I am assuming that both hubs will have the same thread pitch and diameter. So back to ebay for another tool.

God save eBay! How can anyone deliver a useful bike tool for such a low price and still make a profit?

 

[Alan Quay]

On this occasion, Sheldon Brown is not a lot of help. For the uninitiated, it is hard to tell if you are looking at a cassette or a freewheel when it is installed on a bike. I have figured that bit out now. I have now removed the sprockets, which as I expected, turned out to be a freewheel.

The tool, [ebay £2.19 delivered] did the job, and it needed less force than I expected. The wheel in question was scrapped due to wheel bearing problems.After removing the freewheel, I removed the wheel axle. The inner race on the right hand side of the wheel had totally broken in two inside the hub. It would seem that on low cost mountain bikes, freewheels are more common than cassettes, unless the bikes I am playing with are quite old, which is possible.

The freewheel I have removed looks to be in quite good condition, and I am thinking of putting it on another bike that I have, that has freewheel problems, in that the ratchet sometimes fails to freewheel when you [try] to stop pedalling. Both freewheels have the same tooth count, but on the other bike, it needs a different removal tool. Seems to need the same tool that would fit a single speed freewheel. I am assuming that both hubs will have the same thread pitch and diameter. So back to ebay for another tool.

Roughly speaking, number of sprockets will give you the answer:

7 or fewer: Freewheel
8: probably Cassette
9 or more: Cassette.



you have 8 sprockets, most likely to be cassette. If you have more than 8, almost certain to be cassette. 7 or less probably freewheel.

 

[neptune]

Thanks for that tip Mike. Very useful information.