Single Speed Freewheel Overhaul - Disassembly/Assembly 

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Hello sir. Hope you are doing good. My dad bought me a bicycle when I was 12 and I loved it. I had a great time riding it. As time passed, my interest grew in different automobiles and eventually my bicycle grew old and at one point it became trash. I am 36 now and one day I found my bike collecting dust and in really bad shape. the Good time I had with my bike just flashed in front of me. thought of restoring it. I was not able to find a good mechanic around. when searched on youtube, I found your videos which helped me to restore my bicycle to the best condition. Sir, I want to thank you wholeheartedly for helping me restore my bicycle and showing me a healthy way of life. God bless you.

Hi @RKTheBikeGuy, I've looked through dozens of videos on this process and yours is by far the most informative and so well put together. I know this was posted 8 years ago and I'm not sure you will even see this but just in case you do, I wanted to thank you. This video saved the bike restoration project with my daughter!

Thank you, I tightened my sons friends bike chain and the freewheel seized, this video saved my ass

Best explanation for the job I’ve seen all day!! I’m gonna go try it now

Your instruction is clear, concise and without the rambling talk which some other videos have. You are top notch. Thank you for sharing.

Great information. I have a vintage Suntour freewheel/hub that has the inner ring on the opposite side! I had no choice but to get the whole freewheel off first. Thanks for the well made videos.

This worked perfectly for me and now I have a spare 18t SS freewheel lying in my toolbox. Thanks RJ the Bike Guy!

Thanks RJ. I'm a huge singlespeed and fixie guy. Appreciate this video. One of my favorites. I will use this one at some time.

Thank you. I’m fixing up and old bmx for my son and this saved me a ton of head scratching! Awesome!

I dont really have a question. because you explain everything very well, but i would like to say that your videos are very informative, it is always easier for me to fix bicycles if i know what the parts look like on the inside and what to look out for. your videos does exactly that, every time i watch your videos im like "Thats looks like something i can do". Thanks for all the help :)

Good to know! I had to replace the freewheel on a trike when bike shops were either too busy or didn't want to do it. I needed to remove the adapter to reuse it because the freewheel was totally shot. It was a friend's trike, and I believe it had seen a lot of rain. I had to cut through the cog with an angle grinder and then torch the center part so I could unscrew it from the threaded adapter. I tried to punch the outer ring loose, but didn't know it was a left hand thread, not that it mattered in this case because it was trash. When I finally cut it open, out fell dozens of tiny, rusted ball bearings. I appreciate learning from your video.

Love your videos.... Glad to see "India" on the part! Hopefully one day I see highend bike parts coming out of my country! Btw I'm a huge diy guy too. As I love servicing parts! Also the lack of a lot of rare stuff encourages me to do whatever best I can do salvage things. Been thinking of posting videos too! Your videos are very encouraging!

7 year old but still great info. Its definitely a big challenge for a at home fixer my big issue is spokes but now i have freewheel knowledge. Thanks rj.

Thanks for sharing your video, I'm a automotive mechanic and I've always kicked around with bikes but not in depth of course until my grandson asks me to fix his freewheel.... hhmmm...really?? Lol.. Watched your video and wow.... Your amazing... Bet I can do it now...Thanks for your time in making my grandsons ride time much more enjoyable.

Rebuilding a Huffy Cranbrook for a friend, next a Schwinn Hollywood already sold. Video comes just in time. thanks once again T.J for a great lesson.

Surprising how small these pulls are, there's a lot of tension on those tiny parts!

Thanks for your useful video. I'm surprised that you don't put grease when installing the new ball bearings but only oil.

"now, I'm going to use a pair of tweezers..." You sir, are a patient man. This is about the time I just order a new one. #iknowmylimits

Excellent video. Detail and every detail is important. Thank you.

Thanks for showing the mechanism and interconnecting pieces. Very helpful

Thanks thanks thanks, for all the knowledge you share with the community! Greetings from Uruguay ;-)

i had a big problems with biking because of the dirt in the freewheel, and you helped me solving it. thank you so much ! keep it up btw

Exactly what I was looking for. Great video as always!

I am 14 and like to work on bikes and this really helped... thanks

I really enjoy this mans videos. They are really informitave and makes things easy to understand. BikemanforU is more being silly and trying to sell sell sell

Yep, seeing how that works with only 2 pawls and all that slack before engaging is making the White Industries freewheel look like money well spent. Sealed bearings is the way to go for sure. I would buy the Profile freewheel if I could buy a replacement cog at some point. Not willing to spend that much money unless Profile sold every part needed to rebuild it. 1991 Redline with 185mm single pinch flight cranks and GT Mohawk Hubs. Tired of sketchy freewheel noise. Thanks for the video. Very informative. 👍

Excellent video and I’ve done this many times now based on these instructions.

cam to figure out if i could remove the paws and use one of Theas as a Idler pully on a recumbent trike build and looks like it will work

Brilliant Video, Clear and concise and very helpful. Thank you

Thank you so much for this tutorial, I needed to replace a spokes and didn't have all the proper tools, ended up disassembling *nearly* the entire freewheel -- still no spokes 😅 -- at least now I know I didn't ruin my bike!

I have Shimano, Sturmey Archer and a couple other brand single speed freewheels and they all came new with zero grease inside. I added a little grease to the races into some just because the sound of the dry balls rolling inside was annoying. One thing I think you didn't mention (or I missed it) is that it is important to keep the grease away from the ratchets because it may cause them to get stuck pressed in at cold temperatures.

Thanks, this was helpful in understanding how a bicycle rear sprocket works and gave me a little more vocabulary. "Single speed free wheel"

RJ the G.O.A.T. Thank you so much. You have helped me tremendously, great video.

Thank you some that just gets to the fucken point and actually shows you how to do it this did my due em head in for like 2 weeks mine is covered in grees so I didn’t even see the dimple

Excellent video. Thank you.

Very use full bro. Thanks for the video....

Awesome video, just what I needed. Thank you!!

One question why did you use oil and not grease?any bearings I’ve ever done on any mechanical item I was taught too use grease.I’m not saying you are wrong ,just curious

Rj what is the size of ball bearing in that single speed

Im from Indonesian..nice tutorial how to repair singel freewheel bicycle..i have workshop bicycle too...good job..

I believe it is Zen I feel while watching this dude work.

i will try this. thanks for the help

There really should be a weather seal on that bearing cover, when it's all put together the gap is wide enough you can easily see the ball bearings.

Thanks, I'm going to use your instruction video to overhaul my bmx freewheel (which runs free both ways occasionally)

How do you get the "ring" off a vintage 1978 era Suntour freewheel? The ring is on the opposite side of the cog, necessitating removal of the cog from the hub just to gain access to it. Tapping it clockwise hasn't loosened it at all.

Great video! Just fixed my freewheel today. Thanks!

its very educational video!now i;m very confidence to fix my BMX , THNK mr.RJ.

Would an overhaul like this fix my issue of pedalling and my bike not moving?

Perhaps a silly question RJ: Could a single speed cog fit on a multi-speed freewheel body? I ask because i had rednecked a thing using a spare freewheel where it only had one cog on it and i'd fashioned spacers to keep it in proper line. Was considering if putting a proper single speed cog would be of any improvement since the teeth don't have narrow-wide profile and it isn't intended to shift.

Beautifully explained, so useful! I got subscribed also! Thanks for the good work and keep it up!

Hello, and thanks! But can you reverse the springs and pawls, or are the posts different sizes?

Hi there, what is the audible (or other) indication that a single speed freewheel is close to failing. I am hoping to understand any warning signs I need to be aware of so I don't experience failures on my commute, ideally would replace before that happens. thanks

A very thorough and detailed video! Thanks!

i just got a 60's olympia single speed bike.Now i know what to do.Cranks were hell to remove.

I'm glad I upgraded to a White Industries Freewheel, sealed bearing. I have a hard enough time with loose bearings with headsets and bottom brackets.

I think your help was awesome, I couldn't figure out where all thise barings came from

Buen trabajo aunque hablo español entende ese video pues tú manos me hablaron Gracias muchas👍👍👍👍👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍👍👍👍

Thanks for the tutorial, it was very helpful.

do you have any suggestions on how to make a single speed louder?

Have you re-spoked a bmx wheel? Can anyone link me to his video of doing that if he has done one? Thanks for this video

i realy enjoy this vedio because i learn something

Is the Suntour 80s BMX freewheel the same clockwise direction to open it also?

This is nice video, thanks!

can the cog be replaced by smaller or bigger diameter cogs? I want to change mine for a 22t size because I can't replace the whole thing because my freewheel has a centimeter separation

Hello! What type of tool is that you have where the axle is being held by? The blue tool underneath.

Thanks for this!

Hi RJ. Everyone in my bicycle project's shop references your videos because you do a great job all the time… Concerning this video: I stick a magnet onto a scribe or small screwdriver to hold and insert single bearings. I do that because too many times I have launched a bearing across the workbench by squeezing them with greasy tweezers (maybe I should just be more careful? :| ).

I love clear explanations! Thanx

And should this work with automotive ball bearing grease?

can i change turning direction freewheel, changing spring faces ?

Well done and thanks

Hey Rj can I use gear oil for motorcycles as an oil for the freewheel? That's the only thick oil that's available in local shops here.

I have a ebike that has a hub motor that has a single speed gear that is completely destroyed. Is the freewheel standard the same . I just need to know what part I need to order

this is the best video ever !! you helped us a lot, many thanks

help my freewheel cracks everytime spin it. not as normal crack but it behaves strangely like something is stuck in there. is it time to buy a new one? Thanks :)

Can we turn a single speed cogwheel to a fixed gear one??

Thank u sir..i have 2 wheels to rebuild

Another great video RJ. Top work.

Great videos. Very well done. I like the detail you go into.

Very good easy to follow

Very cool...thank you

If i wanted to just clean the free wheel. Can i just remove it and submerge it in degreaser for like an hour? Would that affect the grease inside where the bearings are?

Kiya bat re naatiya very good

did you have a vid on how to make a back sprocket chetch on because someone went too fast on my friends bike and hes pissed its like when you peddle forward its like going backward but when you go backwards it is the same

You have a pair of delicate hands. Just like a doctor need steady hands to perform surgery. Thank for the video and information.

Thanks, I didn't know this is so easily serviceable. How would I know when to rebuild it? Will the sprocket show some play?

Excellent! I ordered the fr-3 on accident as it looks really similar to the fr-6, buyer beware! Fr-6 is on its way to my house!

Super helpfull thank you so much!!

Hey RJ can the assembly lube be used on the ball bearings in place of the oil or is the oil recommended due to the grease being to thick ???

thanks.. now to find out if my pawls are gummbed up n stuck or broken..

why no grease in bearings and oil on pawls? just cleaned a freewheel and oiled everything with a wet chainoil but after installing i figured why dident i put a grease in the bearing

Ok heres a question why the oil inside of the freewheel why not the grease?

Great video!! Thks for share. Kind regards!!

Thank you

This really helped me out. Thanks!

Thank you so so so so much❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

hey! thank you very much , your video is great, I had a huge gap in my cube and did not know how to solve looked for videos of hills but only convinced me !! I just like ... and it was great !! Thank you so much #portugal

Señor lo amo, gracias

Are the steel balls 1/8 do you know?