which freewheel remover do i buy?

[ice109]

on this page

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/cassette-and-freewheel-removal

there's a list of freewheel removers that park makes. how do i figure out which one of the 12 spline ones i should buy? they're all approximately 23mm and my freewheel is an off brand chinese one so it doesn't say shimano or falcon on it. going to a lbs and testing a couple out isn't an option because i live in africa where there's no such thing.

what's the difference anyway? are the FR-1, FR-5, and FR-7 interchangeable?

[Westinghouse]

A $20.00, Shimano, five-ring, free wheel will take you coast to coast with plenty of miles to spare.

[ice109]

A $20.00, Shimano, five-ring, free wheel will take you coast to coast with plenty of miles to spare.

1 first i have to get the original freewheel off so i still need a freewheel remover 2 what part of "i live in africa" don't you understand?

[BobG]

Ice,

The FR 5 is to remove a cassette lock ring, so don't order that one. The FR 7 is manufactured specifically for a Falcon freewheel. Unless yours says "Falcon" on it it's likely the wrong one. It's just slightly larger than the FR 1 according to the Park website. If you have to guess, I'd order the FR 1. It fits the most brands. It fits my IRD freewheel.

[BrianW]

Well, ice109, I first suggest you lose the sarcasm when you are asking help. It will go a long way to encouraging people to actually help you.

That being said, it's kind of hard to tell you what freewheel removal tool you need without seeing a good image of your freewheel, as my x-ray vision tends to fail across oceans. Remove the wheel, remove the QR skewer (or nut), and take (and post) a good close-up pic of the splines of your freewheel body. Also, how many cogs does it have? Are you sure it's a freewheel and not a cassette (just asking, as some do not know the difference).

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it probably uses the same splines as Shimano, i.e., the FR-1. Many off-brands do. Or, at least, it will be close enough to work at least once. Don't forget you'll likely need access to a securely mounted vice, or at least a wrench with a very long handle to break it free.

You could also use the "destructive method of removal" as detailed by Park at http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/freewheel-destructive-removal

[BobG]

I just read your other thread, Ice. Did you determine if you indeed have a freewheel? A Specialized Hard Rock would most likely have a cassette, not a freewheel. If so, the FR 5 would be a better choice to remove the lock ring. If it's an old cassette. just two chain whip tools are needed to unscrew the outer sprocket and the other cogs just lift off. As briwasson has suggested, a photo would help.

[ice109]

Well, ice109, I first suggest you lose the sarcasm when you are asking help. It will go a long way to encouraging people to actually help you.

the dude gave me a completely ridiculous response so what do you expect?

That being said, it's kind of hard to tell you what freewheel removal tool you need without seeing a good image of your freewheel, as my x-ray vision tends to fail across oceans. Remove the wheel, remove the QR skewer (or nut), and take (and post) a good close-up pic of the splines of your freewheel body. Also, how many cogs does it have? Are you sure it's a freewheel and not a cassette (just asking, as some do not know the difference).

bikepedia says i have a freewheel and this is a picture of the freewheel im 70% sure i have:

http://www.greatwall-flywheel.com/productsinfo.asp?id=36

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it probably uses the same splines as Shimano, i.e., the FR-1. Many off-brands do. Or, at least, it will be close enough to work at least once. Don't forget you'll likely need access to a securely mounted vice, or at least a wrench with a very long handle to break it free.

You could also use the "destructive method of removal" as detailed by Park at http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/freewheel-destructive-removal

[BobG]

Well, that is indeed a freewheel in your link. I have my FR 1 remover here at my desk.The cylindrical cross section is 21mm, exactly the diameter of a US nickel. The rectangular shaped splines extend no more than 1mm from that circle. The splines are about 2mm in width. If your freewheel matches that model the FR 1 should work. If in doubt, you could order the FR 7 as well. Better yet, if you're replacing the freewheel just trash it using the "destructive method" above and make sure the new freewheel is compatible with the FR 1.

[DaveB]

Since you are going to have to order the removal tool, it might be a worthwhile and a potential time saver to order both types.  These things are relatively cheap and shipping to Africa for two of them is going to be the same as for one.   Use the one that works and keep or give away the extra one.   I agree the FR-1 is the most likely one to work.