http://cgi.ebay.com/Bullseye-Hubs-Old-Scho...1QQcmdZViewItem

Not saying anything negative about this auction, just saw this and thought it would be worth mentioning.

The reason there are (as he says) two marks that look like channel lock marks, is because, as some poor soul who hits the seemingly low BIN is about to find out.. once a hub is cut out of a wheel without the freewheel being removed first, there is no good way to remove the freewheel.

This happened to me before I thought it through (good thing it was a cheap set of hubs) and it wouldn't be so bad if you could just use the same freewheel on your next wheelbuild, except it's impossible to lace the spokes through there with the freewheel in the way.

Buyer beware!

PS: I don't know if this is someone on this site, but if it is, don't you think you should probably inform people what they're up against here, instead of pretending not to know how those channel locks got on there? Please don't pass the "heartache" on to someone else to deal with. (just my opinion)

I saw that auction and wondered if the freewheel was removed first and just placed on there finger tight, but then I remembered to never overestimate an ebay seller... I betcha he can't get the freewheel off which is why he's selling them at that price.

This very samething happened to me BITD. I decided to EZ-OFF all the color on the rims and we did the front first, it looked great and my friend is in the garage cutting the spokes with a wire cutters because I was going to get chrome spokes.... I looked at him with my jaw dropped to the floor.... " do you know what you done"? My Phil Wood hub is junk..... I took it to the bike shop and the hub basically collapsed from pressure... I bet I could get one off now though... I have tools


Let me think for a moment

I had the problem before and i laced the other side up to a junk rim and tentioned the heck out of them was still wobly but got the freewheel off never the less. I saw those hubs and almost got them until i tought of the one time in my garage and how it led to the bike shop to buy spokes and ok enough rambling good luck and post pics of someone buys them

A suggestion for how one might remove the freewheel.

If you want to get that freewheel off without channel locks use a leather (or equal) strap wrench on the spoke flange perimeter. That location should tolerate a strap wrench without causing damage to the hub.

Never actually done it myself so proceed with caution.

I contacted the seller and told him about the problem you described.Maybe he will revise the auction?

use a rubber oil filter wrench to hold the hub. then remove freewheel. not easy but can be done

Some freewheels are hard enough with the fw/tool in a vice and the wheel laced properly.. some will make ya cuss and throw wrenches, so I'm thinking the strap wrench/oil wrench wont work, especially since he's already (apparently) tried channel locks and that didn't work.

I also believe it's possible by lacing the other side, and then forcing spokes through from the freewheel side, but not lacing the other 9 that start from the inside and go toward the freewheel, leave those off, and use junky spokes that you don't care about and you might be able to do it.

Like I said no good method of fw removal once it's cut out, but it can be done. Just want the person clicking buy it now, thinking they are getting a righteous deal, to know they are headed for 3 to 4 hours of sweating, cussing and wrench throwing.

nice hubs. i found using a 4" angle grinder to "shave" the freewheel to just above the hubs thread will generally loosen the freewheel's bond to the hub enough to allow it to spin off by hand. 10 minutes work tops.

I get those off with ease. the trick is too be smarter than the dum-dum that cuts the spokes out. I fabricated a leather strap that coincides with the 1/2 inch breaker bar. If those puppys were red I would be all over the bin butten

Just another two cents worth. I've done the lace the other side thing and had great results. You may want to use a scrap wheel in case you bugger it up, put an axle nut on after installing the removal tool clamp in the vise and have two people on opposite sides throw their weight counter-clockwise.

sandwich the hub flanges between two blocks of wood in a vise. nothing to it.

ive gotten at least 4 or 5 freewheels off by using what i stated above.

One word fix: DREMEL. I suppose much like velocidad. I had a set of Bullseye which had an old freewheel that no shop could get off, mainly because it was an obscure brand.

BLAZERBMX , i was thinking through it and thats what came into my mind , using a softwood and sandwich those babys in a vise !!

I'm watching that auction. I've got some spooky tools in my shop...

So tell us Rick, did you get the freewheel off?

I have the very same problem. I'll try with some of the methods above on these



These are also the hubs I need replacement spindle gear.

Paul

Yea if you can get bearingings out first might be a good idea as I know once I cut a freewheel off a back wheel as the hub was ****ed and i wanted the spokes, which I'm using on a mates backwheel, but when cutting it the freewheel must've expanded slightly to, and i could undo it by handso i reasembled it and it works. Try taking the bearing out of the hub itself otherwise the heat might slighly distort them, also try and take the gears and stuff off first asweell and your more trying to heat them than cut them off i used an angle grider myself no dremel I own would fit between the spokes and freewheel, and they normaly heat things up a bit quicker, I think, imo atleast.

Lace the other side enough to get the free wheel off


Come on guys this isn't rocket science!!!!

[ June 01, 2006, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Florida Vaughn ]

quote:

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Lace the other side enough to get the free wheel off


Come on guys this isn't rocket science!!!!

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That works well with one piece hub designs but not so well with 3 piece designs like Bullseye, early Hutch, early Phil Woods, Sunshine sealed, etc. When lacing up the other side you can easily spin the spoke flanges on the hub body. The strength of the hub is lost one the flange is spun on the body.