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Just wandered if anyone knows how to work on the rear brake hub on my 1940 autocycle, does the freewheel thread off of the hub ? , is there any important tips to be aware of, thanks so much
What are you trying to accomplish? Normal axle/cone/race/bearing and drum/shoe service steps apply.
The freewheel assembly itself is a real pain to disassemble and reassemble - tons of tiny little ball bearings to deal with. The last one I serviced I simply flushed it out over and over with WD40 until it ran smooth and grit free. After flushing the WD out with a bit of isopropyl or brake cleaner I then work a bit of new grease in there through the small gap in the dust cover and then loosen it up with a touch of oil if the grease makes it run a bit sticky. If the freewheel works but is just dirty inside I strongly suggest trying this method before actually tearing into it.
I don't think he was thinking about trying to rebuild the freewheel, just remove & replace it. But NO don't take the freewheel apart unless you LOVE pain. As others have said, flushing it out and re lubing it as a last resort is fine.
When i returned home late last night & removed the axle ( my first prewar schwinn ) , and i see what you meen about all the very small ball bearings in the freewheel, not going there LOL , long story short with flushing with PB blaster it seems to be ok & spinning great now , happy 4 th guys & thanks so much for your help !!!!
P.S. will be posting some pictures soon it's a 40 auto cycle deluxe
I took a freewheel apart a few years ago. I chased those little bearings for a long time. The hardest part was getting the spring loaded arms inside the unit. 4 hours of cursing and then it slipped together. I don't think I would take another one apart but found the trick to getting it back together. Can't explain how to do it. The bike rides great now.
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