Remember when a full shop tune-up was $35?

Had a guy bring in a 1992 Trek 930 last week that needed everything from new cables to a hub overhaul, and we spent three hours just getting the old freewheel off. The whole job reminded me of my first shop in Madison where we'd actually have time for those deep restorations. What's the most stubborn part you've had to deal with on an old mountain bike?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_grant7827d ago

Ever try heating that seized freewheel with a torch before the wrench?

wright.taylor21d ago

And heating is definitely the way to go with those old freewheels, but you gotta be careful not to melt the aluminum hub if it's a rear wheel with a cassette body underneath. I had a Trek 800 once where the freewheel had basically fused itself to the threads, and we ended up using a torch, a breaker bar, and a lot of cussing. The trick is to heat the lockring evenly (you know, not just one spot) and then hit it with some penetrating oil while it's still hot, let it cool down, then heat it again. That thermal cycling is what cracks the corrosion loose, especially on those older Shimano or SunTour units that have been sitting in a damp garage for 20 years.

bettywilson27d ago

My buddy had a bottom bracket so stuck we had to put the whole frame in a vise and use a four-foot pipe on the wrench. It sounded like a gunshot when it finally broke free.