Freewheel Removal
By Brad Quartuccio
Single speed freewheels can be a royal pain to remove from a hub. Between the right hand threads that are constantly tightened with pedaling forces and a shallow removal tool interface, freewheels can be pretty stubborn when it comes to changing them. Leverage is key, as is getting that removal tool to stay in place.
Before getting started, remove the axle nut and inspect the freewheel removal interface. The vast majority of available freewheels have four notches for the removal tool to key into. If your freewheel has a damaged interface, two notches, or none at all you will likely have to resort to destroying the freewheel in order to remove it from the hub.