# White Industries freewheel removal help



## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

Changing my gearing for cross season. Have a White Industries freewheel on an ENO Eccentric hub, and have the WI removal tool. Online instructions are a bit unclear- it says to remove and/or loosen the lockring (the colored part) before taking the freewheel off the wheel. This requires a pin spanner, which I don’t currently have. My question is, is this a necessary step, or can I take off the FW without loosening the lockring? I gave it a shot, with no luck, but I don’t know if it’s because the damn thing is spun on so tight, or if indeed the colored part needs to come off (or loose?) first?

Any advice? I would take it to the LBS if this was just a onetime switch, but I want to know how to do this so I can adjust gearing accordingly for cross and commuting.

Thanks


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## MADMAXB (Mar 1, 2010)

U have to take the lock ring off in order for the freewheel to be removed. :thumbsup:


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

MADMAXB said:


> U have to take the lock ring off in order for the freewheel to be removed. :thumbsup:




lockring w/ a freewheel???


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## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

Thanks Max.

And Fred, White Ind calls it a lockring in their instructions- they say to remove it in one part of the instructions and another part of the document says to only loosen it. Hence my confusion.

http://whiteind.com/techcorner/freewheelinstructions.html

I will spend the 6 bucks on a pin spanner and try to do it the right way.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

What are you trying to accomplish? Simply removing the freewheel or disassembling it?
I remove my WI freewheel using a Park freewheel tool.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

roadfix said:


> What are you trying to accomplish? Simply removing the freewheel or disassembling it?
> I remove my WI freewheel using a Park freewheel tool.




can't use those on the eno ecc hub, need a special tool
http://whiteind.com/tools.html


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

The instructions you posted are for disassembly, not for removing your freewheel. 

I have the exact hub and freewheel and freewheel remover. All you do is put on your freewheel remover, install the bolt back on to hold the remover in place (not to tight you need some room for the freewheel to screw off). Take a big wrench and turn counter-clockwise to loosen the freewheel. You may need brute force to get it going because it may be very tight but it will eventually loosen. Take the bolt off the tool and using the tool unscrew the freewheel. 

When installing the new freewheel, make sure you use plenty of anti-seize or grease for easier removal next season.


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## MADMAXB (Mar 1, 2010)

:thumbsup: From White Indust. website = Do not remove the lock ring completely, just loosen it ½ a turn. Now, remove the freewheel from your wheel using your freewheel removal tool (Fig.2). You can thread the ENO axle bolt through the freewheel removal tool and into the axle to hold the tool against the notches in the freewheel. Do not tighten the bolt down, just enough to keep the tool from slipping off the freewheel as you apply torque. As soon as the freewheel loosens a bit, remove the axle bolt, and finish unscrewing the freewheel.

If u cant break it loose with a wrench put the freewheel tool on the wheel with the wheel nut and then put the tool in a bench vise with the wheel on top/ then u can use the wheel for more leverage that is usually the easiest way to break a freewheel loose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp1u5YKMRFQ


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

Yes do everything in that paragraph except step 1 as you are not taking apart your freewheel but removing it. Don't touch the inner lockring with a pin spanner and every thing should be fine.


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## phoeve (Jul 27, 2009)

Yes, only loosen the lockring if you are disassembling the freewheel. The reason is it's easier to unscrew the lockring while the freewheel is still attached to a large lever (the wheel). It's very difficult to remove the lockring when the freewheel is not mounted.

So, if you just want to remove the freewheel from the hub, just use your WI tool are described above and stay away from the lockring


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## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

I got it now, no problem. Before I used anything more than an average amount of muscle, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t forcing anything. 

Used plenty of grease when I re-installed it.

Thanks all.


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