Afternoon all, I've just picked up a used Charge Cooker single speed to replace one I regret selling a while ago. I need to fit a smaller freewheel, and have seen that Halo Clicksters come highly recommended but are only available in 3/32" pitch. My chainring and chain are 1/8" - from what I recall this should still work, however.
Have I got that wrong? Will the chain 'rattle' a bit at the rear or is the width difference negligible?
Thanks very much for any advice.
Will work fine - if your chainline isn't dead straight it will be a bit noisier, but nothing that will drive you too mental I expect.
I’d spend the extra and get white industry’s freewheel. I went through lots of shimano/halo etc but never destroyed a white Indy one !!
Just a small nitpicky point, sorry etc... A chain's pitch is the distance between the roller centres not the distance between the internal side plates. Sorry again etc...
white industry’s freewheel
Not convinced they're worth a premium. Fwiw I've worn out three of them. If you have some mechanism to take advantage of a good exchange rate they're worth it but otherwise just get something you can replace relatively cheaply and easily. I run regular freewheels now with surly cogs. They're just easier to deal with.
The WI looks nicer than the Halo but both work fine and both are many times better than the sloppy and knocking noise £10-20 freewheels.
Thanks chaps, I appreciate the replies.
However, it's not as straightforward as I hoped. I took the back wheel off and it appears that there is a freehub with a locking holding a single cog on, not the freewheel I'd expected. Has anyone seen this set up before?
That's a single speed hub that allows for a bit of chain line adjustment with the spacers. Just order a new single speed cog and slot it onto the splines.
The surly cogs are very nice.
Thanks very much @qwerty . Isn't that a bit of a nightmare when it comes to servicing? Normally if a freewheel dies it can be replaced - Does this need a new hub?
Bearings look easily replaceable.
These from Planet X are OK too:
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/SKOOSSGA/on-one-groove-armada-single-speed-sprocket
Isn’t that a bit of a nightmare when it comes to servicing? Normally if a freewheel dies it can be replaced – Does this need a new hub?
If the freehub dies then you would be in trouble but bearings can be easily changed and as you are currently after just a smaller cog then you can just buy something like a Halo fat foot in 17t, 16t or whatever you require which is 1/8 and has a wide base
Thanks very much chaps, it's appreciated - 16t Halo cog on order!
Over the bearing there's a plastic conical seal, then a washer, then a knurled 15mm nut. How tight should that be? I'm guessing it has no effect on preload?