Heres another example of the thread shifting -from lightweight to "ordinary". I'll say for starters on the lightweight thread that the Zeus had at 4 splined cogs of the same size and a splined remover
But along the Shimano line, I think of how refined the first Dura Ace freewheels were circa 1975 but they had a prong remover and darn thin prongs at that. And were they expensive! $40 or $50. The early splined removers limited the regular Shimanos to 14T minimum (no problem in my book but a big deal in the market) and often required removing the drive side locknut (PITA). So when did those come out? I guess the first really good Shimano freewheels and removal tools were the Shimano 600 and that they came out after 1980? Tell us more Sheldon?
Joe B-Z
GNNJ
> Eric Elman asked:
>
> >What was considered the best lightweight freewheel of the late 1970's?
Any
> >why?
>
> Best was Shimano, closely followed by Sun Tour. Due to superior
> design of the sprocket teeth, these shifted noticeably better than
> the European units.
>
> They also were a generally superior design, with more reliable
> extractor interfaces, and with the larger sprockets being splined for
> easier removal.
>
> Superior freewheel design was one of the big reasons the Japanese ate
> the Europeans' lunches in the late '70-s.
>
> Sheldon "Splines Are Good" Brown
> Newtonville, Massachusetts
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