Freewheel removal on a Himiway Cruiser

[liquidate]

I'd like to swap out a 14-28 freewheel with an 11-34. Unfortunately, Bolton's new freewheel removal tool is incompatible with the Himiway Cruiser. I sent an email to Himiway support and they provided the following video as a possible guide:

Are they using snap pliers? I don't care about salvaging the old freewheel, just need to get it off.

 

[indianajo]

Even when my park tool matched the spline on the freewheel (shimano 5 sprocket) I couldn't get the freewheel off. The spokes were not strong enough to resist the torque required to break the rust. I have an impact wrench, but it would just break or stretch the spokes. I tried grabbing the chain over the sprocket with a 24" chanl-lock plier. then I torqued with a 30" breaker bar. No luck.
If the wheel is brand new, and the shaft has never been splashed by water, it might come off with the right tool. the bike manufacturer has no incentive to put anti-sieze compound on the threads. More wrong bike parts = more bike sales.

 

[liquidate]

Fwiw, I ended up just disassembling the shimano freewheel in a "destructive" removal. My snap pliers weren't sturdy enough to remove the freewheel by itself. I added anti-sieze compound to the new 11-34 freewheel that I installed.