Mower front wheel "axle" will not come out

[muncybob311]

So I wanted to remove a front rubber wheel to untangle some string that got wrapped around the axle bolt head. Got the nut off and as hard as I banged on the bolt it did not budge. Won't unscrew either....wazzup?!

 

[ponytug]

Can you post a photo of the bolt head?

Thanks!

All the best, Peter

 

[muncybob311]

Here is the bolt and nut. Nut comes off easily enough.

 

[ponytug]

If it were me, I would back the nut off until it covered the bolt threads completely at the end and smack it with something heavy, but I guess that you have already done that. So you have a bolt putting up a fight.

My next step would be a penetrating oil, a little time for it to soak in, then some heat on the bolt, then more oil and an impact wrench if you have one. All you need is to break it free.

I occasionally use a solid chunk of metal against the area above/below the bolt to help add some inertia. It sometimes has helped me break obstreperous bolts free. Long piece of steel pipe, a spud, a second sledge hammer... (In your case, I might consider pulling the wheel off the deck to be able to better support the area around the bolt, such as a partially open vise, or a chunk of iron pipe, with one end on concrete.)

These days, I tend towards the "if it is liquid, it can't resist" end of the spectrum and I am willing to put more heat into non-alloy steel than I used to.

Good luck!

All the best,

Peter

 

[muncybob311]

I would try those except there is play in the bolt. I can pull it out about 1/2 an inch and it rotates. I'm going to try the other wheel tomorrow and if it's the same I'll be calling Tazewell for help. Well I guess I'll be calling regardless.

 

[Harry in Ky]

It sounds like there might be a spacer of some sort in the middle of the wheel between the bearings. The bolt is seized to that. A parts breakdown would be helpful at this point.

 

[LittleBill21]

use an impact, and spin the bolt while using a rubber hammer on the nut side.

 

[zzvyb6]

Since you have a loose bolt already, I would spread the tail wheel frame a bit and use a sawzall to cut the bolt out of the frame and proceed to push the remaining bolt section out of the wheel. The bearing sought now push out and the bolt middle section and the bearing spacer are free game. This way, you can soak it, heat it, or push it out with an arbor press or even a log splitter. Bolts are cheap and by the pound where I shop.

 

[MossRoad]

On my casters, I find that the fork is a tad wide and kinda springy. So when you take the nut off, the fork spreads and it grips the bolt.

You can check this by tightening up the nut back to where it was and measure the distance between the forks. Then back the nut off again and measure. Mine spread a good 1/2 inch.

A LARGE c-clamp was needed to pull the fork back to the tight position and the bolt slid out.

Anyhow, that's what worked on mine.

 

[muncybob311]

I must admit I didn't go ape with the rubber mallet. I watch the force I use on things I haven't worked on as I have learned my lesson about brute force when it wasn't needed. I just went easy also thinking a spacer or a retaining clip was involved since I couldn't see a lot between the grease and crap attached to it.

I took the other side off ez pz, so I got the big boy hammer out and with 2 good wacks it was removable. One thing I did learn is those bolts will need to be replaced some time down the road as they are wearing thin where they turn inside the bracket.

 

[ponytug]

@muncybob311 congratulations!

FWIW: purely personal opinion, once I see wear on a bolt in an axle, I usually replace bolts like that to try to keep damage to the spindle/wheel to a minimum, as bolts are much cheaper.

Those casters on my mower, at least the way I mow, seem to need grease every few hours, as there aren't really any seals to keep the grease in place. YMMV.

All the best,

Peter

 

[muncybob311]

Peter, +1 on the grease. They get a good dose every 5 hours of tractor use of which 75% of the time is mowing in spring/early summer. Also agree on bolt replacement, it's been bugging me and will likely get new ones this week.

 

[MossRoad]

Have fun putting them back in!