# Help!!



## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

I got my tires the other day (both front and rear) and decided that today was the day I was going to pull the old ones off (wheels and old rubber) so that I could take them to the dealer and get the new rubber mounted. 

The right wheel slid right off. There was a good coating of anti-sieze on the axle, thus no problems. The left wheel on the other hand refuses to come off. 

This is on a John Deere 175 Hydro. A snap ring and washer hold it in place and there is a key about an inch long for transfer of rotational force. 

Any ideas on how to get this thing off? How the heck do dealers get stuck wheels off? Any suggestions would be helpful. My shop is well stocked with tools, so fire away. Thanks.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

I would get a can of Kroil or PB Blaster tilt that side up and spray it on the axle and let it sit over night and it should come off. Kroil is the best they make but if you cant find it PB Blaster should work.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

OH forgive me  Welcome to tractorforum:friends:


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

Thanks. I've got it soaking in WD40 right now. It's all I had. I spent about 2 hours trying to get it off with a "no bounce" mallet. No luck, just more frustration. :argh:


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

WD 40 i dont think will do it Kroil will creep in to the smallest of spots that WD40 wont. PB Blaster is just about as good.


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

Can I get Kroil at an auto parts store? I know it's better than WD40.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

I don't know if a auto parts carrys kroil a tractor shop should. But a auto parts does carry PB Blaster. Here is a link to Kroil it will tell you about it. But i have put Kroil on my tiller tine over night and they slid off the next day and they were stuck good.

Kroil


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## CatDaddy (May 30, 2004)

You can always use a brass drift (brass won't damage the axle shaft) & a 3lb maul. Set the tractor on the ground with it's weight on the tire (AND the snap ring off - LOL!)... Then center the drift on the axle & WAIL AWAY! Actually, a couple of good solid blows will break the bond created by the corrosion.

Good luck!
Angel


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

#[email protected]$: I got some PB Blaster and beat on this wheel for several hours. I tried heat and just about everything else I know how to do. I have tried everything I know to do. I am about to take a grinder and cut this thing off! 

Any ideas? Thanks.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

> _Originally posted by chezrad _
> *#[email protected]$: I got some PB Blaster and beat on this wheel for several hours. I tried heat and just about everything else I know how to do. I have tried everything I know to do. I am about to take a grinder and cut this thing off!
> 
> Any ideas? Thanks. *


Sounds like that bad boy is really stuck on there. Have you considered trying either a slide hammer puller or a triple armed threaded shaft type puller. If you have such a tool (most folks don't) you may be able rent one at a tool rental place. Usually the wheels have some type of holes in them for wheel weights or other reasons and you will have to figure a way to connect the puller arms to the wheel or back side of the wheel rim. Then very gently and steadily tighten down on the threaded shaft. Once you get a much pressure as you dare without bending or damaging anything, if she still won't budge; sometimes whacking it with a dead blow hammer will break it loose. You can try the same type of pulling with a slide hammer but instead of the threaded shaft to pull; you have a 5 lb. weight you slide back at you against a steel shaft to pull the wheel off. Worst case you will have to do what one of my customers had to do with his LT. He had to remove the entire rear axle with wheels and all, and take it to a machine shop to put on a hydraulic press to push the wheel on the axle shaft. You are just going to have to experiment and see what you can make work for you. Good luck and let us know how you are progressing.


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

#[email protected]$: I got some PB Blaster and beat on this wheel for several hours. I tried heat and just about everything else I know how to do. I have tried everything I know to do. I am about to take a grinder and cut this thing off! 

Any ideas? Thanks.


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## memmurphy (Sep 18, 2003)

I found both rims frozen on the axle of my trailer. I ended up just changing the tires and tubes with the rims still on the trailer. It can be done, but it sure was not fun!  

Mark


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Let the PB Blaster set over night and try tomorrow. Give the penetrating oil time to work. Spray it tonight and then again in the morning. Tilt the tractor so that the penetrating oil can sock down.


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## Rodster (Sep 26, 2003)

I would do what Chief said with the puller attached to the wheel
and the screw pushing the axle. Beating on the axle or beating on the wheel is not good. I would rather destroy the wheel than
risk damaging the axle or internal parts of the trans.
I don't bother with WD 40 anymore. Use Kroil or PB. 
Rodster


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

So, I got home early ared with the materials to make a puller. 1/2" rod, and a chunk of 1/2" plate. I drilled holes in the rim as close to the axle as I could. (Remember, the rim is shot at this point anyhow!) Tighten everything up and proceed to bend the center rod. Okay, throw that idea in the "would have worked if this thing wasn't real stuck" pile and break out the side grinder. I'll let you know how it comes out!


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

For those of you following the saga of my stuborn rear tire;

Finally! :spinsmile 

First task is to cut off the old tire. Luckily I have a reinforced cutoff wheel in the Dremel to take care of the bead wire.

Next, I slice off the outside portion of the rim. This gives me more access to the other parts I need to cut. Then I proceded to slice down to the keyway. I then imagined a pizza slice and cut at an angle across the remaining rim toward the keyway. I then did this from the other side. This took about half of the rim off and allowed me to cut the sleeve of the rim along the keyway. (This was so I would not damage the axle.)

<img src=http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v234/chezrad/Lawn%20Mower%20Stuff/HPIM0314.jpg>

Once I cut through the keyway, I sprayed it liberally with PB and let it sit for awhile. Then I took a cold chisel and opened up the slot I had cut. I then applied more PB. I did this several times. Then I hammered it off! Even with all that I still had to pound it off. Axle came out just fine. 

<img src=http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v234/chezrad/Lawn%20Mower%20Stuff/HPIM0316.jpg>

I can only hope that none of you ever have to go through this kind of frustration to get a wheel off it's axle! As for me, I'm going to go celebrate with a beer or twelve! (LOL, no wait a minute I'm serious!) :beer: Cheers!


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## waynl (Jun 2, 2004)

Good job. glad you saved the shaft. I know how you feel having been there a few times myself. Amazing how much holding power rust has.

I think I'll have a cold one with you!!! :thumbsup: :cheers:


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## Rodster (Sep 26, 2003)

Good news
You deserve a few beers now. 
Rodster:elephant:


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Man that was a job i bet your glad thats over. Make sure you use never seize before you put the wheels back on so you wont have that happen again. Thats one reason I'm glad mine has lugs nuts holding the wheels on.


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## chezrad (Jun 10, 2004)

"This looks like a lesson for everyone. When you first get a tractor, pull the wheels and coat the axles, cotter-pins, woodruff keys, snap rings, etc. with Never Seize or at least a general purpose (white) grease." 

As a mechanic and troubleshooter I would like to second the above advice. The little bit of time and effort that you take now will pay great dividends in the future. Put another way, if this tractor had been owned by me when new the time requirement to pull the wheels (steering included) would have been about 1 to 2 hours. That is getting things up in the air, pulling the wheels, applying Never-Sieze, reinstalling the wheels and dropping the unit. (Breaks and beer during this event as well.) I have spent a good solid four to five hours of sweating, cussing and fighting this thing. (with no breaks or beer!) 

It's a matter of pay me now, or pay me later. If you don't want to keep your machine long, put in the fix a flat and hammer on. But, if you want to keep your machine going for a while and plan on fixing, or having things fixed, take some time for preventative maintenance. Luckily, I did this myself. I can't imagine what a shop would have charged me to do this. 

Well, time for another celebration beer! Cheers.


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## Neil_nassau (Feb 23, 2004)

Man.........you had a good one there. :dazed:

The last time this happened to us in our shop,it was on a AYP product. We wound up removing the trannsaxle,chucking it in a fixture and using an air impact hammer and liberal amounts of pB Blaster. Took about 2 hours per side. Needless to say,we no longer attempt it........customer never understands why such high labor to "just change tire".

Also for the poster that said change tires on the tractor......most wide rims are one way tapered to the INSIDE....making changing on the tractor impossible. DOH ! :homereat: 

Manufacturer's who use this method to put wheels on axles ought to be shot. Any tractor owner will face changing tires sometime in the machines life.
NOTE: Even the lowest price Cub Cadet (LT1018) uses hubs with LUG NUTS to mount the wheels............this is exactly why. Deere saves money this way. Not bashing,just stating a fact.

DO YOU KNOW WHATS ON YOUR TRACTOR?


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## DEERE180 (Jun 20, 2006)

I agree with Jody on KROIL or SILIKROIL
it's worth its weight in gold. WD40, etc. is like water compared to this stuff. I used in on rusted break pistons and it loosened it up ..it now works like new.

www.kanolabs.com

I am just a user of kroil and have nothing to do with them, BUT their stuff works great!


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## DEERE180 (Jun 20, 2006)

*Kroil*

BTW: there used to be a time that you could find spray cans of kroil at Black & Decker stores. DK if you still can.


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