If you look in your owner’s manual, you’ll find the steps on how to remove the rear wheels from your lawn tractor. What it doesn’t tell you is how to remove a stubborn rear wheel from your lawn tractor. The first time I had to take off one of my tractor’s rear wheels, I followed the manual’s instructions up to when it told me to pull the wheel from the axle. This was when the problems started.
So, if you’re having the same issue, let me share with you the steps I took to finally get the rear wheel off.
What You Can Try to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from a Lawn Tractor (The Short Explanation)
A wheel that is seized onto the drive shaft of your lawn mower can be removed by either striking the backside of the wheel with a mallet, a heat gun and mallet, or by using a harmonic puller. Finally, a combination of all three tools can be used for wheels that are extremely seized.
Why Your Lawn Tractor’s Rear Wheel May Have Become Stuck
The wheel on your lawn mower can get stuck on the axle for a combination of reasons. One cause can be that water has seeped between the axle and hub and created some corrosion. Another can be that dirt has worked its way into the gap, tightening the fit of the wheel.
A third problem wheels can suffer is when the driveshaft turns slightly more than it should inside the hub, and the wheel key jams against the hub, tightening the fit between the hub and axle. Personally, I think it’s very rare for a lawn tractor wheel to come straight off on the first try. So, you’re not alone.
How to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from Your Lawn Tractor (3 Methods)
The first thing you want to do before trying to remove the rear wheel on your lawn tractor is to get the lawn mower ready. So, let’s take a look at these steps first.
Chock the Front Wheels of the Lawn Mower
The first thing you’ll need to do is chock the front wheels of your lawn mower. This is because the front wheels don’t have a parking brake, and they could move when you try to remove the wheel. I usually grab a couple of bricks I have stored in my garage to do this.
Jack Up the Rear of the Lawn Mower
Next, use a car jack to raise the rear of your lawn mower, so the rear wheels are a few inches off the ground. There’s no need to raise the lawn mower too high, just enough to get the wheels off the lawn mower’s axle.
Remove the Wheel Axle Dust Cap
The next thing to do is remove the dust cap from the inside of the wheel that protects the axle. A pair of pliers will work just fine for this. So, pinch the rubber cap and give it a pull.
Remove the Clip Washer
Now, grab a flat screwdriver, pop off the clip washer, and set it to one side. You’ll reinstall it later once you are reinstalling the wheel.
Spray Both Sides of the Axle with Penetrating Spray
The final step is to give both sides of the axle, the outside and the inside of the wheel hub, a good spray with penetrating spray. Ideally, you want to give plenty of time for the spray to work between the axle and the wheel hub.
So, try to give the axle a couple of applications over a period of at least 24h or longer if possible. If you only wait an hour or so, the spray won’t have enough time to work. So, the longer, the better.
Tools & Materials to Prepare the Wheel for Removal
- Chocks
- Jack
- Pliers
- Flat-Headed Screwdriver
How to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from Lawn Tractor – Method 1
The first method I want to share with you is the one I would try first. All you need is a dead blow mallet and a screwdriver. To start, release the drive from your lawn mower so that the wheels can turn. Then, hit the inside of the tire with your mallet.
Next, turn the wheel a few inches and give the wheel another hit. Continue this process until you have been around the wheel a few times. Normally, this is enough to free the wheel from your lawn mower if it’s not too stuck. If it is still being stubborn, then you can take a big heavy-duty flat-headed screwdriver and place it on the inside of the rim close to the axle and strike the screwdriver with your dead blow mallet.
This time between each blow, turn the wheel 90 degrees and continue to strike the end of the screwdriver. This method is likely to get the most stubborn wheels off most lawn mowers.
Tools to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from Your Lawn Tractor
- Dead Blow Mallet
- Large Heavy Duty Flat Headed Screwdriver
How to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from Lawn Tractor – Method 2
Now, method one is pretty good, but it’s probably not going to work if your wheel has a bunch of corrosion between the wheel hub and the axle. For this, you’re going to need a stronger method. This is where a harmonic balancer puller comes in handy. This is a tool that can both pull and push at the same with a huge amount of force. Let’s take a look at the steps.
Locate the Holes in the Rear Wheel
Most lawn tractors and zero-turn lawn mowers have some kind of holes in the rear wheels other than the axle hole. You’ll need to use these holes to connect the harmonic balancer puller. If you don’t have any holes, then you need to make some. I’ve noticed that John Deere is one of the manufacturers that don’t have any holes.
Drill Two Holes
So, take a drill with a metal drill bit and drill two holes that are about 2-3 inches away from the axle. Make sure that the holes are dead opposite each other on either side of the axle so that the puller pulls evenly on the rim. Also, make sure the two holes are big enough to fit the puller’s pulling bolts.
Connect the Bolts Through the Wheel into the Harmonic Balancer Puller
Next, feed two bolts through the lawn mower’s stubborn rim and connect them to the harmonic balancer puller. Then, place the center adjuster bolt against the lawn mower’s axle. Finally, tighten the puller until the adjuster bolt is tight.
Tighten the Harmonic Balancer Puller
Now, use either a wrench or a socket wrench to tighten the puller so that the adjuster bolt continues to push on the axle and pull on the rim. If you continue to tighten the harmonic puller, the wheel should finally come off the lawn mower.
Tools to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from Your Lawn Tractor
- Harmonic Balancer Puller
- Drill
- Metal Drill Bit
- Wrench or Socket Wrench
How to Remove a Stubborn Rear Wheel from Lawn Tractor – Method 3
Well, if you are reading this far, you must have an extremely stuck wheel on your lawn mower. So, try to give methods one and two a go together. Striking the wheel from the rear along with the harmonic puller, together, could be enough to get your wheel off. But, if this fails, then there is one more method you can try. Let’s take a look.
Heat the Rim from the Outside
For this method, heat the point where the axle and the wheel hub meet. You can use a high-intensity heat torch, like a Berzomatic from Home Depot, or you could rent an oxygen and settling torch in your local area. The oxygen and settling torch is just going to get much hotter. So, heat the outside of the rim until it glows red.
Heat the Rim from the Inside
Next, move to the inside of the rim, and heat at the point where the axle meets the rim. Just be very careful where you aim the torch, so you don’t cause any damage to your lawn mower. Also, don’t allow the actual axle to get too hot close to the drive on the lawn mower, as it could damage the rubber seal.
Follow Method 2
Finally, install your harmonic balancer puller and repeat the steps from method 2. This is the method that they use at my local lawn mower shop. So, if it works for them, it should work for you. But if the sound of heat torches and oxygen and settling torches seems too much, then you could take your lawn mower straight to the mower shop and have them take care of it.
How to Prevent Your Lawn Tractor’s Wheels from Getting Stuck Again
When you finally get your wheel off your lawn mower, there’s one trick you can use to make it easier to remove next time. So, before you reinstall the wheel, use an anti-seizing compound or lubricant. This is a substance that prevents corrosion and seizing, so hopefully, you won’t have to deal with a wheel on a lawn tractor getting stuck again.
A second tip is to keep an eye on the axle key on your lawn mower. If you notice that it is corroded or not in its original condition, you’ll want to swap it out. A corroded and deformed axle key can be enough to give you a problem when trying to remove the rear wheels from your lawn mower.
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