Often, people who maintain their gardens are asking how to do you remove a seized wheel from the driveshaft? They struggle to find the actual cause behind the jamming of their wheels. Externally nothing may be visible, and you may think it is an electrical or mechanical issue.
Usually, the underlying cause is an object that entered the shaft while mowing your lawn unattentively. This is why you must be aware of how to detach a wheel, clear the insides and ensure that the wheel of your self propelled mower is attached with no missing parts. There are a dozen types of lawnmowers, some with keys for each tire and axle end, and some with a T-shaped key located behind the rear axle wheel.
Warnings –
There are many mishaps you must avoid under any circumstances. Make sure to follow these points when you get onto a wheel removal project.
- Ensure that the engine is turned off, this avoids any accidental sparks. Abiding by this piece of advice nullifies the chance of explosions and serious injuries.
- Clean the visible holes and ridges within your wheels. This removes any debris and branches that may cause physical harm to people standing around the lawnmower.
- Beware and do not exert excessive pressure when a part is stuck or jammed; this can easily lead to bone dislocation and other injuries.
Tools Needed To Remove A Struck Lawn Mower Wheel
You will need the following equipment to complete this task successfully –
- Slip joint pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Rubber mallet
- Automotive jack
- A couple of bricks
Necessary Steps to Follow
Follow the below flow of steps to understand how to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel. Step by step guide mentioned below –
- Ride your lawnmower onto a flat surface, ideally a garage. Once the lawnmower has cooled down, you must place some object under its two rear tires. This ensures the mower will not roll away while you work on your section of the wheel. Ideally, the brick should be a suitable object for the purpose.
- Find the center of the axle behind the lawnmower. Mark the spot and position an automotive jack right under the center on the axle. This gives you the ability to adjust the distance of the base of the tire from the ground. You get to choose how much vacant place is available below to tire, for you to work comfortably and move your parts efficiently.
- The next step involves removing the axle cover, so you get to the insides of the wheel and figure the core reason as to why is your wheel stuck. Lift the pair of slip joint pliers and snap the axle cover out of the wheel structure. Keep giving the plier sight jerks in the direction of front to back or left to right; this helps loosen the axle in a more aware manner as you are jerking it out.
- By now, you should have got a visual of the first layer of a ring known as the retaining ring. This ring is present on the axle and must be pulled out with the help of a needle nose plier. This step exposes you to the key that is needed to eradicate the wheel. Ensure to separate the washers from the axle for easier and smoother operation of tools.
- Now, you have to carefully remove the key from the axle in order to separate the tire from the vehicle and figure out why it is stuck. Use the needle-nose plier once again by placing its holders on one end of the key. A slight jerk and a pull action shall remove the key from the axle shaft. This allows you to place both your hands around the wheel and comfortably remove it.
- Now that you have successfully detached the wheel from the lawnmower, you can analyze and look inside the wheel from its backside. You will be able to deduce why it is stuck. It may be because the rods are rusted and have broken. It can also be due to the presence of some concrete particles or a thick bundle of wood that is not letting the wheel rotate. Whatever the cause may be, you can make necessary repairs or even replace the tire if required.
- Now, once you have identified and solved the main reason behind the wheel’s dysfunctionality, it is time to reassemble it. With patience, align the curvy holes in the hub of the rear wheel and then shove the wheel into the axle.
One key point to note in this step is that you must reverse the order of steps we just read about. That would mean inserting the key, then the washers above which the retaining ring will come, in the end, cover it with the axle hubcap. To ensure safety and tight fixing of the axle cap, you can use a rubber mallet to reassure the task done is a perfect one.
- Finally, you have solved your issue and checked whether the wheel ran smoothly via multiple physical tests. It is time to lower the jack height back to its zero levels and detach it from the rear axle. Also, move those bricks from under the axle of your lawnmower to avoid immediate damage.
Conclusion
What harm is it in knowing or discussing your gardening problems with your mates when you catch up with them. No harm at all. It is, in fact, informative and helpful in times of need. Say there was an overnight storm in the area, and your backyard is loaded with leaves, the garbage that flew in with the wind and all your patio umbrellas have fallen.
You have a get-together or appointment with a client in your pretty backyard, which is not so pretty anymore. You need to start the lawnmower and clean the mess up before they arrive, but bad luck, there is something stuck in the wheel and you do not know how to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel. That is when this guide comes in handy. Here is a video for you to make the process easier.
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