Stuck Axle Removal

[hydromike]

HEAT!

You definitely need heat. Heat and a lot of force. I've given up on dozens (yes... DOZENS) of axles that never came out of one machine or another. After getting things nice and toasty, heavy doses of B'laster and a B.F.H., if the axle doesn't come out, it's sawzall time, baby.

I don't mind making axles, and the steel guy is only a hop-skip-jump away, and it saves me frustration. This probably isn't the setup for you, but I do advise heavy doses of heat, and the slide hammer is the perfect weapon in the axle-replacement arsenal. I've made adapter tools to fit the old 3-bolt hubs, too.

You're well on your way. Persistence will pay off...

~M

[Mike]

Monday I tried heat.... lots of heat, lots of slide hammer, lots of sore arms and stinging eyes (that PB blaster is terrible when it burns off)...still nothing.

Today I only had a couple of minutes. I tried the slide hammer again hoping that some axle fairy had come in the middle of the night to solve my problems but to my dismay it was still frozen. So out came the grinder in a moment of madness.

I cut through the sprocket tube on one side of the sprocket and it is still stuck. I think I am going to grind the sprocket enough to get it to slide out of the hole still on the axle and cut it from there.

Now if I can just get time to work on it

[jpswift1]

Mike, how about you just say the heck with it and cut through the axle. I think that we could get you a new sprocket from Recreatives for a good price.

[hydromike]

I would have cut the axle a long time ago, Mike. Cut through it where you can. I think a new axle would be cheaper than buying a sprocket, and it'll save you a ton of grief in the long run.

~m

[jpswift1]

Thats whats nice about working on a Max, you can always get parts easily for them since they're still in production. I try to be super careful not to break anything when Im working on an Attex or Hustler since I cannot just go down to the factory and buy new parts for them.

[micmac]

Mike,

I feel your pain! Give the pb and wd a couple of days to work in there. I got desperate and just cut the axle in half. This being your last option. I know you had mentioned that you will be replacing an axle if this is the one I'd just cut and be done!

[whipper-ag]

Thats whats nice about working on a Max, you can always get parts easily for them since they're still in production. I try to be super careful not to break anything when Im working on an Attex or Hustler since I cannot just go down to the factory and buy new parts for them.

Jeff, keep in mind I can make anything you need.

[Mike]

Well, I have been busy working on the Max and forgot to give an update. After a couple of hours of PB blaster, slide hammer, heat, and headaches I finally cut the sprocket and then slid the axle out. Once I got it out I finished cutting the sprocket tube off. I was going to get new sprockets anyway so I just wish I would have done this to start with.

[Mike]

By he way, look what showed up today from Recreative Industries! A big thanks to Dan and the crew at RI for taking the time to help me find all of the right parts that I needed and for taking the time to answer any questions that I had. I couldn't have asked for better service than that plus everything was packaged very well!

It was like Christmas opening all of this today

[carrant]

whipper-ag,

Just curious what is the springer kit that you mentioned.

chris