Rear axle seized
 

Hi

Decided to start prepping the bike for this years riding today, and figured I would give the chain a good soak and clean in paraffin by taking the rear wheel off and letting it drape in a tub of the stuff overnight. Trouble is, the rear axle doesn't want to come off.

I've removed the nut on the left swing arm, loosened both tensioning nuts on the ends, given the axle a good few whacks until its flush with the swing arm, but I just cant pull it off. I started to hammer it off using an extension rod but am worried that something might be damaged doing it.

Looking closer, it appears that there is some sort of spacer on the right hand side of the wheel that is seized onto the axle, which stops it sliding off. If I try to turn the axle, it rotates quite freely.

Does anyone have any suggestions or tricks to get the bugger off?

Cheers

Re: Rear axle seized
 

In and out, my friend! Move the axle back and forth and try to get some WD40 on it as you work it loose. When you get it out, clean it with wire wool and then grease it with copper grease before reinstalling.

Re: Rear axle seized
 

Get some proper penetrating fluid and get it on the spacers & axle. Allow it half hour to start working. Then as 9th bike says-work it backwards and forwards. The way I find easiest is to keep the ratchet & socket on the head of the bolt and turn it as you pull it out.
Try and keep the wheel supported during this as it will put extra weight & friction on the axel as you remove it.

Re: Rear axle seized
 

If I knew where you were, I might be able to drop round and help.

Re: Rear axle seized
 

Support the wheel from underneath to take the weight off the axel as well, you don't want to be fighting vertical forces as well as horizontal forces! Grease it when you put it back in too, save yourself having to do this again next year! If it's really stuck clamp some mole grips on with a bit of cloth to protect the axel and gently work it out with a mallet (after soaking with penetrating oil or equivalent), or depending on how fed up you are whack it out with a mallet!

Re: Rear axle seized
 

Thanks for the replies.

Mallet and WD40 it is. We're off out this morning so I'll give it a bash later (there's a pun in there if you look hard enough) and let you know how I get on.

Ninthbike, I live near Sleaford in Lincolnshire so might be a bit of a trek for you but thank you for the offer anyway.

Cheers

Re: Rear axle seized
 

I've always been told to never use copper grease close to where you have bearings. May be nonsense but was told to me by the sort of person you don't question about this sort of stuff.

Re: Rear axle seized
 

Copper grease does very well in a few high temperature applications. Unless there are any rubber components around I tend to just use a standard LM grease. If thew are any rubber seals or boots then red rubber grease it is. In this case normal LM would be fine.

Jambo

Sent without a real keyboard

Re: Rear axle seized
 

And she's off. Lots of WD40, a mallet and wooden dowel eventually got it off. I tried knocking it back and forth spraying around the spacer each time but it never really loosened off, so eventually I just knocked it all the way out. I'll get some wire wool on that spacer to see if I cant loosen things up a bit for when she goes back on.

Not sure if this is a stupid question, but some of the WD40 ended up on the wheel. Is this anything to worry about? It wont be on the road until next weekend at least. For now I have just wiped it off with a rag.

Thanks for all the help again!

Re: Rear axle seized
 

If it's on the tyre a bit of soap and water will avoid any bother.

Don't worry about copper grease getting into the bearings, although jambos mate is correct that it shouldn't be used for rotating stuff.