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I received a Cub Cadet 1600 from my neighbor for free. A low end mower for sure, but the price is right. I am having a problem removing the left rear wheel. I used P-blaster, heated the hub, drilled two holes along the shaft into the hub on each flat and squirted P- blaster in the holes, beat the wrench on the wheel puller with a light hammer, and it will not budge. The right wheel came off with no problem. I do not want to hit the puller wrench any harder lest I damage the axle bearings. I thought maybe a hydraulic puller?

Let it set for a few days with tension on the puller.Each day tighten puller and put more P blaster on.I use old engine oil and heat as a last resort.As I apply heat to the inside of the wheel I use an oil can to put oil on outside. The heat draws the oil along the axel and frees the wheel.Do not get axel too hot.It may take awhile.GOOD LUCK......

Well, Now I have a 7 ton hydraulic bottle jack chained to the wheel and as much pressure as I dare to prevent flying missiles. Heated the inside of the hub again. I will keep it like that for a while and see what happens. A little advice. If you ever have to do this with a bottle jack, make sure the pump is lower than the cylinder or all you will pump is air

some of those darn things can be a real pain in the butt to get off ...If the tire is still on the rim dont heat it take the tire off the rim ...It can blow up even after you have let all the air out The heat can re-inflate the tire ..I have seen this happen don't want to see anyone get hurt .

briggs said:

some of those darn things can be a real pain in the butt to get off ...If the tire is still on the rim dont heat it take the tire off the rim ...It can blow up even after you have let all the air out The heat can re-inflate the tire ..I have seen this happen don't want to see anyone get hurt .

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Thanks for reminding me of that. Not to worry, the tire is so bad it will not hold any air, but I will cut it more just in case.

jross said:

Thanks for reminding me of that. Not to worry, the tire is so bad it will not hold any air, but I will cut it more just in case.

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no prob man anytime let us know how you make out :thumbsup:

Failing that get a mechanic in, if the mechanic breaks the axle or any other part you have someone else to blame and I'm sure the mechanic would be insured anyway if anything were to break.

Hay Jross



Depending where the wheel is on the front steering or on the back drive you may have to cut it off and get a new wheel. Maybe you can find one at a salvage yard or e-bay or new at a dealer.The price way right for what you paid for the mower ,so you don't have nothing into it yet, just the price you pay for free stuff sometimes . good luck and have fun:confused2::ashamed::laughing::biggrin:

Have you tried a little WD-40? Just spray on a little bit, and let it set for a couple of hours. The stuff can work miracles.

noma said:

Hay Jross



Depending where the wheel is on the front steering or on the back drive you may have to cut it off and get a new wheel. Maybe you can find one at a salvage yard or e-bay or new at a dealer.The price way right for what you paid for the mower ,so you don't have nothing into it yet, just the price you pay for free stuff sometimes . good luck and have fun:confused2::ashamed::laughing::biggrin:

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I haven't even got to the front wheels yet, and the right rear came off with a regular wheel puller. Cutting is my next move. I can get a Dremel inside the wheel, I think. Tractor Supply sells a 20x8x8 tire for $46 and a mounted tire on the hub that fits a CC for $56.

I removed a stuck wheel using a 1/2" drill bit in a drill motor and a sawsall. When finished I put the wheel back in service with the saw kerf still in the hub and that's been a few years ago. I could have welded the kerf closed but it works just fine.

For those of us that aren't familiar with your wheel construction, a photo or two would be worth a thousand words and maybe more, depending on the photos.:biggrin:

SandburRanch said:

I removed a stuck wheel using a 1/2" drill bit in a drill motor and a sawsall. When finished I put the wheel back in service with the saw kerf still in the hub and that's been a few years ago. I could have welded the kerf closed but it works just fine.

For those of us that aren't familiar with your wheel construction, a photo or two would be worth a thousand words and maybe more, depending on the photos.:biggrin:

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Now that is a brilliant suggestion!. I don't have time now to take pics since I am home for lunch and have to get back out on/in the berry bogs. Before I came in, I put the torch on the inside of the hub, and the wheel popped out 1/4 inch to the jack foot. I put the wheel puller back on but it will not move. I will put the jack back on. The wheel is a typical MTD, where the inside of the hub is round and two flats are machined on opposite sides at the outer end of the axle. The hub is stamped on the outer end to match the flats with a 1/2 inch cap screw and washer to hold it on.

Years ago I used to fish in the bogs between Lakehurst and Tom's River and the ones out by Fort Dix. Is that where you are by any chance?
Rich

hornet said:

Failing that get a mechanic in, if the mechanic breaks the axle or any other part you have someone else to blame and I'm sure the mechanic would be insured anyway if anything were to break.

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I see you're from the UK. In the states, the mechanic would charge parts and labor for the job. A good mechanic would bring a higher level of experience to the problem, but in the end sometimes things break.

Hi guys! I'm new here I was browsing the forums and this one caught my attention. Anything with wheels can really infuritate us at times, eh? Here's a suggestion i saw in the internet that may help:

There's a trick to freeing a stuck-on wheel that almost never fails. You already have the lugs removed, but now reinstall them leaving about 5 turns before they start to get snug. Now lower the car to the ground, get in and start it up. Drive back and forth 4 or 5 feet a few times. Now jack the car up and test the wheel. It should be nice and loose now, ready for you to replace with your spare so you can move on down the road.

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I think I've done this trick once before But if you really think about it, the procedure makes sense. Why try to use our own muscles to loosen it up when the weight and motion of the tractor can.

jross said:

Now that is a brilliant suggestion!. I don't have time now to take pics since I am home for lunch and have to get back out on/in the berry bogs. Before I came in, I put the torch on the inside of the hub, and the wheel popped out 1/4 inch to the jack foot. I put the wheel puller back on but it will not move. I will put the jack back on. The wheel is a typical MTD, where the inside of the hub is round and two flats are machined on opposite sides at the outer end of the axle. The hub is stamped on the outer end to match the flats with a 1/2 inch cap screw and washer to hold it on.

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they are a pain i repair lawn EQ and have fought with many of them darn things all you can do is keep trying it will free up sooner or later ..Just be easy on the shift i got PO and bent the shaft and rim it was to hot when i gave it the hammer opps ...It will also wreck the plastic bushings that go in the trans as well

When you do get the wheel off, make sure you put some neverseize on the shadt and inside the wheel hub so it won't rust on again.

rmancini said:

Years ago I used to fish in the bogs between Lakehurst and Tom's River and the ones out by Fort Dix. Is that where you are by any chance?
Rich

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I know where you are talking about. Fished there myself. My neighbor has 4 small bogs in Southampton and I help him harvest the berries. Those guy's in the Ocean Spray commercials don't mention the gazillion spiders trying to crawl up your waders.

jross said:

Those guy's in the Ocean Spray commercials don't mention the gazillion spiders trying to crawl up your waders.

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Ha ha ha... I'll bet, .... that sounds like all kinds of fun... :laughing::laughing:
:smile:KennyV

Wheel update. Put a Porto-Power hydraulic ram between the wheel puller and the axle. Pumped it up and ripped the wheel almost off the hub. A little cutting and it'll be off, then I can cut the hub off the axle.I am not concerned with the wheel as I intend to replace all of them if the rest of the mower works ok. I am more concerned that the axle is not bent, which it doesn't appear to be. A note about the Porto-Power. It was given to me at work because the mechanical boss said it was no good. I hung it up in the fuel shed and hung there for 20 years ( I know-packrat). I put some tractor hydraulic fluid in it, pumped it up a few times until the ram cleaned itself, tightened one leak at the coupler and it was good to go. Go figure.

I ripped the wheel halfway off the hub with a Porta-Power hydraulic unit. I cut the rest of the wheel off with a moto-tool. Dremel has a new system for moto-tools called EZ Lock. I used the 1 1/2 inch metal cutting disk and it went through the steel quickly. I then had to cut the hub three times lengthwise with the Moto-Tool to get it off the axle. It looks as if the hub was almost welded to the axle. Piece of cake. Now the starter is bad. Ordered a new one from Amazon .com for $42. Northern Tool sells it for $130 and ironically that same starter sold for $90 in the summer Northern catalog.

It looks like you are well under way...:thumbsup:

AND it always pays to shop around...:smile:KennyV

Yet another DIY triumph aided by the Dremel Moto-Tool - they are great for sharpening chainsaws (using a special attachment) and 1001 other uses.