2016 - Volume #40, Issue #5, Page #32
[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story
| Read this issue]
Axle Key Way Problem On Riding Mower Solved
Doug McAlexander, Cedar Grove, Tenn.: “I have a riding mower with 12 by 8.5 rear wheels that fit tightly on the axle and are held on by keys that keep the axle from turning inside the wheel. One of the wheels got loose when the keyway was worn down so the only thing holding it on was a snap ring at the end of the axle. There wasn’t enough room to tap a set screw in the 2 or 3-in. space between the rim and hub, so I removed the tubeless tire from the rim. Then, with the aid of a large vise to hold the wheel, I drilled a 5/16-in. hole through the rim and hub, 180 degrees from the keyway. I drilled the hole as far out as possible on the hub. “I put a nut on a 5/16-in. bolt and inserted it through the holes in the wheel and hub. Then I braze welded the nut to the hub and welded the hole shut to make the rim airtight so it could be used as a tubeless tire again.
“I spray painted the wheel, then put the tire back on, removed the bolt and put the wheel back on the axle. Then I inserted the bolt through the hole in the hub and into the welded-on nut. Then I tightened the bolt down tight to hold the wheel against the axle.
“Loose wheel problem solved.”
Click here to download page story appeared in.
Click here to read entire issue
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
