A lawn mower is indispensable home maintenance and landscaping item. It helps you keep the lawn in tidy conditions with the least effort. However, when a lawn mower stops working due to a stuck wheel, frustration might catch you quickly.
Although the problem is frustrating, you can help yourself by fixing the stuck wheel with a few easy steps. The guideline from us on how to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel will help you in this regard for sure.
You will also have different adept techniques for the front and back wheel of the lawn mower. You might also apply other techniques to fix a stuck wheel on a riding mower.
So, let’s get on with all these practical solutions for unstuck a stuck wheel of a lawn mower.
How to Remove A Stuck Lawn Mower Wheel
Lawn mowers come in various styles, and fixing the stuck wheel on them needs different techniques too. Hence, we will describe the methods to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel of different designs for everyone’s convenience.
Removing the Push Mower Wheel
A push or pull mower means you will have to push it forward as you walk through the garden. It is the most widespread lawn mower you will see in lawns and gardens.
Step 1: Switching off the mower
At first, you will have to disconnect the spark plug of the lawn mower. If it is a battery-operated mower, you will have to remove the battery. It will help you avoid any electrocuting accidents. The battery removal is slightly different in most mower designs. So, check the user manual properly.
And for the spark plug disconnection, find the rubber tube holding the plug and disconnect it correctly to proceed to the wheel removal steps.
Step 2: Elevating the wheel
You will have to elevate the lawn mower wheel to remove it effortlessly and adequately. For this, you can use a piece of thick wood or brick. At first, carefully raise the mower to a height. Then, slide in the brick or woodblock underneath the lifted mower.
The woodblock or brick needs to be placed right underneath the wheel you want to remove. For instance, you need to place the brick underneath the front wheel and vice versa. It is recommended that you use multiple pieces of elevating items to raise the wheel securely.
Step 3: Prying the hubcap
Some wheels will come with a covering referred to as a hubcap. The hubcap is used when the wheel doesn’t have any nuts in the center of it. It is suggested that you use a screwdriver to pry the hubcap appropriately.
You will have to insert the flathead screwdriver between the wheel and cap to pry it properly. If the hubcap has a lip, you need to use your hands to remove the lip to pry off the hubcap.
Note: Many models might not have a hubcap. You can simply bypass this step for such models of lawn mowers.
Step 4: Removing the nut from the wheel center
Most lawn mower wheels will come with nuts in their center that hold the wheel with the attached pivot. You will need to use the socket wrench to remove the nut. Ensure the socket wrench matches the nut size correctly.
You have to turn the wrench attached with the nut in a counterclockwise direction to disconnect it entirely from the wheel.
Step 5: Removing washers
The wheel might come with a washer or cotter pin attach to it. The washer and cotter pin is used to remove the grinding of the wheel with the nut. You need to grab the cotter pin with a set of pliers to pry it off from the axle. The washer can be removed successfully from the axle with your hands only.
Step 6: Sliding off the wheel
When you have removed all the gears from the axle and wheel, put your hands on either side of the axle’s rubber. Apply pressure to pull out the wheel from the axle. It shouldn’t require much force.
Check all the problems that stuck the wheel and fix them. Then you can follow these steps reversed way to reinstall or replace the wheel.
Removing Wheel of a Riding Mower
The riding mowers are designed with a seat where you sit to drive the mower. It makes the lawn mowing job effortless.
- At first, park the riding lawn mower in a flat space properly. Make sure the parking spot is even and smooth. Then, turn off the mower and disconnect the spark plug correctly.
- Use a professional mower jack to lift the lawn mower properly. Ensure that the jack is raised 90-degree and you lock it once you have lifted the mower wheel to your desired level. You must ensure that you have enough working space underneath the mower.
- In the middle of the lawn mower wheel, you will see a cap hiding the axle and other gears. Use your hands to turn the cap counterclockwise and remove it.
- Then use a set of pliers to effectively pry off the washer or cotter pin from the axle’s attached pin. Finally, remove the pin holding the wheel with the axle.
- Once you have pried off the pin and washer, remove the wheel from the lawn mower. Check if the axle or other parts of the wheel are damaged, causing the wheel’s stuck. You might fix the issues or replace the wheel entirely.
Alternatives to removing a stuck wheel
Sometimes, a lawn mower wheel might get stuck due to excessive rust and cannot be removed with the following steps. You can follow these tips then.
- Use a torch to heat the wheel. Then, put some wax between the heated axle and wheel. Allow it to cool down and remove the wheel.
- If the axle and pin have caught too much rust, apply rust-remover or oil penetrating spray to wipe off the rust.
- If the pin or wheel is still jammed and you cannot remove it, use a plank of wood and hammer to remove the jam. Then, you can take off the wheel from the axle.
- Scrap the rusty wheel and pin and then remove it.
Conclusion
You must have a clear and appropriate idea now on how to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel. So, forget those frustrating moments when you are unable to drive the lawn mower and maintain the landscape due to the wheel got stuck.
These detailed and step by step wheel removal instructions will help you remove the stuck wheel within 10-15 minutes.
