OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Greenfield Ride On Mower Frames Greenfield Evo3 Rear Wheel Removal

Hi I just got a '98 13-32 without a diff. The rear wheels will not come off.Aluminium hub on a steel shaft. I've tried gentle heat with a puller and just broken a 40mm chunk out of the wheel. I've just drilled a 8mm hole through the hub to the shaft and filled it with WD40.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, Thanks Pommyphil

Hi pom, you're taklling one of the worst jobs on Greenfields, steel shafts and alumimium hubs. there's no easy way mate, i've found the best way is to keep hitting (bashing) the inside of the rim , it will eventually come off! there is not much else that seems to work. good luck...

Some people have had success with a flat plate puller on the end of the axle shaft, drilling holes through the wheel for the puller screws, and using a steel washer under the nuts on the other side of the wheel. Use three or four fine-thread puller screws of at least 10 mm diameter, and make sure they are on a small pitch circle diameter, right in close to the wheel hub, or you'll just break the wheel. Use plenty of Penetrene or equivalent on the hub where the axle goes through it, soak for a couple of days, then tighten the puller screws in rotation, only going one flat on the nut on each screw as you go around. Tap the screws axially, on the back side of the wheel, with a hammer each time you tighten them. You should get it off without a whole lot of trouble, but the bore of the hub may be in bad shape from the corrosion. Remember, use an anti-corrosion coating on those steel-to-aluminium joints in future.

Thanks for the prompt advice I will continue my struggle. I don't really need them off immediately but I thought I should free them up in case I get a flat tyre, maybe just leave well alone ? I suppose if the aluminium bore is stuffed I can bore it out and put a brass bush in.

Please don't put a brass bush in an aluminium bore, ever. That just makes a neat little voltaic cell which eats the aluminium whenever it gets water on it.

There is a good chance the bore can just be polished. If not, I suggest you use a thin steel bush, that is a transition fit on the axle. That way you won't much care whether it becomes frozen into the aluminium wheel, since you won't want to take it apart there anyway, you'll just slide the steel bush off the steel axle.

Thanks Grumpy, live and learn. Thanks Phil