How To Remove Rear Wheel From Craftsman Lawn Mower Tractor

Today you are going to read the complete how to remove the rear wheel from Craftsman lawn mower tractor [Essential Information]. Craftsman is a trusted brand that is known for the high quality of its mechanical equipment, including the tires.

However, regular usage for every season in a whole year may cause your Craftsman lawn mower tractor’s tires to wear out. Not only that, sometimes a tiny hole causes the air to escape and eventually, resulting in a flat tire. A visual check of lawn tractor tires may not always detect if there is minor air leakage.

Another thing, the rear wheel commonly needs to be removed whenever you want to adjust the hydraulic transmission of the tractor. So, it is very significant to know how to remove the rear wheels from a Craftsman tractor in order to make repairs or replace the tires, as well as to ease the process of repairing other parts of the tractor. Also, you can visit How to Remove Deck from Craftsman Riding Lawn mower

Let’s get started!

How To Remove Rear Wheel From Craftsman Lawn Mower Tractor

Removing the rear wheels is a basic knowledge that everyone who uses a lawn tractor should know. Check out the steps below to know how to do it, in case you have never done it before and need some guidance.

1. To begin, make sure your surroundings are safe to start the process. Park your Craftsman tractor in a wide area with a flat surface to smoothen your work.
2. Do not forget to turn off the ignition key and apply the brake.
3. Prepare any type of jack to lift up the tractor. An automatic jack would be a great option.
4. Then, place it under your tractor in between the rear wheel, and let it lift up the back part of the tractor so you can put the jack stand inside of each wheel easily.
5. After that, when you already put the jack stand inside of the wheels each, you can lower the jack back.
6. Take the jack away.
7. For safety purposes, it is advisable to place bricks as a blocker at the front of the front tires. Or vice versa, if you are working on the front tires.
8. Next, by using pliers, take off the axle cover. Also, remove the retaining ring and washer from the axle.
9. By using needle-nose pliers, remove the square key. You need a needle-nose plier to grip it tightly so you can pull out the key easily to take it away. The key is actually used to lock the transmission of the rear wheel to enable the movement of the wheel that drives by the transmission.
10. And then, after removing the square key, pull the tyre straight out of the rim to remove it.
11. You are done removing the rear wheel of your Craftsman lawn mower tractor.

Extra tips:

• If the wheel is hard to be removed, you can try to put specific oil to the tractor’s rear axle shaft.
• Do not misplace the square key.
• Loosen the half-moon key retainer off the axle either using your hand or cloth after you successfully pull it over by using the pliers.
• To remove the tire easily, use your hands both in the nine and three o’clock position, and slowly remove it.
• Prepare all the tools that you need near to you so you can just take them easily whenever you need them along the removing process.

Methods for Getting a Stuck Wheel Out

After trying so hard, the wheel still cannot be removed? No worries! Commonly the tires get stuck because of the heat or the rim tires are rusting. Other than being creative, there are two other popular tricks you can try to get your stuck wheel out easily.

1. Using Heating Method With Wax: To do this, prepare a propane torch. The propane torch will be used to heat up the wheels and axle. As it has a low heating level, it would not cause any damage to the wheel and axle.

So, the main thing we need to do is, let the wax melt between the wheel and axle. After that, let them cool down and you can try to take off the wheel slowly. This approach takes less time to set up, but you must have a torch and be familiar with how to use it.

2. Hydraulic Bottle Jack: With the help of torque, it may help you to remove the stuck wheel. You can create torque by attaching a hydraulic bottle jack to your stuck wheel and use maximum force to pull it out.

Tips: Avoid using extra force as it can cause harm to your Craftsman lawn mower tractor which leads to other problems and is unsafe for you too. Seek help from an expert if necessary.

Important Things You Should Avoid To Do

A stuck wheel can be stressful and waste a lot of time especially if you are already trying a few tricks, but it still does not want to be removed. And, thinking that you cannot start to trim your lawn until your mower is repaired is definitely so frustrating!

However, do not let yourself get controlled over by the situation. You need to keep your mind and emotion stable while finding the solution. The things that you should not and never try to do when in this situation are;

Firstly, never ever channel your frustration emotion through the force that you applied on your Craftsman lawn mower tractor. It would not help to settle the problem but, indeed will cause other problems.

Also, avoid slamming the backside of the wheel with extra force. Just tap it repeatedly, and it will be free for you to remove it easily. Also, you can see and visit Lawn Mower Buyer Guide 2024 [Complete Guide For Beginners].

Final Words

There are several reasons for you to remove the rear wheels of your Craftsman lawn mower tractor. Absolutely, you can bring your lawn tractor to the workshop or call the mechanic but unfortunately, sometimes you need to pay extra.

If you can do it by yourself, you can save more and gain some experience. By following the listed steps above, surely you can get the job done effectively. Give it a try!

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