Seized rear axle

Howdy.

After reading some posts here, I decided to dig into the drum brakes. To bad my drum is stuck to the axle and wont budge. Any tips on getting it out without breaking something?

Thanks.

 

The plate with the shoes on the inside won't come off the wheel?

Or the whole wheel/drum/plate won't slide off the splines for the final drive?

 

I guess it's the plate with the shoes. The plate and wheel seperate, but the plate itself is stuck to the axle. I haven't really tried taking the wheel off the final drive yet.

 

Support the plate on 2 4x4's, lube the axle with something like "Aerokroil", let it set for a while, then try a hammer on it. If it still won't budge, use a couple of propane torches to heat the plate then try to drive it out. As a last resort, take it to a machine shop and have it pressed out.

 

Does it feel like it pulls out a little then hangs on an edge, or just 100% stuck?

If it broke a spring or a lining and it's wedged, using a wood mallet to knock the flange for the torque arm opposite of wheel rotation direction and spin the whole assembly may just free it up...if that makes sense...if it wedged forward, it's gonna have to be rotated backwards to let go...

Don't hit it with a metal hammer, you might just bust the casting. If you don't have a soft mallet, put a piece of soft wood like a pine 2x4 section between it and the hammer...

Seems like the wheel has to come off the splines and then you pull the plate, if I remember right...I don't think you can pull the plate all the way off with the wheel in place. I could be wrong though...

 

try putting it all back together good and tight then take off the brake stay arm. oil it up and sit on the bike with it in neutral roll it a little and hit the back brake. maybe the brake plate will spin on the axle then you can pound it out.
if it were me, i'd put it on the center stand and let it idle in third gear and hit the brake but i don't want to tell you to try it because it's unproven and kind of scarey.
sometimes people frown on my methods

 

Jeezus. That sounds like something I'd do :lol:

Right up there with tapping the starter with a breaker bar on the crank to bust a balancer bolt loose....you either knock it loose, or send a big piece of metal flying at high speed 8O

 

I think somehow I'm not picturing this problem correctly...I'm having trouble following what's actually happening here...

 

OK normally you take the nut off the axle on the left side, loosen the swingarm pinch bolt on the right side, drop the brake rod and the torque arm from the plate, pull the axle out to the right, and slide the whole wheel and brake assembly to the right, off the splines and out the rear...

Then you pull the brake plate off the wheel. Usually it will just fall off....

At what point is it going all wrong?

 

it's all good to here " pull the axle out to the right", the axle is stuck in the brake plate.
if you pound on the threaded end of the axle the swingarm flexes and you might mess up the threads.
the brake plate and the axle don't move in relation to each other, the brake stay arm or torque arm sees to that but if you take it off, the wheel spins, the brake shoes grab the drum, the shoes go with the drum and spin on the axle (maybe), the axle can't spin because the nut is tight and the pinch bolts are tight.
i'd try in third gear on the center stand at idle, pull the clutch in and hit the brake fast and hard, if it breaks loose the brake plate rotates with the wheel and tightens the brake more probably with a bang and a jerk , mark the axle so you know it didn't spin and it 's broke loose enough now to work out. maybe loosen the adjuster on the brake arm so it spins farther before it gets tight and locks the wheel.
the other choice is get a big hammer and beat the hell out of it

 

Polock has it right. I would try the "third gear method", but I'm also in the process of cleaning the carbs since the jets were sitting in gas for about 15 years and are just a little clogged. I guess I'll keep whacking with a hammer, 2x4 and some heat. Or roll it down the driveway and hit the brakes. I'll let you know what worked when I finish the carbs.

Sorry the confuse you jeffco.

 

Ah OK.

You CAN pound the threaded side, with a little precautions....put the castle nut on backwards, thread down to where its flat end is flush with the axle shank, and use a block of solid wood like oak against it...the nut gives you more surface area to work against, and protects the treads...the wood will eliminate shocking it hard enough to jang the threads or put dings in the nut or axle shank...you can put a little tape around the axle right behind the nut so it doesn't try to walk up the threads as you hit it...

 

I had been going under the assumption that the brakes had seized up the rear wheel and it wouldn't turn...that's why I was saying all that bizarre stuff

 

It's all good dude. Excuse my attempt at describing stuff. This is my first go at anything on two wheels. I'm going to try your idea. Sounds like it should make the job that much easier.

Thanks guys.

 

No you said what you meant, I was just picturing it wrong. I never had an axle get stuck like that, so I didn't consider what was actually happening.

I guess it goes without saying, when you do get it out, grease the whole thing...after you clean it up good...

And when you knock the wheel off grease those splines too...bet they're dry also...

 

when you get to pounding your going to find you can hit it hard enough to actually make the pinch bolt side of the swingarm flex, it won't hurt it but only so much force goes into the job and the rest just flexes the swingarm.
what you want to do is back up the pinch bolt side with something big and heavy, like another hammer or a 2X4, close to the axle to concentrate the force on the job.
watch your fingers

 

On this issue is the general idea that the axel is stuck in the brake hub?

MN

 

Machelis, does the axle spin?, if you put a shaft thru the hole in the axle, and try to rotate the axle, does it move? Also, until you get the axle out you can't remove the wheel. And to Jeff, yes you have to remove the brake with the wheel, the remove the brake from the wheel when it's clear of the swing arm.

 

+1 on Jeff's method, that's exactly what I do