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wheel bolts won't budge

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bill

09-07-2003 19:01:12

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I am trying to remove the wheel from the axle on my tractor. The wheel clamp bolts (clamps the wheel on the axel)on my '40 H won't budge. I've got some penetrating oil and am soaking them twice a day. I also have a 1/2" drive impact wrench, operating at 90 psi. I am "tightening" and then "loosening" the wrench each time.

What other advice can you give to get these loose?

I did a search here and soaking with oil and tighten and loosen is what the popular opinion is. Is there another way?

Today, someone suggested I get a really big breaker bar, what do you think?

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scotc

09-10-2003 20:06:32

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Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to bill , 09-07-2003 19:01:12

I wouldn't heat anything then douse it, the thermal shock takes the tempering out. If i were heating anything it'd be the blocks that the bolts thread into, then after they cool themselves, clean-up with a tap and get some new bolts, lot of peace of mind for the money.

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Paul in Mich

09-08-2003 12:27:06

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Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to bill , 09-07-2003 19:01:12

The wheel bolts on my 52 H were tighter than any impact wrench could handle, so I can imagine how tight your 40 H is since it has had an extra 12 years to tighten up. I used a whole lot of nut buster liquid, and a 4 foot cheater bar attached to a 3/4 drive impact socket (regular socket broke). After some heavy pursuasion from my 280 lb. body, I was able to loosten the wheel bolts. You can smack the top of the bolt with a hammer, but you have to be careful and not to smack too hard so as not to crack the casting. The same goes for the bolts that secure the rims to the cast wheel centers. They will eventually loosen, but not without effort and patience. I suggest that once you get the bolts removed that you clean the internal threads with a bottom tap, and wirewheel the bolt threads, and paint the threads with anti-seize before you reinstall them. Worked for me. Good luck.

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Ray M41

09-08-2003 11:14:48

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Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to bill , 09-07-2003 19:01:12

I used my box-end combination wrench and pushed it over with a small hydraulic bottle jack. I kept it well soaked with the penetrating oil.

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rustyfarmall

09-08-2003 04:59:04

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Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to bill , 09-07-2003 19:01:12

The hot wrench is the way to go at this stage of the game, but I will also add that not all impact wrenches are the same, I own a campbell-hausfield that will not loosen the lug nuts on a car if they have been overtightend. I retired it to the back shelf after purchasing an Ingersoll, which will twist a 1/2" bolt off, if the nut doesn't come loose first.

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Michael Soldan

09-07-2003 19:54:07

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Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to bill , 09-07-2003 19:01:12

Bill, I got a '44 H a few years ago and I had a heck of a time, I even broke my neighbour's Johnston bar...I felt dumb going into the supply store and buying two Johnston bars..one for me and one to replace my neighbours. Anyway, the easiest way to get the clamp bolts out is to heat them with a torch and douse them with cold water. I work in an auto shop and there isn't a day goes by that we don't heat something and douse it to loosen it. As for the bar, if you break the bolts off you may get the wheel off the axle and then you will need to get the broken bolts out of the blocks. I broke one once and I just got another pair of blocks from the tractor wrecker, they were cheaper than I could get the broken bolts out for. If you have a torch then heating and cooling is the way to go. I even had to heat and cool each bolt that holds the clamps around the rims on the rears. Once I got them off I put anti-sieze on each and reassembled them. After you get the blocks loose you still need to do a lot of pushing, prying and wiggling to get the wheel off the axle. Good luck from Mike in Exeter Ontario

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Jimmy King

09-07-2003 20:32:30

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Re: Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to Michael Soldan, 09-07-2003 19:54:07

I think getting the bolts loose has been covered, when you get them loose spray axles with pentrating oil and they will slide much easier.

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Dave_Id

09-07-2003 19:36:59

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Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to bill , 09-07-2003 19:01:12

Try the ol' hot wrench

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09-07-2003 20:31:24

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Re: Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to Dave_Id, 09-07-2003 19:36:59

Another method that I have used is:

Using a box end wrench with a couple of feet of pipe slipped over the wrench put about a 100 lbs of pull on the pipe and have a friend hit the head of the bolt hard with a hammer. Do not jerk the pipe just apply a steady pull. Jerking causes the bolt to snap off. Once the bolt breaks loose then work it out by a turn and in by about 1/2 turn while applying penetrating oil.

Good luck
JB

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Travis

09-07-2003 19:52:19

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Re: Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to Dave_Id, 09-07-2003 19:36:59

Be careful with the "hotwrench" as it can cause you some trouble, but used carefully it may work here. Other than that, I would keep soaking it, Try some different PENETRATING oil and then find a 4 FOOT piece of pipe and slip it over your breaker bar and then go back and forth,(after eating beans for lunch--for more sh*t in your pants:))--the impact won't work here, sorry, and make sure you tighten it tighter than the impact can get it also.

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bill

09-08-2003 14:44:35

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Re: Re: Re: wheel bolts won't budge in reply to Travis, 09-07-2003 19:52:19

going to keep soaking and tapping. will give an update soon. thanks to all who contributed. bill

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