[sysanalyst--off]

Anybody familiar with removing an idler wheel axle?

Here is the issue; when I attempt to remove bolts (part #39) from the axle (part #29 in the picture), I can only remove one bolt. Once the bolt is out and I try to remove the other the axle just spins. It seems that there is no way to hold the axle so the other bolt can be removed. I've tried to put in a bolt with a jam nut on one side and then remove the other, but the jam nut/bolt just spin with the axle. The picture only shows once side of the skid, but the other side is the same. I've been losing sleep over this one. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Wayno_Jag]

Hey, I just replaced all the idler wheels & bearings on my '93 Jag skid, so a bit different then yours, but I had the same problems. On one of them I was able to just really tighten the one bolt that was loose and finally able to get the other one to break loose and then loosen each one of them just a bit at a time till you can basically back them off by finger. But on another one I couldn't get both bolts out, so I ended up just pushing the axel all the way through the assembly out the other side. I then replaced the idler wheels and a few washers and pushed the axel back through the assemly one piece at a time and then bolted the other end back on. This was the first time doing this for me, so I don't know if this is a "right" way, but it worked for me!!

Wayne

 

[wbrooks]

Just went through the same thing but I was replacing my axle so I needed the bolt out. Once you pull it out the one side as Wayne suggested put the axle in a vise and add a bit of heat (propane or MAPP torch) to melt the loctite and the bolt will loosen easily. You don't need much heat

 

[sysanalyst--off]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wayne from Pontypool @ Feb 9 2007, 08:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Just went through the same thing but I was replacing my axle so I needed the bolt out. Once you pull it out the one side as Wayne suggested put the axle in a vise and add a bit of heat (propane or MAPP torch) to melt the loctite and the bolt will loosen easily. You don't need much heat[/b]

So I'd need to remove the skid and remove the rails? Yikes! That is truly a poor design. Should have been a gun-drilled shaft with a long grade 8 bolt all the way through. What a mess.

 

[geeman]

I have had luck with tightening the good side and hit the other side with an impact and remove it then remove the good side. I have also had to put a vise grip on the aluminum outer spacer to help hold the inner shaft to remove the bolts. Impact usually works though.

 

[sysanalyst--off]

I figured out how to do this...

Using a long track tensioner bolt and jam nut, bottom out the tensioner bolt into the axle hole, then tighten/torque the nut against the frame rail while holding the head of the tensioner bolt with a wrench. This allowed me to remove the stubborn bolt on the other side.