The below is on my 1998 FXD Dyna Super Glide.

The other day as I turned onto my street where I do 25 mph or less, I could hear a slight squeek. As I slowed, it would slow, or if I sped up, the squeek would speed up, - but - not at the speed of the motor/revs.

There wasn't any shimmy or anything, nothing acting strabge, bike ran fine, tracked fine, just that slight squeek about every wheel revolution (I was guessing).

Pulled into the shed and got off the bike and happened to look at the saddlebags to remind myself if I needed to get anything out of them and saw *smoke coming up from under the left side of the bike under the left saddlebag. I thought maybe steam at first because I'd had to come 20 miles in a severe storm, but got closer to it and smelled it and it was smoke-flavored, heh.

Figured the wheel bearing on the left side had gone out and I'd need to change everything. No biggy I figured, I've done it plenty on my other '09 FXD when I still had it. I knew this would be slightly different because these wouldn't be sealed bearings.

Anyway, order a new axle just for the heck of it, two sets of good Timken bearings (I figure I'll do the front in the soon future also) and get on it.

Today, as I was waiting for parts, I lifted the bike, dropped the rear wheel so it had no pressure on the axle, undid the nut, rock shiled, etc as the book says to do. The it says the axle should just slide out.

Nope. It would barely even turn using the right-side nut on the axle. Sprayed some WD40 on both sides inside as much as I could and this made it so the axle would turn *much* easier, but still wouldn't slide out.

Got a heavy rubber mallet and started to whack that the castle nut side. Nothing was budging.

Figured what the hell, I've got a new axle, I'll just get my trusty ol 28oz Estwing I used when I was still in construction and whack it a few times. *THAT* didn't work either. I've been pounding on it so much the castle-nut side is mushroomed severely and I'll have to grind it down around the circumference in case someone here has an idea how to get the axle out.

I'm at my wits end. I'm supposed to be at my best friends house this Friday so we can ride our bikes to his 2 month old granddaughter's funeral, but looks like that's not going to happen unless someone has any ideas for me tro try. I'd surely appreciate it!

 

Worse comes to worse hit it with a 4 lbs sledge.
No I'm not kidding.

I'm thinking something welded itself to something else inside the wheel and you need to break the weld.

 

They still have tapered bearings in 1998, right?

Can you get any clearance between the other side (the "bolt end" of the axle, not the thread end) and the swingarm? If you can get a little room to start, maybe you could get a bearing separator on it?

I think THC is right, and one of your bearings is frozen to the axle.

If worse comes to worse, you could take the whole swingarm off (wheel and all) and press it out.

 

I think he would be better off with the sledge because of the shock of the impact.

I think the dynamic shock would work better to break the weld than the static pressure of a press...JMO

 

Maybe, but at some point you are hitting it hard enough to break stuff that you don't want to break.

One other idea here would be to take an angle grinder and cut off the "head" of the axle, then take a hammer and a bigazz punch and try working it from the other side.

 

Hey tar what kind of wheel bearing grease do you use??

 

A idea --- put the biggest hammer on the other side that you are hitting on the swing arm and as close to the axle that you can get , then give what Kattie gave the drum , a beating

you are flexing the swing arm when you hit the axle without something solid on the other end , not good , have someone else hold a 10lb while you use a at least a 2lb

and good luck

 

Get a piece of half inch shaft or a big punch, what ever, hold shaft with pliers hit with a 2 pound hammer see if you can get it to move out a couple of inches then if you need to you can hacksaw the other end off and drive it through the other way. You will have to drop down on shaft size when u start into the swing arm. It can b done I had the same deal. My axle was turning in the swing arm a little. Hit it like you live man! Yes backing it up with a 10 very good idea I forgot that.

 

FYI, after you get the axle out, make sure you use 'Anti-Seize' Good luck.

 

Find someone with an air hammer or rivet gun and a set that fits the gun and drive the axle out. If hitting with a heavy hammer/sledge hasn't worked yet you need more power. Using a bigger hammer will have an affect on your swing arm bushings/bearings at some point.