The below is on my 1998 FXD Dyna Super Glide. (sorry to post this here *and* in the evo section, but I'm kinda desperate)

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 (his son-in-law wants a bunch of bikes at the funeral, sorta like a PGR mission), but looks like that's not going to happen unless someone has any ideas for me tro try. I'd surely appreciate it!

 

The only thing I can think to do is put some heat to it. Maybe the heating and cooling will loosen things up.

 

Sounds like you "welded" the bearing to your axle. I could see putting heat to it but that may be risky for the finish of the near by parts. My though, since you have a new axle and the bearings already, take a sawzall to the spacers and axle and just get new spacers. Seems like a fairly cheap part you could find at the dealer today or tomorow and not have to wait on in the mail. If beating it stupid isnt getting it done…..

 

^ You can buy an off-set blade holder for the Sawzall in case you have trouble getting at the spacers. "Needle nosed" Vise Grips may be needed to hold the spacers until you get a good cut going. My guess would be that the inner bearing race wore a groove into the axle. This is a bad situation but it's better than having a catastrophic failure at highway speeds.

 

I was going to say the same thing. You can't reach the bearing to heat it so that's a waste of time. A couple spacers is cheap compared to the damage you can do fighting it. Cut both sides of the axle make sure the wheel is chocked It sounds extreme but it'll probably be the best fastest cheapest and safest way to fix it

 

Luckily,someone put neverseize on mine,it slid right out.{after smacking it with a bfh and a drift pin]

 

Could also be corroded to the inner spacer. If after cutting the axle to get the wheel off, if it still seems stuck, balance the wheel on a spacer the axle would fit through so the wheel is backed up and sledge hammer the axle and spacer out together. I haven't had one I couldn't sledge hammer out yet, but have had them that weren't stuck on anything but the long inner spacer.

Never had a problem with one I'd put in, but I've always greased my axles and spacers, no bare metal to metal. Now I use anti seize. Another one that's bad about seizing in place is the swingarm pivot bolt, they have to be cut sometimes, too. Darn axle and pivot bolts ain't cheap, either, I've had to replace some. If I were to ever buy another new bike, I'd pull the pivot bolt with the first tire change and lube that along with the axles, factory never does. They're all fairly easy before they get rusted.

 

Thanks guys! I'll let y'all know what's happened tomorrow at some time.

 

Yep. I *always* use anti-seize on my axles, thing is, I just got this bike so none of the maintenance other than changing the oils has been done by me.

Gonna try a few suggestions and hope for the best.

 

I've had to sawzall the axle in half on both sides of the wheel to get it out of the frame then a hydraulic press to push the rest through the wheel from the non damaged side, had to replace axle, spacers, bearing and inner spacer on that one. Once you mushroom the end or bend the axle you're done.

Had an 82 FXR the smoked the bearing just like yours and found a bent axle had seized itself to the inner bearing, wasn't moving with BFH. Whatever you do smear a light coat of antiseize on the axle before it goes back together.

Oh and don't forget the liberal use of harsh language while in process, helps the blood pressure.