Rear wheel removal or not as the case may be?
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 994
Likes: 43
From: Essex, England
Rear wheel removal or not as the case may be?
Hi All
trying to drop the rear wheel out of my Iron but the axle seems to be stuck in there? I removed the nut and loosened the adjusters and pushe dthe wheel forward but the axle doesn't want to come out? I can turn it okay but it wont tap out? Am I just being too gentle with it and need to hit it harder or am I missing something obvious here?
Thnaks
trying to drop the rear wheel out of my Iron but the axle seems to be stuck in there? I removed the nut and loosened the adjusters and pushe dthe wheel forward but the axle doesn't want to come out? I can turn it okay but it wont tap out? Am I just being too gentle with it and need to hit it harder or am I missing something obvious here?
Thnaks
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 600
Likes: 6
From: Central Islip, NY
tap it with a rubber mallet, I'm not sure what your axle looks like but sometimes there is a divet in the middle of the axle on the end I put a phillips screwdriver in that and tap it out
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,135
Likes: 4,777
From: Sandpoint, Idaho
I had the same problem with my Dyna the first time I removed it. The anti/seize, grease, or whatever the factory had applied to the axle and it had hardened. I had to beat on it very hard to get it out. So much so that I was concerned that I may have damaged the bearings in the process. On reassembly I used grease and have never had a problem since the first time.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 994
Likes: 43
From: Essex, England
Thanks guys. It just needed some "impact engineering"! 
I just wanted to check before applying it.
It was messy in there and as you said perki48 all the oem grease had gone hard etc. I'll buff evreything up and apply anti-seize before reassembling.
I just wanted to check before applying it. It was messy in there and as you said perki48 all the oem grease had gone hard etc. I'll buff evreything up and apply anti-seize before reassembling.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,007
Likes: 126
From: Manassas, VA
The first time I took the rear wheel off my OL's '04, I beat on the axle so hard, it mushroomed and split. I tried penetrating oil, rotating the wheel, taking weight off the wheel, etc. Nothing helped. I had to have the bike ready the next day, so a new axle, with over-night shipping, cost me a hundred bucks. In '04, Sportsters had a 3/4" rear axle. The only year for that size in the rubber-mount frames. PITA! The local dealer had the wheel bearings in stock, so I pressed new bearings in, too. About a $150 fix, plus my time and aggravation, because the factory can't use 50 cents worth of anti-seize. I cut off the end of the axle and use it in a make-shift wheel-truing stand. I wish I had a pic of the axle, before I cut it. A real horror show.
Lesson learned, when I did my '05, I started applying penetrating oil, liberally, two days prior to removal. MUCH easier.
Lesson learned, when I did my '05, I started applying penetrating oil, liberally, two days prior to removal. MUCH easier.
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