I've heard horror sories about axles being stuck, so when I pulled my rear wheel due to tire puncture at 2,000 miles, I coated the axle with anti-seize. Shortly after that, my dealer replaced rear brake mounting bracket, so they had to pull the axle. They are the only other place that has put a wrench on my bike.

Now at 16,980 miles, I had to replace the rear tire. Had to knock the axle out with a hammer, and there was no anti-seize except for traces that rubbed off the wheel bearings. I mean, it was clean - no grease at all on it, and beginning to corrode.

Is anti-seize such a bad thing that the dealer would go to the trouble of cleaning it off?

 

My dealer does apply anti seize at the 10,000 mile service when they do it.Dont know why you wouldnt want to.

 

The main reason for the rear axle being stuck is lack of grease on the axle, not from a lack of anti-seize on the nut. Just take some steel wool and clean up the corrosion, and apply PLENTY of axle grease, you should be fine. For some reason, they don't put grease on the axle during manufacturing, and most likely it's not called for in the Harley service proceures, that all the so called certified Harley mechanics follow.

Anti-seize compound is for threads, not axles.

 

It could have come off from how you wash it. Do you use a nozzle or a high pressure washer? I try to stay away from the actual axle area with high pressure water. Agreed with sportypig as well.

 

Well this is one of the few times I'll have to disagree with SportyPig.

Anti-seize works quite well for coating the axle, that's all I use on mine and I never have any problem slipping the axle out every 15K or so when it's tire change time. Since the axle doesn't turn inside the bearing, you're not looking for lubrication, just to prevent the bearing and axle from becoming corroded together. However, axle grease will work just fine as well.

It sounds to me like the dipsheet dealer wiped your anti-seize off the axle.

 

Always grease or anti-seize the axle, preferably anti-seize

 

Yep, another anti-seize user here....I have had a hand in beating the axles out of more than one bike, especially ones that go a few years before the first tire change.

 

No expert wrench here... just pick up what I can along the way....anti-seize is certainly less messy to deal with than axle greese.

 

Maybe you got a shady dealer that did it on purpose so you have to comeback for service later on in hopes that you weren't able to pull the axle yourself....... Or they were just lazy.


Anyhow, I use antiseize also over grease......in my experience grease has more tendancy to be pushed out of the bearing/axle contact points leaving bare spots that start to rust. But ever since I've used antiseize....it seams to stay in place with good coverage, leaving the axle looking just as well covered as the day I put the stuff on.

 

I use antiseize, it is what the manual says to use and it was what I was told to use. I contributed my stuck rear axle to my pressure washer. I now never use it near the axles.