Winter Flat Tire Repair

Following are directions I found on the Internet to remove the rear tire from my John Deere garden tractor to which I have attached a snowplow. In a previous article I mentioned how when I finally got the tractor to run the tire went flat. I pumped it up the other day a cleared the driveway. The tire was flat the next morning and the air compressor had died.

Instructions

1.      

o   1

Park the lawn tractor on a hard, level surface. Set the parking brake and remove the key from the ignition.

o   2

Place the wooden blocks behind the rear two wheels so the mower will not slide. Place the jack under the front of the lawn mower, directly under the frame, and raise it off the ground. Place the jack stands on both the right and left side of the frame, in front of the tires. Lower the tractor down onto the jack stands, and slide out the jack.

o   3

Remove the plastic cap located in the middle of the tire by hand; this will expose the axle and snap ring. Pry the snap ring off with the flat-head screwdriver.

o   4

Remove the washer, tire, and shim washers from the axle.

At this point other sites just say “slide the tire easily from the axle.” Yeah, sure, you betcha.

This was my experience. The tractor was on a level surface and the parking brake applied. I also jacked up the tractor. I then tried to remove the plastic cap covering the axle. I used pliers, hammers, and screwdrivers thoroughly mangling the blasted thing before it finally popped off. The washer on the axle at this point was pretty well mangled at this point, but I straightened it with a hammer. The snap ring came off fairly easily. Next, “slide the wheel off.” It would not budge. Now remember it is 3 degrees with a wind child factor of minus 10 degrees while this is going on. I shook and pulled and pried and the wheel would not budge. I applied copies amount of WD40 several times give the thing a good whack from time to time to make sure the oil got to the proper places. Next, I took a 2x4 and banged on the end of the axle; this proved the most efficient as the wheel actually moved out to the end of the axle before stopping. At various times I would have to shove the tractor back to keep the jack from tipping and dumping the whole thing. I applied a little science heating the hub of the wheel but not the axle itself in an attempt to expand that part so it would slide off; no luck, it didn’t even warm me up while I was both freezing and sweating from the weather and my labors. I banged the wheel back into its original position and then went at it with the 2x4 again. Finally, I sat on my butt on the cold cold cement floor and wiggled and wiggled and wiggled…millimeter by millimeter it edged closer and finally came off. A very very rusty axle appeared and I think laughed at me.

The tire is now at Fleet Farm getting an inner tube put in it. Grump!

I have concluded my John Deere is a Republican dominated congress. It doesn't do anything except sit there and rust and cause me grief. It cares not for our neighbors who are in need of plowing. It will not sign up for healthcare. It is a do nothing tractor.