MLPROJECT

i was repacking my front wheel and can't get one of the lock nuts and cones. how can i get these loose? i've tried my cone wrenches and no dice.

MudPie

Do you need to loosen that one set of lock nut / cone? It sounds like you were able to get one set off, removed the axle and bearings and greased the bearings. Now all you need to do is reassembly - no need to remove the remaining locknut/cone.

Or did I miss the question completely?

MLPROJECT

exactly.

my axle is off-center, however, so i wanted to realign everything.

my axle also seems like it may be a little bent, which i need to replace, but can work with until i can get to the lbs this weekend. is there a generic type axle i can buy or are they all hub-specific?

MudPie

Gotcha. Earlier, you mentioned you tried you cone wrenches and no dice in trying to loosen the stubborn one. I assume you used a cone wrench to hold the cone and a mechanics wrench to hold the nut on the set you removed.

For starters, you can try to chemically loosen the fasteners with WD40 - let it soak, the longer the better.


Second: Assemble and lock the cone/nut onto the axle in the original orientation. Make sure the cone and nut are tight against each other. Then, using wrenches only on the nut, try to loosen the nuts only - you might be able to crack the stubborn one loose. Don't try to loosen the cones.

Third: Since the axle is bent and you'll be replacing, try placing the unthreaded part of the axle in a vise or hold with a pair of strong pliers. Then try to loosen the nut (don't try to loosen the cone)

MudPie

In general, axles are fairly generic. You'll need to match the length, but I believe the threading is fairly uniform.

MLPROJECT

i tried remounting the wheel as well and couldn't get it untightened. i'll try soaking it in WD40 and hitting the vice asap.

thanks a ton for your suggestions.

bitingduck

Unless it's a really expensive wheel, it may not cost much to just replace the whole axle set, cones and all.