Lawn Mower Wheels – Fix The Axle On Height Adjusters

On push mowers with the spring loaded height adjusters the attached axle usually needs to be replaced annually due to the metal shaft wearing down. It usually starts with a slight wobble of the rear wheels and then turns into an outright lean of the wheels as the wheel mounting hole and the shaft wear down. Replacing the wheel by itself will help for a while but it won't make it perfectly aligned because the axle has been worn down also and needs replacing.


Replacing the worn axle is easier than it sounds. First you need to remove the wheels, height adjuster and axle assembly from the mower. You will notice that the original axle has been stamped on to the height adjuster so it will need to be hacksawed off. Once you have sawed off the old axle then punch the remaining piece of old axle out of the height adjuster. Once the old piece has been removed there will be a 3/8 hole, most of the time. Sometimes the hole is a little smaller so you will need to drill it out to 3/8". Then get a 3/8" bolt long enough to go through the new wheel, two washers, and the height adjuster and leave approximately a half inch of thread showing for the retaining nut. You will need a piece of 3/8" ID and 1/2" OD piece of tubing to use as axle sleeves. Cut the tubing approximately 1/16" wider than the wheel mounting hole so when you tighten the retaining nut the wheel will turn freely. Lightly grease the 3/8" bolt before you put the tubing and wheel over it, tighten the retaining nut and you should be good for another year.
This fix should only cost about five dollars as opposed to replacing the height adjusters at a cost of fifteen dollars each and the parts can be bought at most home improvement or hardware stores.
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