Most lawn tractors have a protective cap on the wheel. It is located in the center of the rim, use a flat screw driver or plyers to pop it off. Next, there will be a snap ring you need to remove. You will need snap ring pliers to do this, you can buy them at sears, lowes, or any hardware store. They are about $10-15. they look like normal plyer handles, except there are round points on the end that go into the small holes in the snap ring, squeeze the plyers and remove the snap ring from the groove. You should then be able to remove your tire from the tractor. A word of caution, if the tire is stuck, try tapping it with a hammer, protecting the rim with a block of wood. Hopefully it isn't seized on, if it is you will need to remove the tire and cut the rim off with air tools, (YUK!). If it does come off, before you put it back on, clean the axle with sand paper and apply "never-seize" paste to allow for easy removal next time. wear rubber gloves, because never seize will stain your hands, and clothes for that matter. A tube costs about $2. Hope this helps. The older the mower the better chance it will be stuck. It is a good idea to remove the tires every couple of seasons, apply nevers seize, and install tire. Use this same procedure for the front tires. As with any repair work, consult your local repair shop for assistance if you don't know how to do the work.
Bill, July 2007
