Wobbly lawn mower wheels are quite common as your lawn mower ages over the years. It can feel shaky, or make some unusual sounds while you’re mowing, or, most importantly, it reduces the quality of the cut of the grass.
So, it’s beneficial to learn how to fix wobbly lawn mower wheels to mow smoothly and keep the finish of your grass looking pristine.
So, let’s get started!
In this content you’ll learn:
How To Fix Wobbly Lawn Mower Wheels: An Ultimate Guide
There are a few methods to fix a wobbly wheel of your lawn mower. In this section, we will outline the most important steps.
So, stick with us!
- Fix The Wheel By Using A Copper Pipe
It’s a very simple but effective trick to fix wobbly wheels.
Required Tools and Material
- Standard copper plumbing pipe
- Pipe cutter
- A drill machine
- A marker
Fixing process
- Firstly, you will need a standard copper plumbing pipe, which is about half an inch wide.
- Remove the wheel from the lawn mower. You may use a drill machine to remove the screw of the wheel that is keeping the wheel attached with the lawn mower. After removing the wheel, you should see an axle.
- Put the axle inside of the copper pipe. At that point, the copper pipe should easily fit in the axle. If it doesn’t fit, then you may have to try copper pipe with different girth. Remember that the copper pipe shouldn’t be too tight or too loose on the axle.
- Next, mark the copper piper at the same length as the shoulder of the axle. Make sure their lengths align.
- Cut the pipe by using a pipe cutter. It will cut the pipe very smoothly. You may also use a hacksaw to cut the pipe. But this will make the pipe edges rough. So, make sure to sand the pipe edges by using sandpaper before using.
- The next step is to poke the cut piece of the copper pipe into the hole of the wheel. If the hole seems smaller than the copper piece, don’t worry.
- Use the drill machine to make the hole a little bigger so that the copper pipe piece can enter the hole. The pipe should be tightly fitted into the hole.
- Don’t use a hammer to poke the copper pipe into the hole of the wheel, instead use a brass hammer or a wood block that won’t break the copper pipe, as copper is soft.
- The last step is to put the wheel into the axle and attach the screws of the wheel.
- That’s all you will need to do to fix the wobbly wheel of your lawn mower.
- Tighten the Bolt
Before jumping into any conclusion about your wobbly wheel, it is better to check the bolt of your wheel. It could have simply loosened over time. Tightening the bolt will easily solve your problem.
Required Tools
Fixing process
- To do this, first remove the spark plug as a safety measure to avoid any accidents.
- Then use a socket wrench to locate the bolt of the loose wheel.
- Lastly, tight the bolt. Make sure that the wheel is not too tight, as it can create problems while the lawn mower is running.
- Using a Spacer
This is another easy method with minimum cost to solve the wobbly wheel problem. But for this, you will need a spacer which is the same in size as the bolt of the lawn mower’s wheel.
Required Tools and materials
Fixing Process
A spacer is usually made of aluminum which fits into the tire by using nuts and a caster bush. Caster bush is typically used for connecting axles and other sections of the chassis to the different pivot points and moving arms.
- After finding a perfectly fitted spacer, the next step is to take off the loose axle of the wheel.
- Then file-down the hole where the old wheel axle used to be.
- Next, tightly install the spacer into the hole using a hammer.
- After cleaning any rust off the old axle, reinstall it into the wheel by using the spacer. You may use oil lubricant to make the axle and spacer smooth.
- Lastly, using a socket wrench, reattach the wheel to the lawn mower tightly.
- Replacing the Wheel
The last solution is to replace the loose wheel. If you notice any physical damage on the wheel, then any of the above methods aren’t necessary and in this case you simply need to replace it.
However, before doing any repairs, always remember that the first step is to remove the spark plug as a safety precaution.
Why Do The Wheels Of The Lawn Mower Get Wobbly?
The front wheels of the lawn mower typically loosen faster, this is because of the vibration of the lawn mower’s engine. Over time, this vibration loosens the bolts that hold the wheels.
Another reason could be that the surface of your lawn may not be smooth and even. Mowing over bumps or inconsistent terrain can loosen the wheels or make them wobbly.
Low Wheels Or High Wheels To Avoid Wobbly?
Typical medium sized wheels for a lawn mower are about 8 inches. But, there are also wheels available in the market which are around 9 to 12 inches. So, how do you know which one to choose?
Well, the answer is very easy. If your lawn is rutted, has any uneven areas, or steep hills, then you should choose something closer to 12 inches.
Smaller wheels usually follow curved areas more closely than larger wheels. As a result, the deck of the lawn mower can get hit by the object and eventually damage the lawn.
On the other hand, if you have a small, flat lawn, you can easily use small or medium sized wheels. However, larger wheels are generally more costly than the smaller ones, so it’s best to not choose large wheels unless they’re actually necessary.
Verdict
Hopefully you have found this article on ‘how to fix wobbly lawn mower wheels’ informative.
Fixing a wobbly wheel is not a difficult task if you follow the right method. Use your lawn mower carefully to avoid any unnecessary collisions that could damage your wheels. Also, inspect and tighten the bolts and screws regularly to save the wheels from loosening.
