Running gear steering froze up - what can I do???

I bought a Easyflow running gear a year ago that was froze up where the steering wheels pivot. The steering joint consists of a vertical thick walled tube (which is welded to the running gear). Inside of the tube is the actual axle that goes threw the pipe then makes the 90 degree turn to become the wheel spindle. I have been soaking the joint from the top with PB Blaster where the pipe is open and you can see the inner shaft which is frozen. Wonder if I am going to have to take the wheels off and put some torch heat on it???? What about hammering on the outer pipe?? What about hammering from the top (hate to mushroom the inner shaft). Any ideas about breaking the left and right steering joints loose??? Thanks in advance.

(quoted from post at 22:09:25 03/25/13) I bought a Easyflow running gear a year ago that was froze up where the steering wheels pivot. The steering joint consists of a vertical thick walled tube (which is welded to the running gear). Inside of the tube is the actual axle that goes threw the pipe then makes the 90 degree turn to become the wheel spindle. I have been soaking the joint from the top with PB Blaster where the pipe is open and you can see the inner shaft which is frozen. Wonder if I am going to have to take the wheels off and put some torch heat on it???? What about hammering on the outer pipe?? What about hammering from the top (hate to mushroom the inner shaft). Any ideas about breaking the left and right steering joints loose??? Thanks in advance.

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You are on the right track. Heat it up and bang on the thick walled tube. Use a brass hammer so you don't marr up the steel to bad.

I had one froze up, I disconnected the tie rods and worked one side at a time. Jacked up the front and used the tire to wiggle it back and forth. gobble

(quoted from post at 23:09:25 03/25/13) I bought a Easyflow running gear a year ago that was froze up where the steering wheels pivot. The steering joint consists of a vertical thick walled tube (which is welded to the running gear). Inside of the tube is the actual axle that goes threw the pipe then makes the 90 degree turn to become the wheel spindle. I have been soaking the joint from the top with PB Blaster where the pipe is open and you can see the inner shaft which is frozen. Wonder if I am going to have to take the wheels off and put some torch heat on it???? What about hammering on the outer pipe?? What about hammering from the top (hate to mushroom the inner shaft). Any ideas about breaking the left and right steering joints loose??? Thanks in advance.

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Our old running gear will freeze up like that about every other winter.
Ours isn't rusted tight, it is just that the old grease dries up so it won't turn.
We heat it with a torch just enough to be able to pump new grease through it.
That pushes most of the old grease out and its good for another year or two.

I have 15 wagons, froze steering is common here. Heat is about the only way to go. Most times working back and forth with heat and grease will free it up. I have split the tube with the torch, free it up then weld the split back.

Start with heating the tube and tapping with a hammer. They can be stuck bad. I had one once that we had to cut the tube from top to bottom to get the spindle out. Cleaned it up good and welded the cut back together and it turned easily after that. Hope you don"t have to go that far.

I remove the old grease fittings an take parts/brake cleaner and clean what old grease out I can. I then install new fittings. I usually put a round bale on the running gear front end. They will usually set on just the coupling pole and the front bolster well enough to act as a weight. I then take a tractor at a 90 degree angle to the wagon and hook it to the hitch. Then just wiggle back and forth real easy. They usually will wiggle just a little bit and pretty soon you can get them to take some grease. The round bale is heavy enough to put some force on the spindles but light enough that if they are stuck too tight the wagon can skid and not break anything.

If this does not work than I take a Rose bud heating tip and heat the heck out of the outside tube. This will usually get the most stubborn ones to move.

I did have one that would not even move when I did that to it. I ended up taking a cutting wheel and splitting the pipe top to bottom. I then was able to get it apart with heat. I then just welded the slot back shut. I did have to ream the bushings out as when the weld cooled it shrank the pipe some. But I did get it to move.

I've got one I had to remove the pipe from the runnning gear completely, split it open, then replace. It had sat in the weeds for years and no amount of heat would make it loosen.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Heat, grease, and keep working it has always worked for me.

We always heated ours when we bought one that was tight. I wouldn't hammer on it because we found that dents the tube and creates a friction point inside. I would get it loose then remove the spindle from the tube and clean both of them with a wire brush then sandpaper. Grease then put it back together. This has always worked for me.

Heat it, no pounding on tube.

I bought an electric wheels running gear 8 years ago the same way, steering seized up. I tried to break it free with the tractor backing up hooked to the trailer toung, that dident work, I disconnected the tierods, heated the spindle housing, spayed pb blaster ect on it. I took a loly colume pipe and slid it over the part were the tie rod bolted to, I had good leverage this way and would work it back and forth, after about 3 weeks of soaking, heating and working them back and forth they finally came free, I greased the heck out of the 4 fittings and grease my 3 hay wagons every spring. Good luck with yours.

Heat an patience.

They really can freeze up solid -

one thing I'd add to the other good suggestions here is to put a long pipe on the wheel spindle itself (90 degrees to the line of the shaft you're working on) and try to turn it as you heat and hammer.

I'd strongly advise you DON'T hit the end of the shaft to try to push it out. It WILL mushroom - even with light hits.

If you MUST hit it - use a large pointed punch - placed in the direct center of the shaft - that way it will only deform in the middle without mushrooming the sides out too badly.

Heating and cooling will probably make the biggest difference. And lots of penetrating oil (remove the grease zerk and fill it there)

Lots of heat, then quench it quick with water. It will free up very easy..

I have freed up a couple of wagons. I put a bushing over the top of the vertical spindle and then put a hydraulic jack over the bushing. I put a heavy piece of angle iron over that and rapped a chain around all of it. It did not work perfectly but it got the job done every time. If you made a bracket to replace the chain it would work better and be safer.
SDE

We wound up taking the frt axel asy. to a shop with a very big press. Put it in the press , could not move it , heated it till the tube/pipe glowed some , pressed it more till it dropped out. Drilled & installed 2 zerks in each tube. No zerks from the factory!. clint