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Wheelhouse Help!


Nisswaguy

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I have a wheelhouse that I bought from a friend last year and everything worked just fine. This year - I finally was able to put it out this weekend - but only 1 side will crank down to the ice. 1 side cranks down just fine but the other side will only crank down about 2 inches and then stop. I can keep letting cable out so there is plenty of slack in the cable - but the wheel won't come up anymore and the house won't go down anymore. I tried going inside the house and jumping up and down over the wheel but that didn't do anything.

Any suggestions on what the problem may be... or better yet... how I can fix it?

Thank you for any/all advice!

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The pivot is likely rusted and stuck. It is good that it moves some. Find the pivot shaft. Usually there is a inner shaft that rides in a outer housing. Drill a few holes in this housing that will allow a grease zirk to be screwed in to it so you can grease it. Then grease the carp out of it. Do this to the other side. Once you have greased it good. move it up as much ias it will and back Down. Keep doing this until it will move all the way down. You may need a persuader bar but hopefully not.

Once you get it free remember to grease each spring and you should be fine from then on.

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I have also had this problem. It always happens on one side. I have added grease zerks (to both sides) which has helped. I also bring my Mr. Heater/cooker with and set next to the pivot and heat it up a little and within minutes it drops perfectly. I think this occurs on the one side because when it is sitting in the yard the side that sticks never see's sunlight and I think it freezes up (maybe I used the wrong grease????), because during the summer both go up and down fine.

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If it is freezing up then I would say you have dirt built up in there, the dirt moisture and freezes up when cold. Your grease is just pushing out around the dirt. If you could pull it off and clean it, then make sure its always full of grease. If its not full of grease the road dust will fill the void in there. If you can't pull it off take the tires off and the cable so you can rotate it 180 degrees and grease it in as many positions as possible.

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I had the same problem in the middel of winter so I know it was rusted and not froze. I had the whole family inside to add some weight and it would still not down. Added the grease fittings and problem solved. I shot a bunch of wd40 into the joint and worked it back and forth until it was free, then greased the snot out of it.

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I pulled it off the lake at lunch time and brought it to a buddies heated garage. As soon as I backed it in and unhooked it - it cranked down. I cranked it up and down a few times and then let it sit for about 10 minutes while we were [PoorWordUsage]'ing. I then went to crank it down again and it didn't move more than a couple of inches. He hung on the back corner and it moved it further down.

My guess is that it's getting rusty inside the axel. There isn't any place to put grease. There is a bolt on the very end of the axle. Is this what I need to unscrew and grease the "carp" out of?

Does the entire assembly have to come off?

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I had to pull the entire assembly off of mine, Its full of rust thats why it is not moving, pull the thing off, take a grinder to it to get it back to bare metal use a file to clean out the inside of the stub and then grease it and re-install.

Like others said put a grease zerk in it after you are done.

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Each house type is different. What manufacturer is it?

It should have a outer housing around the pivot shaft. This is like a round tube within a round tube. You drill a hole in the side of outer round tube to get access between the two tubes. Then screw in a grease zirk fitting into the hole and grease with a grease gun. You will want to use a drill bit the right size for the grease zirk. You should be able to get both at the hardware store.

If it is not this type it could be a type similar that has a pin at the inside(under the house) that you can remove and then remove the whole axel assembly. This makes it easier if it is this type.

There is still another type that has a round pivot shaft inside a square outer housing. These are easier to grease as you can just spray wd40 in the square and then shove grease into the square.

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It was a homemade house so it wasn't made by a manufacturer. There is NOT a pin under the house. The outter tube is round and I believe it is exactly like the first example you give. There is just 1 bolt at the end of the shaft that my buddy believes just holds it all together. His guess is that that bolt will have to be removed in order to pull the assembly off the shaft. He also believes it might be an impossible task to save the bolt, therefore I would need a new one to replace the old. I hope it comes off easily, can be cleaned out, greased up, and put back together relatively well. I am officially "knocking" on wood!

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Knocking on wood didn't help. Have to take it to a shop. My buddy had to cut the bolt off but can't get it out of the shaft. It's too corroded. Hope this one doesn't hurt to bad in the pocket book. Part of the deal though I guess!

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It was a homemade house so it wasn't made by a manufacturer. There is NOT a pin under the house. The outter tube is round and I believe it is exactly like the first example you give. There is just 1 bolt at the end of the shaft that my buddy believes just holds it all together. His guess is that that bolt will have to be removed in order to pull the assembly off the shaft. He also believes it might be an impossible task to save the bolt, therefore I would need a new one to replace the old. I hope it comes off easily, can be cleaned out, greased up, and put back together relatively well. I am officially "knocking" on wood!
Take some pictures of what you have and post them up.
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Is it just a bolt or is there a collar that the bold goes through? None the less, it sounds like that assembly needs to come apart.

Use emery [sp] paper on the shaft; and the inside of the tube that slides on the shaft; to clean the rust off.

If there isn't a grease zirk, maybe add one as long as it is apart.

Would I be guess right if this is on the driver side?

"hooks"

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Just went through this same issue

1. You Broke off the bolt that goes through the axel. Get a 1/4 drill bit and drill it out. Very simple.

2. Remove the wheel assembly (tube / pipe around the shaft) from the steel shaft. You may need to pound it off it is rusted reel bad.

3. Take an emery cloth or sand paper and clean shaft free of any rust / etc. Take a wire brush and clear the inside of the tube as well.

4. Inspect for any burs or something catching / rubbing . If so sand more and remove.

5. You can choose to put in a zirk or not. I did not because i will now remove the assembly each spring and clean the entire assembly and re-grease the carp out of the entire shaft. THE ZIRK DOES NOT GAURENTEE FULL PENETRATION OF GREASE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SHAFT. That is the same reason i do not like bearing buddies. You cannot inspect and grease the back bearing....

Put back together and replace bolt on end of shaft.

6. Good luck

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Thanks for all of the advice!!! What a great bunch of people to help me out. I really appreciate it.

The house is sitting at my buddies house and he's going to try and help me with my "project".

Fishnhooks - yes - it's on the drivers side. How did you guess that?

crappiekid - thanks for the step-by-step process. I'm sure we'll follow it closely. I'll keep you all posted!

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