How to Remove a Cotter Pin From a Mower Wheel

Repairing a flat front tire on your riding mower sometimes requires removing the tire. The tires on your mower secure to the axle a little differently than axles on your car. Instead of lug nuts, the front tire simply uses a cotter pin to secure to the front axle. Removing a cotter pin from a mower wheel is a simple process, although at first glance you might think you'll break the pin. Most mower wheel cotter pins are thick and are able to withstand the bending necessary to remove them.

Floor jack or bottle jack
2 jack stands
Flat-head screwdriver
Needle-nose pliers
Vise grips

Instructions

- 1
  Park your mower on level ground, and set the parking brake. Remove the ignition key from the mower.
- 2
  Jack the front of the mower with a floor jack or bottle jack under the front frame. Raise the front of the mower until the bottom of the front wheels are off the ground. Put a jack stand on each side of the jack under the frame, and slowly lower the jack so the jack stands are supporting the weight of the mower.
- 3
  Pry the center cap off the front wheel with a flat-head screwdriver. The center cap covers the end of the axle and the cotter pin.
- 4
  Straighten the ends of the cotter pin with a pair of needle-nose pliers. The ends are usually bent over the axle.
- 5
  Grab the top of the cotter pin with a pair of vise grips, and pull the cotter pin out of the axle.

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