Removing keyed axle from trike

[sarwood]

I am having a devil of a time trying to get the axle off of my gomier trike. There are two collars for the brake and cassette that are secured with grub screws and 4mm keys. The problem is that I can't get the keys out. I have tried the smallest pliers I could find (wouldn't fit) heat, wd40 and hitting it with hammer and screwdriver.

Anyone know a trick to try and remove these? I would hate to have to drill them out and I don't have a ready replacement.

 

[JGood]

Should be an allen wrench on the set screw then slide them over

 

[sarwood]

Thats where Im getting stuck. I have removed the set screws, but the keys themselves will not budge. I might try drilling a divot in the keys and seeing if that gives me enough traction to slide them.

 

[JGood]

Use penetrant(sp?) and pliers.

 

[sarwood]

Thanks for your reply. I might try penetrating oil. I have put the trike back together for now. When I try again I will order two more keys (luckily gomier is the one trike brand here for which you can reliably get parts). That way if I destroy the keys I will have a set in reserve.

I took the rear section of the trike into a hardware store and tried every set of needle nose pliers I could find. Unfortunately none would fit. I wish they had a set of pliers with very slender, straight (non tapering) tines.

 

[deorman]

My guess would be pressing the axle. There's probably a tool for that, although I'd probably try with my avatar.

 

[sarwood]

Hmm, thats an interesting concept, normally you'd do that when the bearings are stuck rather than keys though?

 

[Joe Monstermaker]

Can you get a thin punch in there and tap them out?
If you end up tapping the axle out, put a nut or two on the end you're tapping so you don't mushroom the end.
You could try applying some heat with a torch if there isn't anything that's gonna melt.

 

[sarwood]

Can you get a thin punch in there and tap them out?
If you end up tapping the axle out, put a nut or two on the end you're tapping so you don't mushroom the end.
You could try applying some heat with a torch if there isn't anything that's gonna melt.

That's an interesting take. On the collars themselves, there is a cap stuck on them that covers the keyway and prevents me from getting anything in there. But I wonder if that is the secret, that in fact I have to get that cap off somehow and push the keys out rather than pull them out.

 

[sarwood]

Gentlemen,

Just letting people know I finally got the axle off, using a combination of suggestions above. Sprayed WD-40, cut out a little piece of screwdriver shaft, tapped the axle until I could see the start of the keyway, and then jammed the bit of shaft through the back of both collars and pushed the keys out. Many thanks for all your suggestions.