Hey Libby,

Is the tire shot? If not, you don't really need to take it off the machine. As long as it's tubeless and it doesn't have a nail or something it, just put some tire slime in through the valve stem or directly between the bead and rim. Take a piece of rope, wrap it around the circumference of the wheel, and pull the rope tight. Add air and till away.

bagsprc - I think the HH60 is the engine serial number, not the tiller number. But, no matter.

Try this: Lift up the flat-tire side of the tiller and set a concrete block under it, so that the flat tire is held off the ground. Take one of those load-securing straps that has a ratchet mechanism to tighten it down, and place the strap around the tire; tighten the hell out of it, so that the bead of the tire is squished out against the wheel. (If you don't have such a strap, try a rope as farmerboybill suggested - however, it's hard to pull the rope tight enough.) Using a compressor or a portable air tank, put air into the tire; the object here is for air pressure to force the tire beads against the wheel tight enough to seal. Sometimes it helps to remove the core from the valve stem, in which case you have to put a simple nozzle on your air hose - if you do it this way, you'll lose some air while you reinsert the core, but the beads should hold.

If you are able to seat the beads and the tire holds air, then you're good to go. If you seat the beads but the tire looses air, then try putting Slime into it, rotate the tire a number of times, and air it up again. HOWEVER, if you can't get the beads to seat, you've got 3 options; turn the tiller over on its side and see if you can insert a tube with the wheel still on the tiller, or remove the wheel and install a tube OR load the tiller up and take it to a tire repair shop. At this point, I personally would head for the tire shop.

Good luck removing the wheel - it's probably going to be quite a job. Punch the pin out, and the wheel is ready to slip off the axle - but it won't. It's probably rusted in place. Try P-Blaster, tap on the wheel with a hammer, spray it again, let it soak overnight, tap it some more - work it, work it, work it. If you've got a torch, try heat. Good luck. If you do ever get it off, put anti-seize on the axle before you reinstall it. If you get the wheel off, put a tube in the tire.

When I said to use an air compressor, I mean one of the large units that has a tank. You need a high volume of air to seat the tire beads, and the little "putt-putt" things that you plug into the car cigarette lighter will not deliver enough air to do the job.

P-Blaster is an aerosol spray, much like WD40 but MUCH MUCH better for loosening things up - for this job, no use trying WD40.

Also, when you're looking for info on your tiller, don't use that HH60 as the model number. I'm thinking that HH60 is the Tecumseh engine on the tiller, and that the tiller itself is probably a Horse model. Try searching on Troybilt Horse for information.

True: HH means the engine is a Tecumseh 6 h.p. engine.
And, if the tire is cracked, on the side walls, best to have it replaced! I just bought one for $32.95, installed, at the shop where i bought the tire! Fortunately, the wheel came off easily! I lubed the axle before i reinstalled the wheel.

Never pound on the wheel or you'll damage the tranny and tranny parts are hard (ie next to impossible) to find.

Just replace the tire and/or inner tube without removing the wheel by propping up that side of the tiller and use tire irons.

Now once the tire holds air just remove the roll pin and start tilling. Eventually it'll break free and when it does use emery cloth to polish the axle and apply anti seeze so it's easier to remove next time.

If you have to remove a rusted on wheel your best approach is to grind it off and replace it. Others have had success by drilling holes in the wheel and then using special pullers.

Just don't use a hammer no matter how much you want to!!!

A person could weld a large nut on the end of the wheel. Then place a long bolt in it and use the bolt to pull the wheel from the shaft. You must be carefull while welding so that you do not get the wheel so hot that you damage internal parts of the tiller. The heat from weling should help loosen the wheel. With this method you shoul save the expensive wheel and have a way to remove it in the future.

WELDED A BIG NUT ON THE END OF THE WHEEL AT THE HOLE OPENING, (WIRE FEED WORKS GOOD) USE MATCHING BOLT,MUST BE THREADS TO THE END OF THE BOLT, ABOUT 4 TO 5 INCHES LONG. THEN USE 1/2 AIR GUN. THE WHEEL WILL SLOWLY COME OFF. THIS WORKS VERY GOOD. THEN JUST PAINT THE NUT WHITE, IT WILL LOOK FACTORY, THIS IS WHAT THE FACTORY SHOULD HAVE DONE. ((DO NOT)) BEAT ON AXLE OR WHEEL YOU MIGHT PUSH E-CLIPS OFF THE AXLE SHAFT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION OR MESS UP THE TRANSMISSION.

Ron: Why bring up an OLD Thread over 3 yrs old and DUPLICATE the recourse . Unless you have something of interest to lend leave it be !

OK, here is what you need. This site has a tool just right for this problem.
Go to blizzardtools.com You will be impressed how easy it is. Once you have removed the wheels from both sides you can resell the tool for most of your money back this way the total price is cheep.

Here is a link that might be useful: blizzardtools.com

I have a craftsman 5hp 17" rear tine tiller #917.299651. I cant get the tire (gear side) off. I believe it was repaired in the past and the tire was put on incorrectly. The tire is shot and needs to be replaced. Anybody know how to get that tire off?