what a PITA ! It seems that even if keep inside in benign envirnoment the axles tend to get rust welded to the wheel forks, which makes removal quite a challenge.
On a Clark 6,500 lb elec pallet jack I did at least manage to get the axles out eventually but on a Multiton 4,500 elec pallet jack (2001 vintage, BTW) I had to literally cut the wheels out with a portable bandsaw. And even then the only way I got the remaining slugs out was by drilling each with 3/8 hole, inserting a 3/8 bolt..just to have something projecting out to hit with a sledge hammer...and even that was amazingly difficult. Luckily I forsaw the issue on the Multiton and had new axles ordered with the wheels.
All this would have been nearly impossible without being able to lift the pallet jacks to different heights with a forklift and having each C clamped to the forks. Had to have comfortable working heights, and the C clamps for safety and to provide some resistance to the pounding.
Although the Clark had much longer wheels, the Clark was easier mostly because being built heavier, it's forks were more stout and resisted the pounding. I had to pound one slug in the Multiton with so much force that it bent the forged fork a bit and then had to pound it back afterwards.
Anyhoo, always fun when you end up spending hours on something that should take minutes, right ?
(and if wondering why no use of WD40 type penetrant, the rust welds were so tight I can't imagine it actually pentrating unless the jacks were turned on their sides for some help with gravity....which would be pretty involved due to removing 500 lb batteries first, and turning 1,000 lb jacks over...twice)
On a Clark 6,500 lb elec pallet jack I did at least manage to get the axles out eventually but on a Multiton 4,500 elec pallet jack (2001 vintage, BTW) I had to literally cut the wheels out with a portable bandsaw. And even then the only way I got the remaining slugs out was by drilling each with 3/8 hole, inserting a 3/8 bolt..just to have something projecting out to hit with a sledge hammer...and even that was amazingly difficult. Luckily I forsaw the issue on the Multiton and had new axles ordered with the wheels.
All this would have been nearly impossible without being able to lift the pallet jacks to different heights with a forklift and having each C clamped to the forks. Had to have comfortable working heights, and the C clamps for safety and to provide some resistance to the pounding.
Although the Clark had much longer wheels, the Clark was easier mostly because being built heavier, it's forks were more stout and resisted the pounding. I had to pound one slug in the Multiton with so much force that it bent the forged fork a bit and then had to pound it back afterwards.
Anyhoo, always fun when you end up spending hours on something that should take minutes, right ?
(and if wondering why no use of WD40 type penetrant, the rust welds were so tight I can't imagine it actually pentrating unless the jacks were turned on their sides for some help with gravity....which would be pretty involved due to removing 500 lb batteries first, and turning 1,000 lb jacks over...twice)