Extracting the stainless stub axles on the trolley

[Paul White]

The stainless steel stub axles and aluminium axle tube can react due to galvanic corrosion which makes it hard to extend or exchange the stub axles if you want to add wide wheels.

316 stainless and aluminium are far apart on the periodic table and thus prone to reaction especially if exposed to salt water.

Solutions

– Flood the tube with rust converter (eg CRC) and leave it overnight

– Drill out the hole on the end of the tube to take a rod or screwdriver then use a 1m long tube over the rod as a lever to turn the stub axle and break the corrosion.

– If necessary clean up the end of the tube with a file and insert a larger retaining bolt. Or cut the end off and redrill the retaining bolt hole.

– If it still won’t move you can use an angle grinder to carefully cut a slot in the underside of the axle tube and then use rust converter and the lever to break the corrosion. Then insert a new stubb axle and put bolts through the axle tube to squeeze it together.

– Coat the axle tube before insertion with a corrosion inhibitor (eg Tef-Gel, Inox MX3 or Lanolin-based) to prevent further corrosion.

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