Zip Dee Wheel Lock Stuck

[Kevio]

The wheel lock on our 1976 Sovereign Zip Dee awning won’t unscrew. The guy took it off when we bought it a couple months ago but now it won’t budge. I’m thinking he put it on too tight. I’ve tried all kinds of things including channel locks and a pipe wrench, along with penetration oil. Any thoughts?

[Al and Missy]

I'll presume you put some penetrant around the base of the wheel and on the threads. I really like PBBlaster. It has loosened many things for me. Another trick I have used is to put a torch on the nut (wheel) and ice on the stud. The stud shrinks a little and the wheel expands a little. This will not work if the binding is between the base of the wheel and the casting on the arm. In that case just ice the wheel.


When you try to turn it does anything move? This would tell you where it is binding up.

Edit: It looks like the stud is slanted to the right in the picture and the casting on the arm is displaced to the right w.r.t. the base casting. Try to tap the assembly to get the casting on the arm lined up symmetrically with the base casting.


Also try releasing the other locks or tightening them, depending on what the state is when you can't get this wheel loose.



Al

[ROBERT CROSS]

...needed.

From the pic it appears the wheel shaft may be off-center and jammed.

Have Peep #2 push the support arm in, hard, while turning.(attempting) 😳

Bob
🇺🇸

[Adventure.AS]

It sounds like galling (“cold welding”) that occurs when stainless steel bolt and nut are over tightened. No easy way to untighten, often requires cutting the nut (wheel) off.

[Tim A.]

From your picture, it looks like you have penetrating oil on the bolt threads (good, of course). It does not look like you have put any oil on the aluminum to aluminum contact of the wheel and the arm end. Aluminum to aluminum galling and/or corrosion might be the problem.

Penetrating oil on the aluminum to aluminum contact might help. If it were me, I would apply the oil, let it soak overnight, and then try to turn the wheel. If that did not work, I would judiciously heat the wheel (only) with a torch, let it cool, apply more oil, and try again. I would repeat the process several times if it still did not break loose.

An extension (piece of iron pipe) on your pipe wrench, or a bigger pipe wrench might help.

Tim

[BigAl]

be careful with heat. I'm sure the wheel is aluminum. It could be cross threaded.
Al

[tbashin]

I agree with PB Blaster on the threads. Have you tried to tighten it just a tad? I find that many times that will break the "stuck" and allow the oil to penetrate if it's galled on.
Always use "anti-seize" on stainless bolts too; especially with aluminum.

[The Ice Man]

Using your picture as a reference, push the arm right to left while someone attempts to turn the wheel. I know I often need to "re-align" the arm for mine to turn.

[Shinkee]

If the bolt is steel and the wheel is aluminium, it could have dielectric corrosion, happens a lot with bicycle seatposts. Typically penetrating lube will not work in these cases

[Mollysdad]

I don't think you have much choice except a larger wrench. It doesn't look corroded and the metal is aluminum.
If you have access to a propane torch, heat the area where the threads meet the wheel.
One of two things will happen, it will release and you can take it off and see if it was cross threaded. Or it will snap the pin and you'll replace both parts.
Sheering the pin will take some force.

It's hard to imagine someone cross threading it, because they'd have to use a wrench to get it that far on. But...........

[Ray Eklund]

Kevio... be very careful not to damage the rivets holding the hardware to the trailer. Much more important than saving the locking 'wheel'.

If you exhaust all options using larger and larger leverage and not tearing the bracket attached to the exterior... cut a slice into the 'wheel lock'... and cut it off. You will need this area to be solid if you plan to keep your awning secured to the trailer.

Lets not even get into the 'leaking' into the interior if you tear this area up with a four foot jack handle and plumber's pipe wrench. That is for the Oil Patch on a Drilling Rig.

It is much cheaper to replace the wheel lock than repair the main bracket with threaded bolt. (I may be tight with my money, but there are times you have to spend $5 to save $100 in damage.)

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by The Ice Man

Using your picture as a reference, push the arm right to left while someone attempts to turn the wheel. I know I often need to "re-align" the arm for mine to turn.

BINGO👍...it's happened here more than once.

Bob
🇺🇸

[kdinnar]

Same thing happened to me a few years ago. I sprayed a few times with PB Blaster, gave it a knock with a hammer, tried to tighten and untighten, waited a few hours and applied more PB Blaster, waited,.....and it worked.

[r carl]

Originally Posted by Tim A.

From your picture, it looks like you have penetrating oil on the bolt threads (good, of course). It does not look like you have put any oil on the aluminum to aluminum contact of the wheel and the arm end. Aluminum to aluminum galling and/or corrosion might be the problem.

Penetrating oil on the aluminum to aluminum contact might help. If it were me, I would apply the oil, let it soak overnight, and then try to turn the wheel. If that did not work, I would judiciously heat the wheel (only) with a torch, let it cool, apply more oil, and try again. I would repeat the process several times if it still did not break loose.

An extension (piece of iron pipe) on your pipe wrench, or a bigger pipe wrench might help.

Tim

My money is on the aluminum to aluminum contact point under the wheel too.

[HiHoAgRV]

Tap out the small pin and remove the wheel/stud assembly.

Then you can get mean with it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Kevio

The wheel lock on our 1976 Sovereign Zip Dee awning won’t unscrew. The guy took it off when we bought it a couple months ago but now it won’t budge. I’m thinking he put it on too tight. I’ve tried all kinds of things including channel locks and a pipe wrench, along with penetration oil. Any thoughts?

It looks as if it got knocked back out of allignment wedding the where it can't turn. Tap it forward with a hammer and I bet you will be able to turn it by hand.

[tinshiba]

Originally Posted by Kevio

The wheel lock on our 1976 Sovereign Zip Dee awning won’t unscrew. The guy took it off when we bought it a couple months ago but now it won’t budge. I’m thinking he put it on too tight. I’ve tried all kinds of things including channel locks and a pipe wrench, along with penetration oil. Any thoughts?

Ours did this exact same thing. I worked on it using 3 in one oil for an hour and a half and was finally able to work it loose. Such a pain. Someone told me the screw and the receiver are made from two different metals that react to each other. I don't know for sure, but that was really hard to release. Good luck!

[Mollysdad]

I went back and looked at the picture again.
The knob doesn't look cross threaded to me.
So maybe it's jammed where the wheel meets the cast U-shaped piece.
I'd put lots of penetrating oil there, wait a while, tap it lightly, and try turning again.

[switz]

Since the wheel typically does not come off of the threaded bolt, cross threading is not the issue. Alignment of the shoulder of the wheel to the matching cone shape in the receiver is where the binding is taking place. The two people solution (one pushing the assembly upwards and in to help align the wheel and socket may work.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Kevio

The wheel lock on our 1976 Sovereign Zip Dee awning won’t unscrew. The guy took it off when we bought it a couple months ago but now it won’t budge. I’m thinking he put it on too tight. I’ve tried all kinds of things including channel locks and a pipe wrench, along with penetration oil. Any thoughts?

Have you freed up the wheel yet?