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I tried to remove the supporting wheel of my son's bike the other day, it's quite easy to remove one but the other gave me quite a bit trouble - the nut is rounded thus can't be secured by a wrench. The bike, the nut, and the tools I used to try are shown below. I looked up online and found some links which look promising but not sure if they are fisible in reality, like this one on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5d0Bgvjmlk

Can anyone kindly help out? Also, on the left side of the bike, which direction is to loosen the nut? Counter-clockwise, right?

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  • I’m voting to close this question because it isn't about Home Improvement.
    – Daniel Griscom
    Jun 20, 2020 at 16:32
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    A pair of locking pliers (i.e. Vise Grips) may be able to get a grip on the rounded bolt.
    – SteveSh
    Jun 20, 2020 at 16:43
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    Borderline, @DanielGriscom. Removing a rounded bolt is well within the purview of Home Improvement, this just happens to apply to a bicycle (for which we have Bicycles) instead of a washing machine (which most would consider well on topic here).
    – FreeMan
    Jun 20, 2020 at 16:43
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    Also, it's a simple question to answer, probably less effort to answer than to vote it off. Let's help them out, that's what were here for in the bigger picture
    – Ack
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:22
  • Thanks SteveSh, @FreeMan, Ack. I asked this question because I asked similar questions before and got answers, Daniel Griscom, I will try to make my questions more relevant and in line with the category.
    – J.E.Y
    Jun 20, 2020 at 17:27

3 Answers 3

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  1. You need "locking pliers" - Vice Grips™ is a trade name that has become a common name for these types of pliers. They will lock on to any portion of that nut, embossing some grooves in it, and allow you to turn the nut. You'll have to squeeze the pliers quite hard to get them to lock, but once they're locked, they'll hold just fine. You then unscrew, applying whatever turning force is necessary without worrying about holding the pliers on to the nut. Depending on how tight the nut is, you may have to release & relock the pliers more than once as you run out of turning room.

  2. With very few exceptions, all threads on a bike are standard right-hand threads (righty-tightey, lefty-loosey). The exceptions are the right-hand side pedal and crank arm. You won't have to worry about the crank arm on this bike, though, as it appears to have a 1-piece crank. There may be a couple of other left-hand threads, but they're on parts you won't ever encounter until you're deep into home bike maintenance - the kind of maintenance you'll never do on this bike because the kid will have outgrown it long before that maintenance is necessary.

As a side note, you're probably going to want to replace the nuts on the rear axle where the training wheels attach. This will help prevent the kid from scraping himself on the potentially sharp edge of the nut. You'll probably want an acorn nut (which will cover then end of the bolt with a smoothly rounded "lid"). You will not want to reuse whatever's left of the nut in your picture - it will have more sharp edges than the axle! When you get that nut off, take it to your local hardware store, and ask for a pair of acorn nuts - you'll need this bolt so you can be sure the threads match.

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    Axle nuts are frequently fine thread. They may be metric or SAE (American).Finding a fine thread acorn nut locally might prove difficult. Also axle nuts are typically a flanged nut to prevent slippage since they are tightened over a slotted hole. When you get the nut off go to your local bike shop and get a proper axle nut.
    – mikes
    Jun 20, 2020 at 18:41
  • Good points, @mikes
    – FreeMan
    Jun 21, 2020 at 15:16
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At this point the nut is ruined. Get some vice grips or small pipe wrench. Once you remove it, replace it with a new nut.

Turn the nut counterclockwise.

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If the nut is that tight and you show the same tools in your picture that the other answers suggest so I am going to explain a different technique.

Using a small drill 1/8" or less I have drilled 2 or 3 holes into the nut inline with the axis of the shaft just down to the start of the threads - stitch drilling then split the nut with a chisel. once the nut starts to expand it then comes undone easily.

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