HELP – Stuck Rear Maxle

I’m looking for a bit of help/advice please.

I went to remove my rear wheel yesterday to top up the tyre sealant & found that I couldn’t get the axle out of the wheel.
The Maxle unscrews from the cassette side of the frame but it doesnt retract from the wheel – all that happens is that the chainstays get pushed apart as the axle unscrews.
I tried laying the bike down & getting as much GT85 spray around the axle (many times yesterday) then trying to tap out the axle with a big allen key & hammer – but just not shifting.
I’m guessing the axle is seized on the bearings as I can turn the bearing adjuster on the cassette side.

I’ve never had this problem previously – my bike is stored in a pretty hot place, so may have caused this issue?
The hub/bike is a 2020 model Whyte T130.

Anyone had a similar problem or got any advice to help me free the Maxle from my rear wheel?
Thanks.

I thought they usually unscrewed from the Disk Brake (ie, non drive) side… What happens if you turn it the other way?

Just checked 3 of the bikes in my garage-
definitely not this side

def this side

Def this

Probably the outer freehub bearing inner race has seized to Maxle – PlusGas and some more ‘shock’ treatment ⚒️⚒️⚒️

Hi,
Yes, the lever is on the disc side, but the axle screws into a thread on the cassette side.
So I can turn the lever & it unscrews from the thread in the frame, but does not pull out of the wheel / frame.

It would probably help if you could hold the bike horizontally over a workbench, with lots of support around the dropout but with space for the Maxle to move – that’s how we did them in the workshop – 2 person job

I had this on a front axle. I think I freed it with a rubber mallet to the fork leg after winding it out little by little.

Dovebiker has the right idea, support the dropout on the brake side while you use a drift on the other end. There’s usually very little point trying to drift it out without support, as all of your effort will go into spreading the dropouts, not moving the axle.

Can you tie the stays together and then try to unscrew the maxle? If you’ve sprayed the lube in it will take time to penetrate.

A ratchet strap wrapped around the 2 seat stays (as close the the drop out as possible (and another on the chain stays) – so over both sides of the bike through the wheel. Doesn’t need to be proper tight but needs to be tight enough to keep the stays from spreading as the maxle is unscrewed.

Might not be a great solution if the stays are properly thin.

Definitely a 2 person job, don’t do anything rash. I think your assessment must be right.

Thanks for all the feedback.
I couldn’t get any Plusgas today, but managed to get similar own-brand Halfords Release spray.
Another good soaking with the spray, some help from my son to support the dropout & I managed to get the axle to shift a bit with hammer + allen key socket as a drift.
Another soaking & managed to work the axle all the way out – didn’t come out easy & needed the hammer pretty much all the way as was seized on the drive side bearing.
Not sure if any of the bearings need replacing as was pretty dark by the time I finished, but the axle still looks in good shape.
Thanks again for all the advice.

Check the end threads before re-using.

Potential to damage thread form in the DS dropout.

Then you will be in a world of pain….

Threads are all good.
All cleaned up, dismantled, re-greased & assembled now.
There was nothing obvious causing the problem – Maxle slides smoothly through wheel axle, bearings all fine.
Can only be that whatever grease was on the Maxle had dried out & acted like cement bonding it inside the hollow rear hub axle.
Anyway, all good & trail ready – so thanks again for all the input.

Not sure how Plusgas reacts with the rear-wheel bearing seals or the grease in the bearings themselves. Well worth getting the hub & any nearby suspension bearings checked TBH.