It's not splined. Problem is that it has probably rusted tight. Try some penetrating oil. If that doesn't work, try a puller. You might have to cut the center out of the wheel so the puller can press against the shaft. Last resort is a torch to heat it.

Hi all, I don't know if anyone else has had this problem but here's my solution. I have owned a Troy Bilt Zero turn mower for about 2 years. As with all zero turns they are meant for fairly flat areas, But my problem came because the front steering didn't turn as well as it should. On damp grass the rear tires would slip and dig up the grass under the drive tire on a turn. Also the distance was so slim between the tire and the fork that holds it that grass would jam up between them causing the tire to freeze up and skid on the ground tearing up the grass. I learned to watch for this and if the grass built up I would stop and back up clearing the grass from the wheel but leaving a glob of clippings on the ground. I thought this was normal for all zero turn mowers, until the front tires became distorted and crooked almost like a belt inside the tire was broken. Finally one tire became so distorted it bound up in the steering fork that holds it. Troy Bilt wanted anywhere from $70.00 - $90.00 + shipping for 1 new wheel and tire, and delivery time was 10 days. I went to Harbor Freight and purchased 2 #38943 10" Pneumatic Rigid Caster wheels which include the frame work, bearings, wheel, tire, and axle for $10.99 each. The Harbor Freight frame sits almost perfect inside the original Troy Bilt frame. I welded the one from Harbor Freight inside the Troy Bilt one If ever I need a new tire, wheel, or bearing the whole tire & hub assembly # 43612 costs $9.99 $5.99 on sale. I have found this set-up to work great. It steers better and doesn't get clogged with grass because there is more clearance between the tire and frame work. The only draw back I can see is the bearings aren't grease able, so I may drill the hub for a fitting to be able to grease them. I hope this helps some one else out there. Dave

Sometimes the lower bushing on the steering shaft goes away on these. Best to replace both. Just need to get into it and look for wear.

Refer to the online Owner's Manual (click link) and the line drawing below. There will be some wear in the lower steering column bearing (items 6&29) which allows deflection of the steering shaft (item 16). There will also be wear in the sector gear (item 35) shaft bearing (items 6&27). Because the sector gear PUSHES the drag link (item18) toward the steering knuckle (not shown here) when making left turns, the wear in the sector shaft bearing allows the sector gear teeth to move away from the pinion gear teeth. When this happens, the gear teeth simply jump over each other instead of operating the steering knuckle. When making a right turn, however, the sector gear PULLS on the drag link and the steering knuckle, and the wear in the sector shaft bearing allows the sector gear teeth to be pulled closer to the pinion gear teeth, and right turns can be executed with no problems. To fully restore the integrity of the pinion gear to the sector gear, you will need to replace at least the bearings indicated on the line drawing. If the teeth of the sector and pinion gears have worn places, replace the sector gear and the steering column shaft also. Ask whether a "kit" is available to do the rehab program, sometimes a comprehensive kit is cheaper than buying individual parts. By the way, this is a fairly involved procedure, requires complete disassembly of the steering column and a lot of clearance underneath the tractor. Here is a link that might be useful: 917.275021 OMan