DIY Replacing Tires on Hand Truck 🛠🧰💪

The most challenging DIY project is trying to disassemble something that wasn't built to be disassembled, easily or otherwise. That's what I encountered when I went to replace the busted tires on my hand truck. I knew I needed to remove what I eventually learned was called a pushnut, but it was almost impossible to get a pry bar under that pushnut. It would have been easier if they used a connector with a cotter pin or something that could be loosened. I essentially had no choice but to damage the pushnut to remove the wheel.

I was so frazzled after wrestling with those wheels for over an hour that I broke a cardinal DIY rule. I threw the busted-up pieces of pushnut in the trash. I took a few photos, but when you don't know the name of the part, you need to bring that part with you to the store. When I got to my local Ace, they had no idea what the part was, and it became a bit of a mystery with multiple workers and myself wandering around the store. I finally found the closest thing, but the sizes stopped at 1/2", and I needed 5/8". I bought the next closest part in the 5/8" size, but I am concerned that it will quickly fail, given the harsh treatment I dole out to that hand truck.

I searched on Amazon to see if I could find the actual pushnut, and the description started with "Hard-to-Find," and I knew I didn't need to read further.

The connectors are almost impossible to remove without damaging them, and the replacement parts are hard to find. That combination turns a simple DIY project into an exhausting and frustrating afternoon.