How to Remove a Milwaukee Drill Chuck

If you own a Milwaukee drill, you might be wondering how to remove its chuck; I will make this simple in my guide below!

Frequent breaking of drill bits could indicate the drill chuck needs replacing. The chuck gets worn out over a long period of use anyway. If it doesn’t open or close smoothly, it’s probably time to change it. This is not as difficult as you might think.

In general, to remove a Cordless Milwaukee Drill Chuck:

  • Remove the battery
  • Switch the function to its lowest setting.
  • Remove the screw holding the chuck (clockwise).
  • Remove the chuck using an Allen wrench (counter-clockwise) and with the help of a rubber mallet.

I will go into more detail below.

Requirements

A New Drill Chuck

Before we replace the Milwaukee drill chuck, you will need to buy a new piece. This is the part of the Milwaukee drill we are going to change:

a drill chuck

Required Tools

In addition, you will need the following tools to change the Milwaukee drill chuck besides the new chuck to insert:

phillips screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
allen wrench/key
Allen Wrench/Key
rubber mallet
Rubber Mallet


Changing The Drill Chuck

Outline of The Steps

If you’re in a hurry, here are the steps to change the Milwaukee drill chuck quickly:

  • Step 1: Remove the battery if it’s a cordless drill.
  • Step 2: Switch the transmission to its lowest setting.
  • Step 3: Set the clutch to drilling mode.
  • Step 4: Remove the screw holding the chuck (clockwise).
  • Step 5: Remove the chuck using an Allen wrench (counter-clockwise) and with the help of a rubber mallet.
  • Step 6: Replace the chuck.
  • Step 7: Reinsert and tighten the chuck holding screw (counterclockwise).

Direction to Turn

You may have noticed that the directions to turn are opposite to what you would normally do to loosen or tighten something.

This is because of the reverse threading in some tools, including the Milwaukee drill. To highlight this point, here is an illustration of when reverse threading is used. It is important to rotate in the right direction to prevent damage to the chuck assembly.

Directions for reverse threading

Detailed Steps

Here are the same steps outlined above in more detail and with illustrations:

Step 1: Remove the Battery

If the Milwaukee drill that needs its chuck changed is cordless, first remove the battery. If it’s corded, then remove the plug.

Step 2: Switch the Transmission

Switch the transmission of the Milwaukee drill to its lowest setting by changing the gear selector. In this case, it has been put in the “1” position. (1)

Step 3: Set the Clutch

Rotate the clutch to the drilling mode. In the picture above, it is in the first mode on the left of the three available modes.

Step 4: Remove the Screw

Open the Milwaukee drill chuck to its widest position, and remove the screw that holds the chuck using a screwdriver. The screw will probably be reverse-threaded, so you will need to rotate the driver clockwise to loosen and remove it.

Step 5: Remove the Chuck

Once the screw holding the Milwaukee drill chuck is removed, use an Allen wrench to remove the chuck (see the picture below). Insert the short end of the wrench inside the chuck and rotate the long end. You may need to place the chuck along the edge of a surface and use a rubber mallet to loosen it. Remember to rotate the wrench in a counter-clockwise direction. Continue rotating until the chuck assembly disengages from the spindle.

Caution: Rotating the wrench in the wrong (clockwise) direction will tighten the chuck further and could cause damage to the chuck assembly. If the chuck does not loosen easily, strike the long end of the Allen wrench a few times with the rubber mallet. If the chuck is still stiff or stuck, spray it with a cleaner before rotating it again. (2)

Step 6: Replace the Chuck

Once the old Milwaukee drill chuck has been removed, thread the new one onto the spindle. Secure the chuck assembly by hand as tightly as you can.

Step 7: Reinsert the Screw

Finally, reinsert the Milwaukee drill chuck holding screw and tighten it with the screwdriver. Remember to rotate the screw counterclockwise to secure it.

Your Milwaukee drill with a new drill chuck is now ready to use again!

Take a look at some of our related articles below.




References
(1) transmission – https://help.edmunds.com/hc/en-us/articles/206102597-What-are-the-different-types-of-transmissions-
(2) rubber – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/450330

Video Reference

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About Sam Orlovsky

b1d87d2ee85af3e51479df87928bdc88?s=90&d=mm&r=gCertifications: B.E.E.
Education: University Of Denver - Electric Engineering
Lives In: Denver Colorado

Electrical engineering is my passion, and I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years. This gives me a unique ability to give you expert home improvement and DIY recommendations. I’m not only an electrician, but I also like machinery and anything to do with carpentry. One of my career paths started as a general handyman, so I also have a lot of experience with home improvement I love to share.

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