Whoever uses a drill has to go through the issue of stuck chuck at some point. Luckily, it’s not a problem that you can’t fix yourself. Whether the drill is stuck in an open position or closed, you can quickly fix the issue.
Don’t know how to do it? Well, I have got you covered with that. I will go through everything you need to know for fixing a stuck chuck on your DeWalt Drill. So, let’s get on with it without wasting any more time.
How do you fix a stuck drill chuck on a DeWalt drill?
Now, there are two positions your DeWalt chuck can get stuck at. It can either happen in a closed position or an open position. Depending on what issue you are facing, there are different ways to fix them. I will go through methods for fixing both situations.
- DeWalt cordless drill chuck stuck in the open position
When your chuck is stuck in the open position, solving the problem is fairly easy. There are typically two ways to fix this issue, depending on the cause. Let’s check them out one by one.
- Using WD-40 & Strap Wrench
If your chuck is stuck simply because it’s jammed, then you can use a little bit of WD-40 to fix the issue. These industrial lubricants protect metal from rust and corrosion to displace moisture. They also penetrate stuck parts and lubricates almost anything. In the process, it make things work smoothly.
This works when the chuck gets stuck because of water seeping inside the chuck, or it can get jammed over time like any other tool. Whatever the case is, a little WD-40 can easily fix that.
Then turn the drill chuck in the anti-clockwise direction by using a strap wrench.
- Fastening the screw
This is the method where you have to do some works with the drill. Usually, with an open position of the chuck, you can see a screw inside. That screw has a responsibility for the movement of your chuck.
When the screw gets loose, it can stop those chuck jaws/ teeth from moving properly. This results in an open chuck position. So, what you have to do is tighten that screw.
You can use a suitable screwdriver and tighten the screw. You have to keep in mind that the screws have reverse threading on them. So, when turning the screwdriver, make sure you are doing it in a counterclockwise direction.
If none of this works out for you, you will have to replace the chuck. I will go through that in a bit.
- DeWalt cordless drill chuck stuck in close position
Most of the people will face this issue more than the other one. A chuck can easily get stuck in the closed position many times.
Especially with cordless drills having keyless chucks, it’s very likely that the chuck teeth lose their alignment. Therefore, you will need to readjust and align the teeth.
Whether the drill bit is already stuck or not doesn’t make that much of a difference, in either case, you will have to do the same thing, which is to tap the chuck teeth.
To do that, you take a flat head screwdriver and a hammer. The job gets much easier if you can identify the misaligned teeth just from their looks. Use place the screwdriver on the teeth and tap on it.
However, if you can’t figure out which teeth are misaligned, you can gently tap on all of them. You should hear a knock or tap sound coming from the chuck when you tap the correct teeth. This means the chuck tooth is aligned again, and the issue is fixed.
Alternate Options To Fix Your Problem
- Get two pairs of vise grips and make sure the drill is set to reverse. Now pulling the trigger will open the jaws of the chuck.
- Many prefer a bench vise to get this done, some even think that it works better than vise grips.
Why does my drill chuck keep getting stuck?
Now, if you are wondering and have many questions regarding chucks and why they get stuck, I have the answers. Let’s check some common questions about the matter and see the answers.
Why does my DeWalt drill chuck keep loosening?
There are typically three reasons why your DeWalt drill chuck loosens every once in a while.
- A worn-out drill chuck can be a key cause for that. When that happens, you simply need to replace it.
- The chucks sometimes may not be tight enough. Sometimes the chuck doesn’t lock properly, so it keeps loosening. You can tighten the chuck until you hear a click sound, so it’s properly locked.
- When the chucks get dirty, they don’t lock properly. As a result, they will keep loosening. So, all you have to do is clean it and lock the chucks back again.
How do i remove a drill bit that is stuck due to an overtightened chuck?
You can use any of these to remove the drill bit:
- Strap wrench– this is made for these type of tasks and won’t damage the chuck.
- Channellock pliers– quite effective as well but you may need to wrap some sort of heavy cloth or rubber sheet around the chuck to prevent damage.
Keyless chuck vs. Keyed?
When it’s about chucks on your drill, you get to see two types. It’s either keyed or keyless chucks. Keyed chucks are the ones you have to close and open using a chuck key. This is pretty common in a corded drill.
As for the keyless ones, you can open and close the chucks just by hand. You can see this in most of the cordless drills.
For better convenience in work, a keyless chuck is perfect. On the other hand, keyed chucks provide a much more secured lock on the chucks when you place a drill bit.
To dive deeper into this, you can check out the user experiences on Quora.
Do you know how to replace key chuck to keyless drill chuck? If you are interested then this video tutorial is for you.
Are drill chucks interchangeable?
Yes, chucks are interchangeable most of the time as long as they are the same size. For example, if you have a 3/8″ chuck, you can replace it with almost any 3/8″ chuck.
Similarly, this question may come to your mind whether drill bits are interchangeable or not. Like before, You can only interchange drill bits having similar characteristics. hopefully, you got the point. You can’t just use any type of bit in your drill.
Why do only some drill bits slip out my chuck?
There can be a lot of reasons for this issue. You might be using the wrong size for the drill bits. Or your drill chuck is designed for quick releasing some drill bits, and you are using them. Sometimes using a tricky drill bit can also cause this to happen. Another issue is that your chuck has loosened, so the drill bits are slipping.
In any case, this issue is pretty common in a cordless drill as they mostly come with a keyless chuck that is less secure in fit.
What is the best way to remove and replace a chuck on a drill?
Before starting the process, you will need a couple of things. You will need a screwdriver, a large Allen key, and a new chuck compatible with your drill. Then, you can start on with the steps.
- First off, you have to open up the drill chuck. This gives you access to the screw that holds the chuck with the drill.
- Then, take the suitable screwdriver to remove the screw from the chuck. You can find which screwdriver to use from the user manual of your drill.
- When removing the screw, make sure you are turning it clockwise to remove it. As I said earlier, the screw is reverse threaded.
- After removing the screw, you have to get the chuck into the open position. Then, you can insert the Allen key and close the chuck as if you inserted a drill bit inside.
- Once the Allen key is in place, you have to use a hammer to strike the Allen key quite hard. This breaks the chuck free from the drill. Make sure to use the lowest gear setting on your drill while doing this.
- As soon as the drill chuck is free, you can simply turn it counterclockwise to remove it from the drill.
- You have to get the new replacement chuck and install it in the drill. To do that, you simply place the chuck on the threads and then turn it clockwise direction to tighten it. You can use the Allen key for this purpose.
- Next up, open the chuck and insert the screw that you removed earlier. Then, simply start screwing in counterclockwise to tighten the screw. Finally, remove the screwdriver, and that’s it.
As you can see, it’s not that difficult to replace your drill chuck if it’s stuck in the open position. All you need to keep in mind is that the screw inside the chuck is reverse threaded. So, you have to be careful with the direction in which you turn the screw.
What can I use to change bits if the chuck key is lost?
Have you lost your chuck key? Well, no need to worry. You can use another drill bit as the key for your keyed chuck. You simply need a set of pliers or a flat head screwdriver along with a drill bit. Make sure the drill bit fits the key size for the chuck.
You have to insert the drill bit inside and use the pliers to hold the bit. Then, simply turn the drill bit in the direction depending on whether you want to loosen it or tighten it. However, the process can be a bit difficult in circle drill bits.
How to remove broken drill bit from SDS chuck?
This is a pretty annoying issue to face. There are several things you can do in this case. You can use a pair of picking pliers to pull out the stuck drill bit. If you don’t have enough room for that, then you can try out some other kinds of stuff.
You can also use a WD40 to grease the inside of the chuck. This way, you can easily pull out the stuck drill bit using a magnet. Or you can simply tap the other end of the drill body to bring it out.
Conclusion
All in all, now that you know how do you fix a stuck chuck on a DeWalt drill, you won’t have any issues with it. It’s pretty easy to fix the issue in either case; whether it’s in the closed position or open position doesn’t matter that much.
The best part is that you can fix it yourself without going to a service center. This can save up a lot of your money from the service for sure. And, you won’t even have a difficult time fixing it.