[paul.adshead]

So a few days ago, I wanted to remove the front wheels, to get to and clean the ABS sensors. First step: remove the wheels. After easing the torque on the wheel nuts on both front wheels, I jacked up the axle; put it on axle-stands; and removed the wheel nuts. Then went to pull the wheels off: one came of easily, but the other was stuck fast - like really stuck!!

I tried putting WD40/CRC on it overnight, twice. Did nothing.

I tried putting a scissor-jack and wood blocks, from tyre-to-tyre, but it wouldn't come off. The tyres deformed and it all falls off before the wheel moves. I couldn't get it to stay on rim-to-rim and was worried about bending both of the wheels, if it did stay on.

I tried vigorously swinging a 4kg sledge hammer into the backside of the tyre - nothing (- except now have a smallish dent on the rim). :-(

I tried using a 'gear puller' on the wheel through to the hub, but I only have a 2-3 pointed puller (- needed a 5-pointed puller to match the gaps in the 5-spoke alloy) and so couldn't get it to fit.

I tried loosening the nuts so they are loose by a full turn, then driving backwards/forwards 15m, nothing.

I tried loosening the nuts about 1/3 of a turn, then (in an empty carpark near the house,) driving as fast as I could (~25KMH) on full lock. This resulted in some movement. I did this several times: loosen the nuts about a 1/3 turn; drive around in circles; wheel takes up the slack; repeat process again. I got to about 2mm clearance (between the wheel and hub) but the wheel was still locked on the spigot. With so much clearance to the hub, I started to get scared, that what it did finally 'let go', there would be so much clearance, that the wheel would be wobbling all over the place, and start taking out ABS/brake lines/ damaging mounting studs/ etc. That's when I tightened it up again and gave up.

Time to go and sulk.

Next day, after a bit more thinking (and even trying a small gas torch on the alloy to try and heat it up to release it), I finally thought about assembling the 'gear puller' incorrectly. You see the problem with the most gear pullers, is they are designed to be assembled with either 2-legs at 180-degrees apart, or 3 legs at 120-degress apart - neither of those layouts is going to fit a 5-spoked alloy at 72-degree spacing! However, if you assemble the puller incorrectly (- as per below), you can get pretty close to the required 144-144-72 degree spacing, which allows you to fit it.....

[attachment=1:1rdslmbc]paul.adshead.puller.offset.setup.jpg[/attachment:1rdslmbc]

[attachment=0:1rdslmbc]paul.adshead.puller.installed.jpg[/attachment:1rdslmbc]

Once the puller was installed, removing the wheel was pretty trivial.

 

[paul.adshead]

After getting the wheel off, I could finally investigate the cause of it being stuck on. It turned out to be little more that a bit of general road grime..... A few minutes with some wire-wool, had it all cleaned up again.

[attachment=1:i67wj0zh]paul.adshead.hub.debris.jpg[/attachment:i67wj0zh]

[attachment=0:i67wj0zh]paul.adshead.wheel.debris.jpg[/attachment:i67wj0zh]

A couple of thoughts I had, I'd been running around for about 8-9 months previously, with no 'wheel centres' on and some dirt probably entered then. Then when the car had subsequently been washed with the high-pressure water blaster, this may have pushed any crud into the tiny gap between the hub-spigot and the wheel-recess. After it dried out, it would have set like concrete. So a couple of ways to avoid the problem: 1, install wheel-centres; 2, make sure you don't force water down the gap; 3, regularly test you can remove your wheels, before you find out they are stuck on, when you get a flat at 11pm on a rainy Saturday night....

Just thought I'd share.

 

[Gagamac]

Paul,

I had the same problem a few years ago and solved it in a similar way viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8251&p=56351#p56351

Use some "anti-sieze" paste between the wheel and hub to prevent a repeat, it works great.

Regards

Mac

 

[RRToadHall]

:shock: Good grief! How long to you folks go between tyre rotations to grow that kind of corrosion? :?

 

[paul.adshead]

Heh toady, it wasn't corrosion, just road grime. Both fronts had been off 8-9 months earlier, but the wheel-centres hadn't been replaced for quite a long time afterwards. Debris had built up and caused the problem.

I put some copper-cote and the wheel centres on them now. Shouldn't be a problem again.

 

[RRToadHall]

:shock: Even my worst case purchase from the midwest salted roads never looked or stuck that bad after years of no service. I'd hate to see what your undercarriage looks like!

 

[viperover]

Next time use a wooden block against rim and belt with a lump hammer (4kg) whilst someone else turns the wheel if available, works every time...

 

[paul.adshead]

:shock: Even my worst case purchase from the midwest salted roads never looked or stuck that bad after years of no service. I'd hate to see what your undercarriage looks like!

It's not corrosion. It''s dirt. Made worse by the jet wash forcing it in further. And as I said, those wheels were off less than a year ago.

NZ doesn't use salt/grit on the roads, so all the underneath is clean as a whistle corrosion wise.