Wheel seized onto hub - any ideas?

espresso

What is the best way to release a steel wheel seized onto a rear brake drum. It's not been off for at least three years since we have owned it and now it won't budge - it's like it's welded on!

Horizon81

Hit it from the inside with a rubber hammer?

vax2002

Take the wheel nuts out and lower the jack, usually does the trick

mikey72

Mine do that.

I've slackened off the botls and driven it in circles, hit it with a lump hammer from behind with a wooden block on the rim, while some one else has kicked the wheel from the outside, and eventually it shifted.
Be careful it doesn't fall off the jack though.
If all that fails, take it into a tyre centre, and they can heat it to get it off. (While belting it with a bigger hammer, leave them to it if you're nervous)

espresso

Thanks for the ideas.

Horizon81 wrote: »

Hit it from the inside with a rubber hammer?

That was the first thing that I tried - no joy.

vax2002 wrote: »

Take the wheel nuts out and lower the jack, usually does the trick

Tried that as well.

mikey72 wrote: »

Mine do that.

I've slackened off the botls and driven it in circles, hit it with a lump hammer from behind with a wooden block on the rim, while some one else has kicked the wheel from the outside, and eventually it shifted.
Be careful it doesn't fall off the jack though.
If all that fails, take it into a tyre centre, and they can heat it to get it off. (While belting it with a bigger hammer, leave them to it if you're nervous)

Have applied penetrating oil and given it time to act.

Have loosened the bolts of and driven it repeatedly forward and backward applying the brakes sharply but it is still welded to the drum.

Have not driven in a circle, so something else to try, as I'm looking for ideas.

I'm not sure if it is rusted where the wheel faces onto the drum on around the central hub spigot? Now thinking of knocking up an home made extractor using a hydraulic bottle jack and some stout angle iron/bolts etc.

mikey72

espresso wrote: »

I'm not sure if it is rusted where the wheel faces onto the drum on around the central hub spigot? Now thinking of knocking up an home made extractor using a hydraulic bottle jack and some stout angle iron/bolts etc.

It'll be both, but the hub will be the one keeping it on.

Wig

[strike]Something to carefully try, which is risky, remove the nuts & drive (inches) with the hand brake fully engaged, This will shift it but hopefully it will stay on the hub[/strike]

Scratch that, if you do it with the bolts really loose it will be safer, I know you said you tried this, did it not even budge a few mm? try it with the handbrake on lock from the outset not as you did applying when in motion, When you loose the nuts you did make sure they were not at all engaged into the recess for the nut right? I'd loosen them by about 5mm, if it moves then switch to drive in reverse. Then you should be able to jack it and turn it by hand to loosen it further

rodenal

If you've tried all of the above I wouldn't bother doing anything else, just take it to a tyre place and ask then to remove it. If for any reason you can't take it somewhere then the best method tends to be dropping it repeatedly with the nuts loosely on, or get a bigger hammer, plank of wood across the back of the wheel, a nervous helper and a big mallet should do it. Turn it after it starts to release

bungle4by4

i always jack the car, put it on axle stands, spin the wheel and whale the tyre with a large rubber sledge.

dont forget the copper slip on the hub when you put them back on to prevent it happening again.

espresso

Wig wrote: »

[strike]Something to carefully try, which is risky, remove the nuts & drive (inches) with the hand brake fully engaged, This will shift it but hopefully it will stay on the hub[/strike]

Scratch that, if you do it with the bolts really loose it will be safer, I know you said you tried this, did it not even budge a few mm? try it with the handbrake on lock from the outset not as you did applying when in motion, When you loose the nuts you did make sure they were not at all engaged into the recess for the nut right? I'd loosen them by about 5mm, if it moves then switch to drive in reverse. Then you should be able to jack it and turn it by hand to loosen it further

I have tried with the handbrake on and then driving forward and backwards but the reason to remove this wheel was to complete the rear brake shoe replacement job. The friction material on the other wheel had detached from both brake shoes, causing the handbrake to not work.

After the large rubber hammer didn't work, I progressed to a lump hammer with a piece of wood to protect the rim but it has not budged at all. On another car I have previously freed a stuck wheel by applying some heat around the central spigot of the wheel and it was off in a few minutes but this method has not worked this time.

It is not my car and I am concerned about causing further damage to the bearing etc. by using brute force, which is why I now favour making a simple puller and using the power of a bottle jack to break the bond by exerting the force exactly where it is needed.

I am wondering if this car has stood in flood water at some time before we owned it, as I have never seen brake shoes (genuine Bosch) separate like this before but why just this side? I was hoping that someone may have an idea that I had not thought of, as this is like it's welded on, not just a bit tight!

I do not have the car at the moment but obviously the wheel does need to be separated ASAP as a puncture would be very inconvenient now.

Thanks all for your input.

vaio

Trouble with hammers is you don’t have much swinging space under a car and lots of expensive and easily breakable bits in the vicinity.

I’d try….3m long bit of 4 x 2, rest one end on the inside of the relevant wheel so the other end is sticking out a nice safe distance on the other side of the car then hit it with the biggest hammer you can swing