Wheel seized onto hub - any ideas?

espresso

Wig wrote: »

Is it off yet?

Yes at long last!

The car has just returned home again, so I have finally had chance to get it off. After trying all suggestions, I made a suitable puller using a small two legged puller that we had, a solid piece of angle iron and a boss to fit the centre of the hub as shown below.

The force applied by the puller caused the "weld" to break with a crack when a little heat was applied to the centre of the wheel with a blow torch.



Now cleaned up and Copper greased.

NiallB

silkyuk9 wrote: »

large hammer pic

Couldn't quite make that out Silky, can you post it again, but bigger?

forgotmyname

Maybe you should remove all the wheel bolts next time

You appear to have left one in, Maybe thats why it wouldnt come off?

hareng

I wind the calipers in like that in conjunction with a two pronged tool.

Wouldnt have welded, its rust moisture will find its way any where.
Hammer not big enough, seen the tyre fitters gradually revolve the wheel and really giving it some from underneath.

Since its off but next time all you had to do was slacken all the bolts off 1/4 to 1/2 a rev so that they are loose a drive around at normal speeds, bumps, roundabouts and all. Works every time, wheel wont fall off highly unlikely bolts would even come out, certainly within a couple of mile.

Usually get it with alloys or any aluminium on to the steel casting, a bad mix creating a chemical reaction. As else where smear some copperslip and never have the problem again.

cyclonebri1

hareng wrote: »

I wind the calipers in like that in conjunction with a two pronged tool.

Wouldnt have welded, its rust moisture will find its way any where.
Hammer not big enough, seen the tyre fitters gradually revolve the wheel and really giving it some from underneath.

Since its off but next time all you had to do was slacken all the bolts off 1/4 to 1/2 a rev so that they are loose a drive around at normal speeds, bumps, roundabouts and all. Works every time, wheel wont fall off highly unlikely bolts would even come out, certainly within a couple of mile.

Usually get it with alloys or any aluminium on to the steel casting, a bad mix creating a chemical reaction. As else where smear some copperslip and never have the problem again.

Yeah, copperslip does the trick, but the whole issue is that no manufacturer does that from new,:eek::eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad:

I've just had 2 cars that are 4 years old and have never had the wheels off, different brands, a beemer and a renault but exactly the same issue.

I have always found some way to lever the wheel off through the spokes of the ally with a long pry bar and a good hammer, hammering the rim is useless and more damaging.

red_eye

mikey72 wrote: »

Though you used to hang around mechanics?

Concentric hubs on wheels means the hole in the wheel is the same size as the spigot that protrudes from the hub.

So the wheel will sit centrally on the hub, and the weight is actually held by the hub spigot. The wheel nuts don't carry the full weight of the car, just hold the wheel tightly against the hub.

The water splashs, and the salt in winter cause rust to form, from the back of the wheel to the hub face, but also between the wheel centre and the spigot on the hub.
As the wheel to hub is near enough an interference fit, the rust causes the wheel to sieze on.

Copper slip helps, but once the rust starts, it'll soon displace the copper slip, and carry on helping wash it away.

copper slip is a grease it repels water effectivly a barrier between metal and water/air.
I have never seen this happen to any car I apply copper slip. I always wire brush then apply copper slip the next time it comes in for service autum, winter, summer or spring the copper slip is still there

cyclonebri1

red_eye wrote: »

copper slip is a grease it repels water effectivly a barrier between metal and water/air.
I have never seen this happen to any car I apply copper slip. I always wire brush then apply copper slip the next time it comes in for service autum, winter, summer or spring the copper slip is still there

Never had an issue after a liberal treatment of copaslip, and no I don't mean a bucket full.


Mikey, in theory you are correct, but the wheel bore is not the same size as the location dia on the hub, there is a clearance, there has to be,
This is what causes the issue.
Corrosion fills that gap and eats into both mating parts, end result after cleaning the crap off;

Even more gap between the two.

At that point the stud are locating the wheel, thank gord for modern engineering tolerances. ;)

Wig

I've recently been through this now with 2 of my cars.

Both times I loosened all the nuts 1/2 a turn drove round the corner and you hear a 'pop' I then stopped went round to the tyre and loosened again all of them to half a turn, and it quickly 'pops' again. then drive slowly back to the jacking location jack it up and it comes off with a bit more hand effort.

It's a pity espresso didn't try this method (At least I don't think he did).

motorguy

Wig wrote: »

I've recently been through this now with 2 of my cars.

Both times I loosened all the nuts 1/2 a turn drove round the corner and you hear a 'pop' I then stopped went round to the tyre and loosened again all of them to half a turn, and it quickly 'pops' again. then drive slowly back to the jacking location jack it up and it comes off with a bit more hand effort.

It's a pity espresso didn't try this method (At least I don't think he did).

Exactly what i normally do, and as demonstrated to me by an AA man the first time it happened to me.

Yes, very handy if you dont have the time or equipment to make a too to do the job.....

[Deleted User]

mikey72 wrote: »

I was looking for the one where they cut the alloy out with a gas torch

The OP is dealing with a steel wheel.