Help! Can't pull alloy wheels off

[guy48065]

What tricks do you employ to break loose a stuck alloy wheel? I've had em stick lots of times but they always yielded to a rubber mallet or a swift kick.



I'm just working in my driveway so I don't have anything to pry against or attach a come-along...

 

[goodysgotacuda]

Big dead blow and rotate the wheel around a few times. You want an impact hit, not a static load being applied by a prybar or come-along to break it loose..

 

[countryroad82]

Normally a good ol' mule kick does it for me.

 

[ford33]

I have loosened the lug nuts by two, three or four turns on one wheel at a time and driven the car slowly around the block. Making right and left turns puts sideways force on the wheel and will usually separate it from the hub. Don't drive fast and take care to drive carefully. You don't want to damage the threads on the lugs or damage the wheel. You can usually hear it separate when you make a turn.

 

[Mike777]

I have loosened the lug nuts by two, three or four turns on one wheel at a time and driven the car slowly around the block. Making right and left turns puts sideways force on the wheel and will usually separate it from the hub. Don't drive fast and take care to drive carefully. You don't want to damage the threads on the lugs or damage the wheel. You can usually hear it separate when you make a turn.

For the few times I've had this problem a couple of whacks with a dead blow while slowing turning the wheel popped it off.

I do know someone who had a wheel that did not come off with hammer blows and was successfully with a similar approach above but never left his drive way. As I recall he left the lug nuts on but not tight to the wheel; as stated above 1 or 2 turns from tight. He then backed it up and forward while turning the wheel left & right. It loosened up for him at that point.
Be safe.

 

[scooz14]

i hit the tire with a dead blow. usually does the trick

 

[zkling]

Edit, just one word of caution on jack stands and hitting on wheels, keep an eye on the jack points to make sure nothing shifts.

Big dead blow and rotate the wheel around a few times. You want an impact hit, not a static load being applied by a prybar or come-along to break it loose..

Many a times BTDT. If not the porta a power or puller comes out

Or this

I have loosened the lug nuts by two, three or four turns on one wheel at a time and driven the car slowly around the block. Making right and left turns puts sideways force on the wheel and will usually separate it from the hub. Don't drive fast and take care to drive carefully. You don't want to damage the threads on the lugs or damage the wheel. You can usually hear it separate when you make a turn.

Do a couple donuts

i hit the tire with a dead blow. usually does the trick

Becareful hitting the tire wall, especially with a small face hammer. I separated a bead once. About soiled my pants.

 

[sr20ser]

You can "break" them lose by slowly lowering the car with the jack; just don't go all the way down.

 

[justanengineer]

I've stuck a block of wood between a front wheel and the frame many times, also driven around the block with loose lugs a time or two as well. My personal favorite is the 10 lb, long handled deadblow.

 

[T_R]

It happens all the time here.

We beat them off with a sledgehammer. Extreme cases get a torch or portapower.

Driving around a parking lot with the lugs loose does work sometimes, but I've had ones stuck so bad you can drive around forever and they won't budge.

 

[Chevy-SS]

I use a long 2x4 or 2x6, and hit the wheel from the back... the wood is long enough so that I never have to get under the car. Works better than sledgehammer IMHO. Very hard to damage anything with a piece of wood, however, if you miss with the hammer then you got damage.

 

[rcktsled]

If they are "hub-centric" wheels that press onto a raised flange on the hub be sure to put a little anti-seize compound on the flange before you put the wheels on. It will be a lot easier next time you remove them.

 

[Tim Kennedy]

Then girlfriend -- now wife -- had a 70's Olds Cutlass -- went to put snow tires on for the winter & could not get the drivers side rear wheel to come loose. After trying several things I just put the lugnuts back on & drove to my friends garage -- jacked it up & heated things up with the red wrench -- still not moving -- heated it up again & beat the piss out of the wheel with a 20# sledgehammer before it broke free -- ruined the wheel. I've used anti-seize ever since on every wheel -- especially alloy/aluminum wheels.

 

[c4cruiser]

If they are "hub-centric" wheels that press onto a raised flange on the hub be sure to put a little anti-seize compound on the flange before you put the wheels on. It will be a lot easier next time you remove them.

It's easy for rust to form on the hub or the hat of the rotor or drum. That rust can "glue" the wheel in place.

Once you get the wheel off, you should clean off the rust using a wire brush, sandpaper, or similar abrasive. If the wheels are hub-centric, make sure you clean off the riser portion of the hub. Also clean off the mounting flange on the back of the wheel.

Anti-seize compound will work fine to help keep rust or corrosion from forming.

 

[pmiranda]

If it's your car, rotate the tires a few times a year whether you think they need it or not. Gives you a chance to inspect the suspension and brakes while you're at it, and the wheels will never be stuck again.

 

[jd_1138]

Edit, just one word of caution on jack stands and hitting on wheels, keep an eye on the jack points to make sure nothing shifts.

Good idea -- safety first.

There was a local 30 something lady who lost a leg because she was changing her brakes on her car and the car fell off the scissor jack and her foot was crushed under the brake rotor when it fell. She got gangrene and they had to remove her leg.

Of course, working on a car with only a scissor jack holding it up (and not framestands with a regular hydraulic jack under it for good measure) is pretty stupid. Good example of a little knowledge being dangerous -- able to do brakes but not knowing about framestands. Heck sticking the wheel under there would've probably saved her foot/leg.

 

[Streetbu]

If given up on deadblows, went straight to the sledge hammer. And yes it will damage the wheel. Not my fault, I didn't rot it on. Pay me to careful and I will be otherwise I'm not waisting my time on your rotted sh!tbox and not getting paid for it.

 

[jd_1138]

If given up on deadblows, went straight to the sledge hammer. And yes it will damage the wheel. Not my fault, I didn't rot it on. Pay me to careful and I will be otherwise I'm not waisting my time on your rotted sh!tbox and not getting paid for it.

Amen to that. Had they been responsible and rotated the wheels at least once every 10k miles, the wheels wouldn't have rusted on.

I wonder if you use some clamps and a piece of 2x4 across the rim, would that work without damaging the rim.

 

[mark11]

Swapping the wheels on my truck usually involves a big sledge. My son's car car I usually get with a good kick.

 

[jvitez]

Next time, put a good layer on anti-seize on the hub before mounting your wheels. Sledgehammer on the inner aspect of the tire worked for my truck, rubber mallet for the wife's Passat before I started using anti-seize.

 

[jerseykat1]

Next time, put a good layer on anti-seize on the hub before mounting your wheels. Sledgehammer on the inner aspect of the tire worked for my truck, rubber mallet for the wife's Passat before I started using anti-seize.

What he said. Antisieze will prevent this from happening again. I do this to every dually that I work on. Try getting the rear wheels off a dually dump truck. I have had them so bad that I had to literally drive the dump truck with the lug nuts loose just to break them free and still need a sledge hammer and air hammer.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[jhelrey]

Prybar between the wheel and the rotor. Pull forward and pop them off.

 

[Jlbc212]

I get out the torch and the penetrating oil. Heat the wheel and spray penetrating oil into the space between the lugs and the wheel and the center hole in the wheel. This method has always worked for me and I have never damaged a wheel with this method. When I put the wheels back on, I use anti-seize. The anti-seize eliminates future sticky problems.

 

[dirttracker18]

Went through this today with my MILs car. The tires are changed each season and still had two stick. The front one came loose with the dead blow.
The rear I needed to take the long handled sledge to the back of the wheel. Second hit did it but I had done lots prior.

 

[theoldwizard1]

We beat them off with a sledgehammer.

When I worked at a tire shop many, MANY years ago I saw guys using a "standard" sledge and winding up with a full swing ! Pretty scary the first time you see it. Make sure to hit the tire and leave a couple of lug nuts on loose.

 

[RAYJAY]

lug nuts lose a little spray with penetrating oil and good roll to a hard brake

 

[ssdave]

I had one last year that I couldn't get off any way I tried. Wire brushed, penetrating oil, heat, sledgehammer. Then the light bulb came on. Went to the toolbox and got this, and the wheel came off with essentially no effort. The rims had a slot you could pry on and they came right off.

 

[Dustball]

Use the opposite side wheel to your advantage and apply force directly where you need it. A 4x4 length of wood against the opposite wheel and a bottle jack against the inside of the wheel you're trying to get off.

 

[G-Ram]

block of wood and the biggest hammer you can swing...

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Big dead blow and rotate the wheel around a few times. You want an impact hit, not a static load being applied by a prybar or come-along to break it loose..

My BFH and a well placed scrap 2x4 does the trick...

Tommy

 

[got2boostit2]

I loosen all the lug nuts with vehicle on hoist then set it on floor and rock back and forth. If that doesn't do it I used the slightly loosened lug nut method and drive the vehicle going back and forth. I'm f one of me regulars.......thin coat of anti seize on the wheel mating flange.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Trusty Cook dead blow sledge here.

 

[mcmlvif100]

Next time, put a good layer on anti-seize on the hub before mounting your wheels.

This ^^^ . I just pulled all of the wheels on my F-150 and my wife's Explorer and reapplied anti-seize before the weather got miserable. Learned this lesson the hard way with her prior 2003 Explorer when all 4 wheels were stuck (i.e. aluminum wheels with a centering hub which corroded). Ended up using a long piece of 4 x 4 and a bottle jack to get them off.

Raised one wheel with a floor jack, loosened the lug nuts on that side and then set up the bottle jack and 4 x 4 between the two wheels so that I could press the frozen wheels off. Had a piece of 2 x 4 on the rim faces to distribute the load / keep from damaging them. GIANT pain in the neck but it worked and I didn't damage anything. Glad that I found it while rotating the tires instead of when she was far from home and had a flat tire. Have been using liberal amounts of anti-seize ever since.

 

[mcmlvif100]

Use the opposite side wheel to your advantage and apply force directly where you need it. A 4x4 length of wood against the opposite wheel and a bottle jack against the inside of the wheel you're trying to get off.

Beat me to it. Was typing a too long response while you were posting a nice succinct comment.

 

[crazytrain]

4lb dead blow from HF, remove all the lug nuts, screw one back on a few threads. A few good whacks and it will be off. Make sure you clean the corrosion build up and rust off the hub flange. A thin layer of anti-seize or axle grease to the flange lip to help next time.

 

[Lincolncruiser95]

I use heat and cold. Heat the wheel a little, then grab some canned air and a welding glove. Turn the canned air upside down and spray the flange. It will shrink the flange a little. Make sure you got your glove on the hand with the can...had my skin freeze to the can once...ouch! Hit it with a little penetrating erl and repeat. Usually pop right off with a hit or two on the tire with a sledge. I use this trick for easily replacing bearing races in trailer drums too. Drop right in.

 

[guy48065]

Got them off but I used several of the above suggestions.

The first one was the worst one (LF). Tried pry bars, air hammer between the wheel & hub, rubber mallet, sledge on the outside of the tire. After it finally released I had to peen down the damage to the inside of the wheel center from all the prying...so...I wouldn't recommend any sort of prying on aluminum rims.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Got them off but I used several of the above suggestions.

...I wouldn't recommend any sort of prying on aluminum rims.

Best idea I heard was a bottle jack with a 4x4 spacer between the 2 tires.

 

[Professur]

I found a nice hunk of firewood, drilled it for a handle and turned it into a wood mallet. Does a spectacular job, and no chance of damaging the rim.

 

[Brownsfan]

Got them off but I used several of the above suggestions.

The first one was the worst one (LF). Tried pry bars, air hammer between the wheel & hub, rubber mallet, sledge on the outside of the tire. After it finally released I had to peen down the damage to the inside of the wheel center from all the prying...so...I wouldn't recommend any sort of prying on aluminum rims.

I was going to ask what type of vehicle. I was doing brakes on a friend's Jeep and his parking brake shoes were stopping the wheel from coming off. And the adjustment screw was seized