Wheel removal

[stevie_b]

Not strictly Clio-related but I'm sure some of you will have some tips... Bought a car and the wheels were all done up overtight with a windy gun I guess. I managed to get the bolts out with a long torque wrench (300 lbs/ft!) and eventually 3 of the 4 wheels off with great difficulty but one won't budge. It has been recently refurbed so I don't want to attack it with a crowbar, etc. I have squirted WD40 into the spigot and bolt holes to try to get between the face and the hub but it is not budging. Any other ideas please?

[Wobba]

Drive it about till it falls off :D

[stevie_b]

Not an option I'm afraid - spent months scouring for a mint example and not going to risk damaging it now :lol: I did lower it down on the jack with no wheel bolts in and even then it will happily support the car without freeing it?

[16v_paddy]

I'd try a blowtorch onto the back of the hub or keep trying to undo the bolt until it snaps

[kenny]

If it's a driving wheel, jack it up very securely, put a couple of nuts in losely in case it frees up. start it, put in gear and drive then stamp on brake. wheel momentum might break the seal. Last time a similar thing happened to me, I jacked it up and laid behind the wheel with a sledge hammer and knocked the tyre from behind while a mate turned the wheel. that worked.

[stevie_b]

I'd try a blowtorch onto the back of the hub or keep trying to undo the bolt until it snaps

bolts are already out, so no issue there thanks. If I could heat the wheel part to expand it without the hub warming up too that might help but I can't apply much heat to the wheel as it will ruin the paint finish I think.


If it's a driving wheel, jack it up very securely, put a couple of nuts in losely in case it frees up. start it, put in gear and drive then stamp on brake. wheel momentum might break the seal. Last time a similar thing happened to me, I jacked it up and laid behind the wheel with a sledge hammer and knocked the tyre from behind while a mate turned the wheel. that worked.

Thanks kenny, I'll give the car jack thing a go as it is a driven wheel. I have already tried going underneath the car and bashing it with a sledgehammer (onto a block of wood to protect the wheel of course!). That's how I got the other 3 off but this last one is not going the same way and there is a limit to how hard I actually want to hit it in case I knock the suspension out or something!

[16v_paddy]

I read the OP a bit wrong :oops: thought you said you'd got 3 of the 4 bolts out :oops:

[Daz.]

I had this - It took me AGES!

In the end I had the missus stand there ready to catch the wheel and me and a mate crawled under the car and kicked it from behind as hard as we could!

[schakal]

what kenny said ^^

put 2 of the bolts back in hand tight and drive back and forward .
the only reason it wont free when you lower it on the ground
is because the hub is still supporting the center bore vertically.

:wink:

[MatBrown]

Big rubber mallet from behind.


Mat.

[n9kie]

get a plank of wood behind the wheel and bash it with a hammer, spin the wheel around and do the same again until it frees off

[djtlane]

sheer it and drill it. lot less hassle

[katbloke]

Mats option is safest careful though not use normal hammer on rubber for bouncebackability collision with head

[MatBrown]

And if there is only one of you, leave one of the nuts in slightly to prevent the wheel falling on the floor.
Tried and tested technique i use all the time at work.

[stevie_b]

Cheers all for the advice - wheel now finally off! Rubber mallet and the double jack method worked in the end. Having both driven wheels off the ground meant that I could keep rotating the one to be removed and by hitting lots of times in different spots it finally came free. Now cleaned and hopefully some copper grease on the spigot when refitting will mean that I won't get this trouble the next time I want to remove it. Glad I found out at home really as if the first time I tried to remove it was stuck on the side of the motorway with a puncture it would have been very unpleasant (although since there is no spare wheel I guess I'm pretty stuffed in that situation anyway!)