Removing stuck aluminum wheels on truck

[Travelover]

I rotate my own tires and I have noticed that lately it is getting harder and harder to get the aluminum wheels off the hubs (front and rear) of my truck. I live in the salty Midwest.

Any tricks for getting them off?

What can I do to make them easier to remove in the future, short of opening up the hole diameter, which I know is critical for vibration control.

 

[kevinj]

I rotate my own tires and I have noticed that lately it is getting harder and harder to get the aluminum wheels off the hubs (front and rear) of my truck. I live in the salty Midwest.

Any tricks for getting them off?

What can I do to make them easier to remove in the future, short of opening up the hole diameter, which I know is critical for vibration control.

I put never sieze on the hubs

 

[MogginMike]

I'd take a little steel wool or fine sand paper & clean the hole of any corrosion, then use a bit of this on the back and inside of the hole. Amazon.com: Permatex 80078 Anti-Seize Lubricant - 8 oz.: Automotive


-mike

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. never seize, dielectric grease.. or that compound you use that prevents electrolysis when you have to join disimilar metals.. like copper and aluminum wireing.

soundguy

 

[Travelover]

Great suggestions so far. Any good tips for getting the buggers loose? I've been taking off the lug nuts with the wheel raised and whacking the tire with a 2x4, but that doesn't always do it. I had a flat fixed recently and the "mechanic" pounded on the backside of the cast rim with a ball peen hammer.

 

[Car Doc]

PO (penetrating oil) and a hammer from the back is the only way I do it almost every day!

I have been known to take a short drive with the lug nuts loosened a bit and zigzagged all over to get severely corroded wheels off. Take a wire brush on a drill and clean the hole out and anti-seize afterwards.

 

[George2615]

Unfortunately, once they are stuck it may take brute force to get them off. Try this trick, loosen the lug nuts a few turns and drive they truck a few feet. The weight should break it loose. Or loosen the lug nuts and physically push the truck side to side to break the wheels loose. Once removed use the never sieze or die-electric grease before putting back on.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. loose nuts, pb oil, then clean good and coat with something afterwards..

soundguy

 

[Reg]

Yes to all the tips about how to get them to not stick in the first place - plus, marine grease is cheaper and (road & sea) salt resistant.

I sometimes take the 3ft or so handle from my floor jack and swing it baseball bat style at a tire - need to miss the bodywork of half decent vehicles, but on kids' junkers-so what ?
(-:

Yeah, I've done the 1/2 turn off each lug nut and listen for the crack on the last two or one, rock it side to side before jacking up if I don't hear it let go.
I've also driven around in HARD left and HARD right circles - THOSE times I've heard it go, but never done any damage.

 

[DaveOmak]

Warning! If you use neversieze on the Alminum rims,
be positive is is aluminum based never sieze. It will be silver in color.
Copper based NS and the steel and Al and road salt will make a battery and corrode the Al wheel like something you have never seen before.
Don't even bother to ask me how I know. The Al wheel had to be cut and chisled etc to get it off of the hub.
Not only was it expensive but time consuming as well.
Lately I have used silicone grease on both surfaces after cleaning the wheel surfaces with scotch pads and a wire brush on the hub. I use silicone grease on the lugs and nuts and rim. The torque must be reduced accordingly to account for the reduced friction on the threads and nut faces to achieve the proper lug-bolt stretch.

 

[Soundguy]

that's electrolysis from disimilar metals. and there is a grease specifically for that as I mentioned.

soundguy

 

[Diamondpilot]

I had this happen on my GM 3500 Dmax and my neighbor has had the same problem with his 3500 Dmax. What we do in the fronts is jack it up and take off all the lugs but two, one at 12 o'clock and one at 6 o'clock, these two we just loosen 4 turns or so. Then use about a 12" piece of 2x4 against the frame and the backside of the tire and fire up then engine and turn the wheel. The power steering pump is powerful and will pop them loose. Make sure you leave the lugs on loose as I said or someone may get hurt.

For the backs we beat them off with a wooden baseball bat and I have also loosened all the lugs 4 turns or so before rotation and drive it at slow speed down the drive turning the steering wheel stop to stop to break them loose.

No matter what its a pain.

Chris

 

[nwngunner]

my 97 s10 blazer rims were stuck to the rear drums. I was able to pull the center cap out of the rim, then used a 9inch three jaw puller and pulled the rim off the drum. When i pulled it, i got hit in the face with a bit of rust.

I had even taken a 16pound sledge hammer to the tire. NO matter how hard i hit it it wouldnt come loose.

 

[_RaT_]

I would second the silicone/grease formulation. I know nothing about this issue since I really don't encounter it but silicone is certainly one of the least stick too products with tremendous stick. Using a inhibitor like that for electric wires may work, its use is too stop oxidation of aluminum which forms aluminum oxide, one of the hardest and least conductive materials around. Oxidation is your issue.

Warning! If you use neversieze on the Alminum rims,
be positive is is aluminum based never sieze. It will be silver in color.
Copper based NS and the steel and Al and road salt will make a battery and corrode the Al wheel like something you have never seen before.
Don't even bother to ask me how I know. The Al wheel had to be cut and chisled etc to get it off of the hub.
Not only was it expensive but time consuming as well.
Lately I have used silicone grease on both surfaces after cleaning the wheel surfaces with scotch pads and a wire brush on the hub. I use silicone grease on the lugs and nuts and rim. The torque must be reduced accordingly to account for the reduced friction on the threads and nut faces to achieve the proper lug-bolt stretch.

 

[RobertN]

Could you clean and paint the hubs? May keep new corrosion from happening, and prevent aluminum to steel contact, and results electrolosys.

otherwise, as previously mentioned, get some Al compatible anti seize.

 

[seymojo536]

I used to fight the rims on my toyota PU till a buddy showed me his trick. Take a nice long 2X and place across the rim with the end resting on the tire. Use a couple of loops of rope thru the rim on the long side of the 2x to make a class 2 lever. With a sharp jerk the rim pops off everytime.
I blame the tire makers for this, if I would get a flat every month or so like I used to, then the rim wouldn't have time to seize up on me.

 

[_RaT_]

Good Point! Blame Big Tire! :thumbsup:

I used to fight the rims on my toyota PU till a buddy showed me his trick. Take a nice long 2X and place across the rim with the end resting on the tire. Use a couple of loops of rope thru the rim on the long side of the 2x to make a class 2 lever. With a sharp jerk the rim pops off everytime.
I blame the tire makers for this, if I would get a flat every month or so like I used to, then the rim wouldn't have time to seize up on me.

 

[Ford tractor]

Best way is prevention (Truck, meet my friend, "Never Seize").

But if you are past that point, the fronts are easy to get off. Loosen nuts 2 turns, start engine, turn steering wheel full left/full right a couple times. Both are now loose.

Rears are more pain. The back side sledge hammer works, but may fail. Penetrating oil at the hub to wheel joint for a week will help. You can loosen the nuts and go up and down the driveway a few times and slam the brakes. I don't like that way as the lug holes can get buggered up, but ...


Some rims are really rusted on tight and are just a pain. No secret other than more brute force.

 

[clemsonfor]

I rotate my own tires and I have noticed that lately it is getting harder and harder to get the aluminum wheels off the hubs (front and rear) of my truck. I live in the salty Midwest.

Any tricks for getting them off?

What can I do to make them easier to remove in the future, short of opening up the hole diameter, which I know is critical for vibration control.

A BFH ( basicall a hammer with a few choice words in front of it) Prefebly a deadblow, if not a deadblow get a block of wood of like a big 4x4 and beat the $H@! out of them till they come off, but dont dent or bend them. Soak in like PB blaster too. And like others have said anti seeze on studs and mounting surface of hub.

 

[Travelover]

Success!

Today I loosened the lug nuts and did a couple of steering maneuvers and quick stops in the drive way. Got a couple of loud bangs. Even so, I had to whack the tires with a 2x6 that was handy. There was a lot of corrosion at the wheel hub interface and the wheel hole was pitted. I power wire brushed everything then painted it with never seize. The proof will come next time I rotate the tires.

Thanks for all the suggestions.