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Tips
Tips

Wire wheels stuck on hub

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prmac

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When things go bad... well... I was doing a routine brake check and was on the last one on the rear when I found that the wheel was stuck to the hub. I tried WD40ing it, then prying gently from the back and smacking the tire with a sledge. Nothing. Add to this the hub is loose; possibly the reason the wheel is welded on. I'll deal with the loose hub later but...
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I might get the wheel off?
 
Let me stress... I have never tried this. Just hearing it described was enough to convince me to regularly remove the wheels and lube the splines. That said...

It has been reported that one can loosen the wheel by backing off the knock-off a bit then driving some hard figure-eights in an empty parking lot. Supposedly the side-to-side motion breaks the wheel loose from the hub. A dicey undertaking though since you say your hub is loose.

Proceed with an abundance of caution and (obviously) at your own risk.
 
Just a wild guess, maybe putting some ice in the hub tube and heating the wheel with a torch or something. The hope would be that the hub would shrink with the cold, and the wheel expand with the heat. I just made this up on the spot, and would say don't do it if you have the painted wheels rather than the chrome.
 
If you can get someone to help - car on jack stand but tire barely clearing the ground, loosen the knock off a tad, then with a solid board (good hard wood), hold the board against the wheel, not the tire and hit it hard. Keep rotating top bottom, side to side top and bottom again. I have had success with this but it can take awhile. And try hitting from the back also. Rotate wheel hit it again. And again.
 
Hi PR, just my $0.02, I have had better luck with PB Blaster as a penetrating oil. I've been working on replacing the bushings in the suspension on my Midget, and believe me, PB Blaster did wonders where WD-40 didn't seem to do much. There is a tip I found on the Chicagoland MG club (www.chicagolandmgclub.com) that addresses the problem of stuck wire wheels. It's under general tips, and look under the wheels category. Hope this helps!
 
Try the penetrating oil first. If that doesn't work, loosen the knock-off (do NOT remove completely!) and drive in a circle with the stuck wheel on the outside. Stop and check it periodically. This should do the trick.
 
I loosened the wheel and within a few feet the wheel broke loose. The hub is now tight, the wheel on and all is well. Thank you all for the help.
 
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