PH Challenge: Changing a seized wheel
Discussion
Pop quiz hotshot: A girl at your office has a flat tyre on her car. The tyre won't hold air and needs plugging or replacing. She has a spare wheel, 'emergency' scissor jack, lock nut and basic wrench. You're wearing a suit and have a basic socket and tool set. You've used the emergency kit to get the nuts off and the wheel in the air, but the alloy has seized to the hub. You've tried pulling, kicking and lowering it to the ground (nuts off) and these techniques have failed to loosen it. She has an off site meeting in 3 hours.
What do you do?? What do you do....
What do you do?? What do you do....
As others have said put the bolts on loosely and then lower it. Once lowered either hit the wheel with a blunt object (with the wheel just slightly off the ground) or drive it slightly. Could also try to lower it onto something that pushes the wheel across i.e. a brick against a kerb.
nsi said:
To answer some questions:
- Rear wheel on a 3 door hatch back.
- You don't have a rubber mallet (as that's what I'd use at home)
- Girl in question is your mates wife
As per a couple of the more insightful suggestions - Rear wheel on a 3 door hatch back.
- You don't have a rubber mallet (as that's what I'd use at home)
- Girl in question is your mates wife
- put wheel back on with nuts loose.
- drive around braking/swerving until you hear the telltale "crack" of the wheel freeing itself.
- rinse and repeat for the 45 minutes until the AA/RAC/Green Flag arrive.
Lol at some of the answers!
Good one about putting the nuts back on loosely and driving around a bit, or lowering it onto a kerb/brick. I'd lowered it to the ground to let the wheel take the weight (jack in place) but didn't think of driving around with loose wheel nuts. It's a good one to try, so cheers for that! Could have potential downsides, in case of damage to the studs, or the tyre sidewalls or possibly the alloy (since it's pan cake flat at the moment) BUT it has to be said that in a tricky situation it's a decent alternative if no outside support is possible. So good thinking.
In the end I had to admit defeat, which I hate doing, and I think she's called a mobile tyre fitter to come and sort it out.
Minus 10 man points for me and I'm back at my desk doing my actual job... (in between posting on PH!)
Cheers all.
Good one about putting the nuts back on loosely and driving around a bit, or lowering it onto a kerb/brick. I'd lowered it to the ground to let the wheel take the weight (jack in place) but didn't think of driving around with loose wheel nuts. It's a good one to try, so cheers for that! Could have potential downsides, in case of damage to the studs, or the tyre sidewalls or possibly the alloy (since it's pan cake flat at the moment) BUT it has to be said that in a tricky situation it's a decent alternative if no outside support is possible. So good thinking.
In the end I had to admit defeat, which I hate doing, and I think she's called a mobile tyre fitter to come and sort it out.
Minus 10 man points for me and I'm back at my desk doing my actual job... (in between posting on PH!)
Cheers all.
I've had to do this a few times recently. Doing the nuts up hand tight then backing off half a turn, then driving forward & back (turning the wheel if on the front) works wonders. Doesn't have to be far, was only maybe 6ft forwards & back in my case.
Also, if WD40 is available, spray onto the join between wheel & brake disc (DO NOT get any on the disc!!!!) & allow to soak in before the trick above.
Once the wheel's off, smear Copaslip all over the mating faces before putting the wheel back on, this should give an easier job next time round.
Alternatively, if it's an Aygo & you're powerfully built, just push the wheels apart from underneath and, when the car falls on you, bench press it off yourself.
Also, if WD40 is available, spray onto the join between wheel & brake disc (DO NOT get any on the disc!!!!) & allow to soak in before the trick above.
Once the wheel's off, smear Copaslip all over the mating faces before putting the wheel back on, this should give an easier job next time round.
Alternatively, if it's an Aygo & you're powerfully built, just push the wheels apart from underneath and, when the car falls on you, bench press it off yourself.
alangla said:
Once the wheel's off, smear Copaslip all over the mating faces before putting the wheel back on, this should give an easier job next time round.
.
Careful. I had a thread once about alloys stuck on my BMW and how to remove, someone suggested this and 14 pages of beards later the argument was still rumbling!.
mnkiboy said:
Rubin215 said:
Call the AA/RAC/Green Flag.
That's what I did when stuck in a similar situation but at 3am at the side of a motorway.Result - Wheel off, but at the expense of a little damage where the guy prised it off with a long metal bar.
If I were at home and wanted to pry it then I'd use a proper pry bar and also use wood or rubber blocks between the bar, the wheel and whatever I'm prying against to mitigate the risk of damage.
However at 3am on a motorway you really just want to be on your way asap to minimise the time exposed to traffic danger.
Mobile tyre man has been and gone. Apparently it took 5 whacks with the rubber mallet to get the wheel off. (Mine's at home.)
Sometimes *successful* improvisation can be more satisfying; but things are so much easier when you have the "right tool for the job" aren't they? (Just realised another potential solution to the original problem could have been for me to drive to the local Halfords to get a mallet... hind sight eh?)
Cheers again
Sometimes *successful* improvisation can be more satisfying; but things are so much easier when you have the "right tool for the job" aren't they? (Just realised another potential solution to the original problem could have been for me to drive to the local Halfords to get a mallet... hind sight eh?)
Cheers again
I had exactly this when changing a flat tyre on the 540i last night - up on a trolley jack with all nuts off and it still wouldn't budge despite kicking, shaking etc.
I decided to throw the spare wheel and tyre at it - swinging and rolling into so that the tyre hit the tyre....after about 3 mins of doing this it worked and i changed the wheel as normal.
I decided to throw the spare wheel and tyre at it - swinging and rolling into so that the tyre hit the tyre....after about 3 mins of doing this it worked and i changed the wheel as normal.
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