Hmmm - 2001 Saab 9-5, found a puncture (#12 screw through the tread of the tyre - not subtle!). Okey-doke, I thought, off with the wheel, on with the spacesaver and off to the local tyre depot for a repair. Wheel nuts came off fine, but I cannot shift the wheel off the car whatever I try. Don't want to be too brutal (it's a soft pretty alloy) so haven't tried slegdehammer yet. But does any one know:
1. Am I missing a simple trick to free it?
2. If I call in the mobile pros (the only aternative I can think of) what are they going to do, and will my alloy survive it?
Any clues gratefully received!
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try
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=27372
from the Forum search - Top right on the screen.
If in doubt leave it to the pros but
Do clean up the wheel etc before you replace it
Check the others for peace of mind
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This has come up on here recently with regard to sticking alloys. The common advice was to loosen the wheelnuts, then jack the car up and lower it back down again which should break the seal caused by the alloy wheel corroding onto the steel hub.
If still stuck, a little wiggling of the steering whel should do the trick.
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Thanks for these replies, and the direction to the earlier thread (did look before posting but couldn't find it!). I've already tried the up and down trick, but will try the loosened wheelnuts and gentle drive before risking the mobile bandits tomorrow. Sounds like my best chance of preserving the alloy is to do it myself...I was joking about a sledgehammer in my original post...appalled to read that that's what the pros do!!
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I know this might sound a bit daft, but it's worked once or twice for me! Jack up the car and support properly.Remove all the wheelnuts. Put on a pair of good stout shoes or boots. Stand with your BACK to the wheel. Now kick out hard (like a horse!) so that your heel hits the tyre. Kick each side alternately. With a bit of luck the wheel will eventually drop off.
Needless to say, take care not to kick the bodywork of the car instead!
If this fails, hitting it with a good big hammer is about the only option - perhaps with a piece of wood between hammer and wheel to protect the alloys.That, unfortunately, is what a dealer is likely to do - while your back is turned.
Graeme
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Loosen wheel nuts. GNETLY kerb the offending wheel..at about 5mph. Works every time: far greater force than a hammer or kicking...
madf
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I use WD-40. Be very careful not to get any on the brakes - I stuff rags in the behind the wheel to protect them. Use the straw to direct the WD-40 right onto the join between the hub and the wheel. Leave it 5 minutes and the wheel comes straight off. Something like PlusGas may be even better.
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It may sound strange.Some are that badly corroded to hub.14 pound hammer is only viable way out..Though I havent had to do this..Plus gas in bolt holes..give a few hours.Never had a prob..had more problems releasing Disc from hub than wheel.
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Steve
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I think there are some pretty reasonable suggestions as to how to get the wheel off here, so I wanted to add a suggestion as to how not to get into this situation !
I have one of the newer SaaB 93's, and it appears that they factory coat the parts of the hub with grease that are liable to electrolytically corrode to the alloy wheel. It even says in the handbook 'do not wipe this grease off'.
You might like to try this on your 95 ? I used this technique on my wifes 12 month old Focus after I'd had a hell of a job getting one of the wheels of that.
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Yuo have a couple of options, both of which include a little brutality.
Making sure that the car is well blocked, you can sit on the floor facing the offending wheel and give the TYRE (not the rim) regular kicks with your heels. Alternate side to side and eventually it will work loose.
Alternatively, lie on the floor behind the wheel and using a small club or lump hammer hit the tyre repeatedly until it comes loose.
As a last resort, you can give the rim gentle taps from inside out, but use a block of wood so as not to damage those lovely alloys.
When you do get it off, make sure you wire brush the meeting faces of the rim and the hub, and use a small amount of copperslip to make sure it comes off next time.
Hope it helps
Showbiz_28
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Thanks for all the tips. I couldn't shift the wheel with any of these though - must be a real weakling ;0) Eventually pumped the tyre up hard and made a quick dash to local tyre depot where I watched a spotty (but obviously much fitter) youth belt away with a heavy rubber mallet until it freed up...with another guy waiting to catch the wheel as it fell. Both rears were stuck, and both are now safely copperslipped, so I hope this is behind me!
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Most interested in this thread as I have got my first car with alloy wheels,was thinking of asking for all four wheels to be freed off as part of the annual service to avoid getting caught out,has anyone tried this and is it thought to be worthwhile.
ndbw
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