At this very moment my Subie is jacked up so I can get the front wheel off. I want to get into the ball joint so that I can give it a good shot of PB Blaster, I'm hoping to change the ball joint tomorrow if the weather holds(I'm in the snow and slush outside.

At any rate, I can't get the wheel to break free of the axle. I have sprayed some PB around the hub by the axle end nut and am letting it sit.

I have only owned the car a short time and have no idea how long the wheel has been on, since the tires were last changed I imagine.

I'm CONSIDERING letting the PB sit awhile, putting the lug nut back on loosely, and moving the car back and forth a few feet to see if it breaks free. However, being a Handyman by trade, I though it best to come here for some advice first!!!

At this very moment my Subie is jacked up so I can get the front wheel off. I want to get into the ball joint so that I can give it a good shot of PB Blaster, I'm hoping to change the ball joint tomorrow if the weather holds(I'm in the snow and slush outside.

At any rate, I can't get the wheel to break free of the axle. I have sprayed some PB around the hub by the axle end nut and am letting it sit.

I have only owned the car a short time and have no idea how long the wheel has been on, since the tires were last changed I imagine.

I'm CONSIDERING letting the PB sit awhile, putting the lug nut back on loosely, and moving the car back and forth a few feet to see if it breaks free. However, being a Handyman by trade, I though it best to come here for some advice first!!!

 

I had to kick HARD the tops of the tires, even after I just took them of 10 minutes before. I think as long as you hit the tire, and not the rim, you should be able to use even a sledge hammer. Don't slip. Be very careful.

I'm worried, perhaps unnecessairly, that I'll break the bead wacking on the tire. I have a wide selection of wacking instruments available however.

I have done this with much success, both for the axle and for just getting a stubborn wheel off to swap tires.

 

Put the axle nut back on and leave it about a thread loose. Then take a short jaunt down the road doing a NASCAR warm-up-the-tires-zig-zag-move. It should pop loose with the weight of the car moving against it, a hell of a lot more that any whacker you could hit it with.

 

Same holds true for the lug nuts if the wheel is stuck to the outside of the hub.

 

I'm not saying drive to the supermarket or anything; of course, if you do need beer and pizza...

You just have to kick it a few times and it will fall right off. I always lay on the ground on my back and kick it like that.

This method would worry a careful guy like me. Tapping the tyre from behind with a wooden mallot is the preferred method. The car must be on a lift or jack-stands, not the jack in the trunk!

 

BEFORE mounting the wheel again, coat the hub in a very thin layer of copper grease. Easy to remove next time :-)

I would shy away from copper grease, especially with aluminum wheels, because of corrosion problems from dissimilar metals. High temp grease is just fine.

These are just plain jane black steel wheels. The car came without wheel covers, so the joint between the hub and the wheel has had plenty of exposure to the elements. Going out to work on it here shortly, and I thank you all for the advice.

I had that situation while helping fix a flat on the highway. Tried hitting it with feet, hammer, 2x4, no luck. Whacked it with the space saver and it popped right off. Pretty good mass and soft enough to do no damage.

Sometimes the rim rusts to the hub and esentially rust-welds them together I've had to take the BFH to a tire on my old GL the first time I pulled the wheels off. Strategic kicks to the tire should break it free

Happened to me so many times here that I can't count.Work your way up to a sledge if necessary. Worst one I ever had was a alloy rear wheel on a rear wheel drive ford. literally went out into a parking lot and had to cut several donuts with the rear lugs loose to break it free...........

 

 

swi66

Just loosen the lug nuts while its on the ground and whack the tire with a good size whacking tool. My 93 Camery was notorious for stuck wheels. I'd hit the tire with a sledge hammer at top, bottom, left and right a few times and it would come loose. I carried the hammer in the trunk along with the jack and spare in case I had a flat.

Sounds like evryone else loves whacking off their wheels, so to speak...

 

I'll just stick to my loosen and drive it method. I can get beer and powdered doughnuts at the corner stop-n-rob while I'm out.

i've had that happen a couple times,what i did was using a piece of wood an a hammer.place wood against edge of rim on back side an hit an roll wheel then hit,etc till wheel come off.of course have car on stands:rolleyes: . to prevent from having to do it again down the road,use something like anti-seize.(think that's the name)