The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 54 wheel removal

On my 54 6400 the lug nuts are off but the wheel won't budge. Any tricks on getting the wheel off? I don't want to beat on it too much for fear of bending the rim.

Your rim is like most, stuck on the hub in the center. Spray this area with a lot of PB Blaster and I use a portapower to push them off. Dont think you'll get them off buy beating on them.

hey matthew try taking a strap and looping it through the rim. take the other end and put it on the hitch of a truck.be very carefull when you tug on it that you dont pull the truck off the stand, the truck prob wont move because it quite heavy, good luck.

Matt, don't use a strap, bad things can happen if you do that. hit the rim in between the studs to loosen the bond between the rim, drum and studs. soak the studs with some sort of WD40 or the like and try to get it behind the rim. those are thick steel wheels...you're not going to hurt it by hitting it with a small sledge hammer, just hit it square and solid. It will come off...trust me. I have three of those trucks myself.

I do like Iowa 59's answere also. the strap idea will force the wheel to come off but also may jam it into the studs if it comes off crooked...you don't want that to happen.

another method is to put the lug nuts back on and leave them a little loose then take the truck down the road starting and braking at low speeds the weight of the truck starting and stopping will break it loose you run the risk of boogering the threads if you leave them too loose

thanks for the tips

To save possible damage to the rim, use a piece of 2 X 4 or other wood between the rim and a big hammer. It will spread the blow over a larger area and not ding up the metal. You can beat the stuffing out of the wood before you hurt the rim but the energy will be passed through.

Big hammer and hit on TIRE, and it will bounce off, yet create a vibe or counter action. I've had this work many times. Turn tire to new spots as you go. Also, you can clean the area where rim hole meets the hub with a sharp pointed item or knife. There is a tiny space there, rusted up. Lots of PB Blaster spray, and around lugs too.

I used Grumpy's method and it worked for me.