The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk can't remove wheel from hub

My Brother-in-law has a 69 c-10 chevy LWB that he has owned since 1970. He parke the truck a couple of years ago and the drivers side rear went flat. Will not hold air so he has tried to remove the wheel to get the flat repaired. However, the wheel is apparantly rusted to the hub. He has tried saturating with WD-40 and has even bumped and tried lifting the wheel with his front end loader but wheel wont' budge. Any ideas how he might remove the wheel?

Thanks,

Robert

Lay down & hit it from behind with a big hammer.

With the lug nuts loose drive around the parking lot slowly with tight turns.

PB Blaster available at your local Auto Parts Store. Then smack the wheel a few times with a hammer. Go to lunch, should be loose by the time you are done eating.

If not, a 2x4 behind the wheel for leverage.

I usually give it the sledge hammer treatment. They sure can be stubborn sometimes, but I've never let a rusty wheel get the better of me.

This is the best way I have found to get them loose OR use some heat around the center may also pop it loose.

No heat, bad for the seals abd bearings. The sledge trick works well, but can damage the rim if you get carried away. I use a 6' prybar at work to pop off stubborn wheels, usually don't even need any penetrant. When you get it off, put a light coating of anti-seize on the hub, where the wheel seats and on the center hole of the wheel. Just a light coat, doesn't need to be much. That will prevent seizing in the future.

Last time that happened to me, I took off the lug nuts and tapped the bolts inward as far as they'd go. Be real careful. Just my 2 cents.

Here's another vote for the loosened lugnuts and tight turns approach. I've used that method a few times and it's a lot lets work than the others. Of course, it works best if the truck is actually running....

Bill whenever I used heat it took very little heat to pop the rim or brake drum loose & considering it has sat since 1970 I would pull the bearings out anyway & replace or repack them. AND if you have heated the drum/wheel up enough to melt a seal then you have more problems then a stuck rim...Joe

I can see using heat as long as you keep it low. I was more thinking about cooking the grease in the hub. I do agree, especially since it's been sitting, a repack/new bearings/seals, along with a complete brake inspection, is definetly reccommended. Also, when I hear the words "use some heat", I get images of some of my co-workers who tend to get carried away with it . Same guy likes to use the whole can of PB on one job, too. Thinks more is better.