Having trouble removing the 20 inch Persang wheels on my 2005 XKR.
Had a tire dealer remove one and the surfaces between the steel hub and aluminum wheel looked to have bonded. Any suggestions as to how to remove the remaining wheels and how to prevent this issue in future?

 

Loosen the lug nuts and drive back and forth in the driveway a few times. Use anti seize grease on the face of the wheel when assembling.

 

Once you get them off, grease on the contact surfaces and a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts. I had this problem too. Some gorillas must have cranked down on those lug nuts. Happens every time I take it in for safety inspection. I had a breaker bar about 8 feet long and bounced up and down (the car) to break the nuts loose. Just one of my pet peeves ...

 

Alloys usually bind on the 'lip' (arrowed in red) rather than to the hub face:



Applying heat will damage the wheel finish so there's:

1. the impatient approach
one wheel at a time, loosen (NOT remove) the wheelnuts by a couple of turns, drive and brake sharply to shock it free.

2. the cautious approach
prise out the centre cap and spray releasing oil through the hole in the wheel centre. Allow time and re-apply if necessary.

Jaguar have never recommended the use of anti-seize such as Coppaslip or the equivalent aluminium based ZETA Grease (available from Land Rover Dealers) on the mating faces to prevent seizure. Rolls Royce/Bentley have always recommended it.

The best prevention is removing the wheels every six months to check suspension and brakes.

Graham

 

The cause is galvanic action between the alloy rim and the cast iron hub. As already suggested, clean up and grease all mating surfaces (I use Copper Grease). To remove the seized rims I have used a large rubber mallet - striking the rim from the front and back, alternately and rotating slightly, each time. good idea to grease the lug nuts, too.

 

I usually have the car on a lift, remove 4 lug nuts and leave one on with just a few threads. Spin the wheel and hit the inside sidewall of the tire with a BFH (4 pound). Be VERY careful to NOT hit the wheel. The wheel should move out slightly with each blow.

I would drive the car with loosened nuts but I would have to lower the car and drive it, then put it back on the lift. Too time consuming.

I use the nickle based anti-seize compound on the hub center.

Just the way I do it.

bob

 

I never oil or grease lug nuts, I was told it results in over-torque and possibly broken studs when using impact wrench. Torque specs are for a "dry" condition.

 

I agree! NEVER lube lug studs.

 

Heh heh.

I ALWAYS lube lug studs and have done so for decades! Just a tiny smear of grease or couple drops of oil.

As for stuck alloy wheels.....

If you don't have any official anti-seize products on hand ordinary wheel bearing grease will work perfectly well. That's what I've used for ages and ages.

Cheers
DD

 

That's what I do as well. Jeeez, sometimes I've swung that hammer till I though my arm was about to drop off !

Cheers
DD

 

You know I figured I'd share this. It's on topic though it'd probably not work on yours. Otoh it took me 50 years before I came across it (even though it's basic) so maybe it'll help someone down the road.

I once stopped to help a lady with a flat on the highway. I jacked up the car, took off the lugs, tried to remove the wheel. It was stuck. Just then a tow truck pulled up to help. He came over and saw the problem. Obviously it was NBD to him, he just sat down facing the wheel, bent his knees and kicked left side right side left side of the tire. It worked in no time. I filed that away, physics is great isn't it?

 

Hmmm .... I once saw the whole crew at a Jeep dealership swinging
sledges at the wheels on a Cherokee. For a really long time.

Turns out when the kid was given the Cherokee, he thought he
would dress it up by painting the drums. Got them about touch
dry and cranked the wheels back on. Dad had to foot the bill
for the extra time.

I grease the hub centre and the studs. Always have.

 

And there are plenty of reference charts out there to convert
between a dry torque value and a lubed torque value. The lubed
value is usually 75-80 percent of the dry value in most references
from fastener vendors.

The thing about torquing a dry threaded joint is that it is
much less consistent due to a less consistent interface.

My reference torque value is "about that much".

 

So I know this is a four year old thread....But my first time with a wheel stuck to the hub.

I was ready to fight;

However, I simply left two loose lugs on the wheel and dropped the hydraulic floor jack.

Popped right off !

 

Truck, good reminder! In fact its a hell of a lot easier than trying to pound her loose. I wrote the idea of stomping the tire side with your feet, left right left repeat. While I saw this work once, I've been faced with this problem of a stuck wheel a few times since I answered the original thread. My advice: SKIP THAT IDEA! It doesn't work as well as the other ideas here.

John