1990 4x4 pickup

The wheels are super stuck to the hubs. Ive tried beating on them. Soaking them in kroil. Used a torch and then beat on them some more. I put the lug nuts on loose and drove it a few miles trying to hit every speed bump and pothole whilst swerving wildly like a mad man.

These wheels arent wanting to budge. Is there any other crazy suggestions people have? I searched and found a few guys who had the same problem and only the tricks already stated above.

Im thinking about putting the truck on stands next to a very large light pull and using tie downs strapped to the wheel to whinch it off....

 

This is why I never seize the wheel and hub interface.

I have had to take the 10 pound sledge hammer to some the first time.

The trick is to tap it nice and even so it does not cock and cause it to dig in more.

Do you have a air hammer sometimes just the vibration will start to loosen things

Just on the steel of the hub not the aluminum wheel

 

Wyoming9, No air hammer. I just bought this truck two days ago. The tires were toast and i had spare wheels off an 1983 im restoring.

With how rusted these wheels are to the aisin hub I dont think they've been removed in years. Although I live in Chicago, and winter salt roads are mean to anything metal.

I'll attempt a larger sledge. I might drive it around the hood again and see if i can get them to rattle loose.

Im seriously considering taking it to a tire shop but it would hurt my soul

 

The Windy has nothing on Pa when it comes to winter chemicals

A tire shop really has no better options then you except maybe having done it numerous times

Good luck !!

 

I guess you could back your nuts off 1/4" and then steer it back and fourth on dry pavement or you could always get a bigger hammer. Could you pull the hub and wheel together and hammer it out once you get it on the ground?

 

I've scrapped cars for years and my dad as well. If it's a steel rim and you don't care about them, hit them with a 8-10lb sledge from the inside to the outside. If it's AL, it would probably break the rim. Another tactic I've used is get another tire that's aired up well and throw it at the tire hard along the edge, be mindful it's going to bounce back, and don't hit your fenders etc.

If you really want to get extreme, not sure if it would damge the hubs, but get a touch out (the kind that cuts metal, not the little hand held ones) and heat the rim up a lot w\o melting it. Might want to lower the tire pressure first.

Taking off the hub as a whole assembly might be your best option to save the rims. Seems like using a press afterwards would work well if you can find a good spot to press against (remove the manual hubs, the AL isn't going to hold up to the pressing).

You could always change the tire while the rim's still on the pickup, not fun I'm sure, but could be a way to get around it. Doesn't solve the problem though lol.

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

As stated before, tried driving it around and really turnin hard. I got the torch out and that didnt work either. I amazed how siezed they are.

Im gonna go to horrible frieght and buy a cheap air hammer. If that doesnt work, I'll get out the cutting torch.

 

Found an air hammer from autozone for 25 bucks. Ive been going at the passenger side all day.

I even busted out lye to melt out where the aluminum rims interface with the hub. Nothing, no budging...cutting torch time? Am I gonna screw up the hubs with the torch?

 

Heres a pic

 

Just a thought here but . . . could the wheel be too tight around the center/hub.

 

I seem to recall one of my friends had wheels stuck to the Hub

We ended up pulling the bearings and pressing the hub out of the wheel with the 50 ton press .

Aluminum and a steel hub add winter chemicals and let things sit for years

 

Exactly, a combination of being "pressed" on then corroded together.

 

Wyoming9 and L5wolvesf I was wondering if I could just remove the hub from the truck with the wheel still attached

 

Based on what Wyo said you will probably have to. Are all 4 stuck or just fronts or?

 

From the point where you're at in the pic above, a torch will do the trick but I would go through the hub afterward due to the heat. If you are going to do the hub anyway, just pull it all together and press it out.

 

L5wolvesf Its just the two front wheels, the rear drums surprisingly came right off. I have one last idea before I try to pull the hub off and press the hub out.

I'm thinking about grabbing an old disc rotor and drilling 4 holes near the outside of the rotor and then getting long bolts with nuts and washers that can hold onto the honeycomb of the wheel. The rotor would sit on the hub and then i would go around tightening the bolts to hopefully pull off the wheel.

woof

 

Sounds like a plan, but be careful in case the rotor can't take the pressure and shatters.

woof

 

Seen this before with a guy trying to remove a unimog hub. If you have thick sold steel plate laying around (probably not), that would be better to use since it will flex. Rotors I'm pretty sure are made from cast iron most of the time, which doesn't like to flex and generally breaks when it gets enough stress. They do hold up to quite a bit, so if you have nothing else around, give it a shot. Make sure the threaded rod or what ever you use is of high grade. Maybe get high grade bolts from the hardward store, and weld on the head of it the j hook system with heavier metal.

If I'm seeing things right in the photo, it looks like the center hub has a lot of "junk" around it where the rim interfaces. Might be possible to use a screw driver or a pick to clean it up some. Probably won't make a difference though .

Good luck and pics are always fun to see of the process

 

I like this better than the rotor idea, but instead of steel plate use angle - the angle will keep it from flexing.

FWIW, rotors get compression forces applied to them (the pads clamping together) they don't get angular forces (like pulling from the side).

 

Yeah im gonna give it a shot. I'll try to remember to shoot a little video of the process. Works or fails, I'm sure you guys would like to see.

The crud around the side was me using and air hammer where the rim meets the hub. I also put lye on the aluminum with hopes of eating away the rim.