After finding a nice hole in the sidewall of my front passenger side tyre, I removed the nuts and the locking nut, but the wheel wont even budge. I checked the manual and it says the wheel should just come off (but I presume this is just a generic manual). I have changed tyres before, just not on this car.

The wheel feels set solid as when the nuts are on, even when pulling, pushing, hitting it with my hand. There is no wobble or play at all.

Is there any catch or alignment process you have to go through to remove the wheel, or does it just need a dab of WD40 and a tap with the sledgehammer?

Oh and their Zenith 18s on a Mk2 Octy VRS.

Any help anyone?

Had the same problem with a previous car when wheel had not been off for a while,lump of wood behind it and tap all around lightly with hammer.

Thats what I thought, but didnt want to risk hammering away and damaging things if there was a specific way of taking them off, some sort of clip, etc.

Just need to find a bit of wood now

Many Thanks for the info

Anyone selling a cheap 18 tyre?

Another way is to just undo each wheel nut about 1 turn, drive the car forwards slowly for 4-5 feet and brake, this should loosen the wheel.

Before refitting the wheel, clean the area of the hub that the large hole in the center of the wheel locates onto (and the wheel hole) and apply a small amount of copper grease.

This is a very common issue and it is the alloy wheel and steel hub corroding together.

Just take the nuts out and lower the car down on the jack so that the wheel takes some of the weight of the car BUT keep the jack in place.

Always worth spraying some WD40 down the join too.

This is usually caused by corrosion on the outer face of the brake disc. Put some copper grease on when you put the wheel back on.

I had this problem once on a Golf and it took me ages to get the wheel off.

Had the same problem. Remove the wheel bolts and (making sure its secure on the jack) give the tyre a swift kick.

pour HOT water on the centre of the wheel this should loosen it up and make it easy to take off

Many moons ago I had an Escort (the fist and last Ford I owned) had to use a heat gun on wheel to free it from the hub:eek:

Many moons ago I had an Escort (the fist and last Ford I owned) had to use a heat gun on wheel to free it from the hub:eek:

I'd of just torched the whole car mate

Had the same problem. Remove the wheel bolts and (making sure its secure on the jack) give the tyre a swift kick.

:eek: Don't even think of removing the wheel bolts completely! Just slacken them off a couple of turns before belting the wheel. If all the bolts are removed there's a very good chance of the wheel coming off in a rush and hitting the jack causing a catastrophic collapse! There's no way you can be sure that the car is completely secure on the jack; especially the one provided with the car.

Thats what I thought, but didnt want to risk hammering away and damaging things if there was a specific way of taking them off, some sort of clip, etc.

Just need to find a bit of wood now

Many Thanks for the info

Anyone selling a cheap 18 tyre?

I know this might be a bit late now, but I had the same problem with all four of mine last week. A mechanic friend showed me how to solve it.

Sit on your backside facing the wheel, put your feet on the wheel at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock and start stamping with your feet alternately. Not too hard! Do this for a few seconds and Bingo!

A quick clean and a little smear of copperslip on the mating flanges should stop it happening again.

I will have 2 tyres spare next week with 6mm left on them, but they are off my rear axle and suffering from a bit of saw-toothing!

Had the wheels off my passat today to paint the calipers and the back wheels were starting to weld themselves to the hub, cant believe they dont put copper slip on from the factory, my Mazda 6 came greased up lol

It may be worth putting in, that while the bit of timber & hammer works, be careful not to knock her off the jack. Friend of mine was rushing and it happened to him. Nice dinge in the sill now for all his troubles !!!

i bet its a right pig trying to get it off the floor as you wouldnt be able to get jack under

pour HOT water on the centre of the wheel this should loosen it up and make it easy to take off

Second that. Just a kettle of boiling water does the trick. Can also work on seized wheel bolts. I have done this a few times on my old Golfs (see a pattern emerging here). Used an old dishcloth balled up and wedged against the bolts with a stick whilst I poured the water over it. Worked a treat.

i bet its a right pig trying to get it off the floor as you wouldnt be able to get jack under

Luckily it was at the rear, so he got a trolley jack to the opposite side and raised it sufficiently to get MY jack under it. (He decommisioned his in the process )

batter it.

On 15/03/2009 at 15:23, Gizmo said:

Another way is to just undo each wheel nut about 1 turn, drive the car forwards slowly for 4-5 feet and brake, this should loosen the wheel.

Before refitting the wheel, clean the area of the hub that the large hole in the center of the wheel locates onto (and the wheel hole) and apply a small amount of copper grease.

This is a very common issue and it is the alloy wheel and steel hub corroding together.

 

Awesome - and so much easier than GBH on the wheel