LEADASS

OK, I'm not a total idiot or anything, but these bastards just aren't moving. Any ideas? They are oem porsche manhole covers and have not been off since I've owned the car (7 or 8 months). I've got the center caps off, sprayed PB Blaster, hit each wheel 50 times with a sledge (with a block of 2x4). I even loosened the lugs an eighth of an inch and driven the car up and down the drive. Please help me I'm near tears.

pcar928fan

Taking the center caps off makes no difference what so ever... I had the same problem with my race car. It has aftermarket wheels with different sized lug nuts, but the same problem.

Ultimately it took a 300#+ young man BOUNCING on the end of a 2.5' long bar over the lug wrench to get them loose. In fact we were using a silver Craftsman socket (12 point...I think that is the number anyway) and he BROKE THE SOCKET!!! I went and got one of the black six point heavy duty Craftsmen sockets and that worked...

Now in your case you are really going to have a problem because what tends to happen with the stock lug nuts is that you unscrew the top of the lug nut leaving the shoulder behind holding the wheel just as tight as it had been to the hub! I have only had that problem once, but it SUCKED! You then have to get a "hole saw" for a drill that is just big enough to slip over the threaded lug and then CUT the shoulder off... You have to be VERY, VERY, VERY careful when doing this NOT to cut in to the wheel. Then once the wheel is off you will have to clean up the threads and use plenty of anti seize when you put the BRAND NEW lug nuts back on!

Sorry for your trouble, but it is about to get worse I fear...

Mrmerlin

what kind of wheels are they and are they painted??
If they are not painted then you can get a Mapp gas torch and heat the wheel about 3 inches from the edge of the where centercap seats all around spray some PB blaster tween the rotor and the wheel.
Jack up one side of the car and with a heavy sledge hit the inside of the tire with it , you might have to do this sitting down ( the other wheel will hold the car from moving).
Note leave the lug nuts on the studs but about 3 turns loose.
Leave the E brake off as well and block the other side wheels so the stuck wheel can be turned.
You need a 4 foot sledge. the kind you see them using to break up concrete walkways
This is why you put antiseize onto the hubcentric portion of the hub.

Randy V

Is the problem removal of the lug nuts, or removing the wheel from the hub?

Your descriptions seems unclear.

Mrmerlin

RV from his post it sounded like the lugs are loose but the wheel is stuck on the hub

pcar928fan

Mrmerlin,

I took it the other way... couldn't get the lug nuts off... If you are right and the lug nuts are off (and the SHOULDERS of the nuts are not holding the wheels fast still...which DOES HAPPEN!) then that is another story altogether.

I have one of my Fikse rear wheels and never wants to come off... I use a rubber mallet on the inside of the rim/tire and that usually takes care of it...takes quite a few hits and you have to be careful doing that, but it has worked for me...

Taking a torch to your wheels does not sound like a good idea! Holy moly!

LEADASS

Yeah, lug nuts not the problem. I've just driven up and down the street, and did a couple of burnouts with the lugs just a half a turn loose. The torch scares the crap out of me but... Big question is MAPP gas or oxy-acetelene? I want to keep the wheels, but just get them off. Thanks for all the input!

Crisis

Don't do it this way:

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2684546

Warning!!! Contains graphic sawzall images.

pcar928fan

Be sure that your lug nuts have not broken! These stock aluminum nuts have a BAD tendency when old to just twist the threaded "cap" portion right off leaving the shoulders in place holding the wheel...

If the lug nuts are complete and not broken in anyway then back to the rubber mallet I guess...

Best of luck! Sorry I missed the problem in my first response. Thanks Mrmerlin for getting it right!

Mrmerlin

the idea isnt to heat them too much.
but one mapp gas torch will take about 10 mins to get the wheels warm dont stay in one place too long .
also make sure that the whole lug nut is coming loose and not the hex part, its not uncommon for the bevel portion to shear off of the hex part , make sure to remove each lug to verify this

Mrmerlin

if you do have wheels that stick onto the hub then the hubcentric portion needs to be dressed down with some 220 grit sandpaper to knock off the corrosion, than add some antiseize to prevent corrosion

Landseer

I had this problem on a Lumina.

Got them off by jacking it up and hitting the inside sidewall of the tire with a long handled sledgehammer. Corrosion.

depami

Had this problem on a Dodge truck.

Got them off by setting entire rear on jack stands, shifting between forward and reverse (at idle) and adding a little break now and then.

Again, be sure the lug nuts are completely off.

Denny

LEADASS

Well I think I need to take a step back, spray more PB Blaster tighten the lugs back up and wait 'til I have more time. At this rate I'm gonna throw a nutty and things will go badly. Thanks for the help I'll let you know how it goes tommorrow.

sjfarbs

If the wheel is stuck on the hub, this happened to me with my Jaguar XJS...........I tried everything!!!!
What worked? Loosen the lugs a turn and a half, drive up and down your street slow, brake hard a few times...............mine were so rusted on the hub no amount of PB and Hammering was going to work!
This method did the trick, I was a bit worried about wheels flying off, but I am still here to tell the tale and have removed those dang wheels from the hub!