Alloy Wheel Stuck on hub
Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Technical & Model Specific Forums
Forum Name: BMW 5 Series
Forum Discription: This forum will deal with any issues on the BMW 5 Series (E12, E28, E34, E39, E60 & E61)
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=39003
Printed Date: 20-April-2024 at 02:09
Topic: Alloy Wheel Stuck on hub
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Subject: Alloy Wheel Stuck on hub
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 09:36
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Saturday afternoon. I wanted to remove all four wheels to power wash the wheels and the wheel arches. Jacked up O/S/F and removed wheel bolts. Alloy stuck on rim. After rotating the wheel and tapping gentlyish the tyre sidewall on the inside with a 2lbs lump hammer the rim dropped off the hub. Same thing on the N/S/F. O/S/R fell off easily as the garage had greased this for me as they had to remove the wheel to a) take out the scuff mark on the alloy and put a new tyre on the rim as part of the deal. Then it came to the N/S/R. It was well and truly stuck on. I had to put the Car in N and release the handbrake so that I could spin the wheel as I gently struck the side wall with the hammer. Nothing happening. I wasn't keen the have the car jacked up with only three bricks holding the thing from moving while reaching under to strike the tyre. Gave up as I wanted to wash the car before it got dark. No grease on any hub spigots other than the N/S/R and there was no grease on any wheel bolts. So much for BMW giving these items a proper look when servicing. Anyone got any suggestions for removing an alloy wheel from the hub other than just persevering with a hammer? Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Replies:
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 09:51
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Put the other wheels on securely. Loosen the bolts for the N/S/R wheel and start driving out your driveway. That should loosen it!
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: jetsetwilly2000
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 10:20
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I second the above, tho make sure you only loosen the bolts a little. Otherwise kicking is good (has always worked for me) but make sure only the offending wheel is off the gound.
------------- E90 M3 DCT, E46 330d Touring, VW T5 wannabecamper Previous: Disco 3 TDV6, 2x E34 540i6, E34 535iS |
Posted By: Lancastrian
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 12:17
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Had this problem with an E46. Easiest solution I found was to slacken off the bolts, jack up the car, remove the bolts and then start lowering the jack. The corrosion just cracked and the wheel was loose well before getting down to normal ride height. Use a thin film of copperslip on the hub or wheel to prevent it happening again. ------------- E30 M3 Project - Specification TBC |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 14:19
Thanks, I'll try that one out. Not sure when though. I put copperslip on the three wheels that I removed. Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Lancastrian wrote:Posted By: Allan320
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 17:15
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This happened to me on my E46 as well. I put copper slip on also then when I went to take the rim off later, it had stuck again. I just persevered by spinning the wheel and hitting the side walls with my hands until it loosened it enough ------------- |
Posted By: Mick525i
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 19:41
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Tis a common problem. Your hit trying hard enough..... As above just keep tapping the wheel as you rotate it it will come off.. Mick ------------- Cheers Mick 
BMW E21 318 1980 BMW E39 525i 2002 MTech VW Golf Gti 2003 |
Posted By: marty e38 sport
Date Posted: 08-October-2007 at 19:47
| yes use a plastic mallet and hit the wheel at the point where the tyre meets the alloy.once off put copper grease on hub and wheels will come off easier next time. |
Posted By: BeemaBoy
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 11:17
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Hmmm...is this problem model specific? I always get fed up of trying to take off and put my wheels back on the E34 because as soon as I start removing the last wheel bolt, the thing wants to fall off and I end up having to hold it against the hub with my shoulder... Never had a wheel stick on with either of my cars... BB ------------- 87 E30 320I 95 E34 525I Auto, Executive Package, Arctic Silver 98 E38 740I Steptronic, Silver |
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 11:51
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Never say never Rawdon!
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: Lancastrian
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 13:57
I think its to do with the amount of rain, snow and ice we get - and the salt used to melt it - so maybe you don't have the same problems in your part of the world. ------------- E30 M3 Project - Specification TBC |
Posted By: BeemaBoy
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 15:32
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Very true...I did touch wood when I wrote it though... BB ------------- 87 E30 320I 95 E34 525I Auto, Executive Package, Arctic Silver 98 E38 740I Steptronic, Silver |
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 15:33
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: BeemaBoy
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 15:44
Yes...I suppose the salt would go a long way toward gumming up the hub. I was just very suprised that it happens to Andrew's 3 year old car...would expect it on an E34 or E39, but not an E60! How do people manage with cars that have the wheel nuts instead of the wheel bolts...must be twice as hard to shift it off the hub Was lucky enough that I never had to do anything to the wheels of any cars while I was in England BB ------------- 87 E30 320I 95 E34 525I Auto, Executive Package, Arctic Silver 98 E38 740I Steptronic, Silver |
...
... suppose I am spoilt by a dry, high altitude climate...cars never rust here...and stone chips stay at that...stone chips...you have to really search for a second hand car here that has rust in the arches or doors...Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 17:35
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If you had a wheel that is held on with studs (nuts) the vertical loading of the wheel is taken by the studs. With bolted wheels the load is transfered thru the wheel to the hub via the spigot and not the wheel bolts. The bolts are just used to clamp the rim and brake disc to the hub. My 4 year old car will never have had the rear wheels taken off. It will still be on original pads and discs at 42,000 miles. Although the garage I bought it from said they changed the brake fluid. I am assuming this can be done from a ramp without the need to remove the wheels. If the garage had to remove the wheels to bleed the brakes the wheels wouldn't have stuck to the spigots. I had to take all four wheels off to bleed the brakes, which does make me wonder if they did change the brake fluid. Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: PJSM3
Date Posted: 11-October-2007 at 23:52
I don't follow that. All the spigot is doing is ensuring the wheel is centered correctly. It should not be under any load once the wheel bolts are tightened. Once the wheel bolts are torqued up it is the frictional coefficent between the inside wheel face and hub holding the car up; more torque, more friction. That's why you'll see the wheel face that meets the hub to be grooved so as to increase the friction. |
Posted By: gtmoore
Date Posted: 16-October-2007 at 16:13
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I've changed brake fluid on my E39 without removing the wheels although the car does need jacking up if you don't have a ramp. As for the sticking wheels - I had terrible trouble with my full main dealer serviced E39 when I bought it. As others have said, just perseverance did it in the end. Used a rubber mallet and kept whacking the inside of the alloy where it meets the tyre as suggested. Keep turning the wheel a bit as you do it. It should move in the end. All coppper slipped now and have been fine since. Good luck! Gavin ------------- Gavin Current: E39 525iSE Auto 2001 Previous: E34 530iV8 Auto 1994 E34 520iSE Auto 1994 E34 520iSE Manual 1990 |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 16-October-2007 at 17:30
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If I had a 'full main dealer serviced' vehicle with sticky wheels - I'd take it back to the dealer, and tell them to get the It's all down to sloppy workmanship, no lubricant, and over-tightening - which in turn can stretch the bolt/stud, so making the wheel more susceptible to falling off! Always hand-torque wheels - never allow anyone near them with those nasty guns! ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
things off! 
Posted By: gtmoore
Date Posted: 16-October-2007 at 17:38
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Yeah - but I didn't buy it from a dealer and to be honest I'd rather do it myself. The tyre shop air guns are deadly when used with the BMW locking bolts. ------------- Gavin Current: E39 525iSE Auto 2001 Previous: E34 530iV8 Auto 1994 E34 520iSE Auto 1994 E34 520iSE Manual 1990 |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 17-October-2007 at 08:15
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I did think that it would be possible to change the brake fluid by means of a ramp without taking the wheel off. The bleed nipples are angled slightly towards the inboard side for that reason I presume. I have been working late and most weekends since I bought the car so I haven't had a chance to get another look at the wheel. I have been meaning to buy a rubber mallet so I'll give it another try hopefully this weekend. I always hand torque my wheel bolts with my torque wrench 120Nm for the E60. I remeber helping my dad when I was a kid with one of his Cortina's. It had been to a garage for new tyres and he watched them put the wheels back on with no grease on the nuts or the hubs and with an air gun! My dad took each wheel off and greased up everything so that he knew he would be able to take the wheel off in an emergency. No run flats on a 1982 Y plate 2.0 Cortina Crusader! Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: SHAX
Date Posted: 28-October-2007 at 14:02
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Stuck Alloys: Best method for taking of a stuck alloy is to use your spare wheel. This method has worked for me and other vehicles in a similar situation. Get the tyre part of your spare wheel and whack each end of the tyre part of the stuck wheel. This creates quite an impact due to weight of the spare wheel and the rubber bouncing. Believe me, it's the easiest method!!!!!!!!!! |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 29-October-2007 at 08:08
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Don't have a spare wheel, car has runflats so no spare! Got the wheel off the hub on Friday morning. Used a rubber mallet to hit the alloy rim/tyre sidewall. Ended up with the imprint of Goodyear backwards on the rubber mallet! Wheel greased on to hub and spigot so I should be able to get the thing off again. Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 29-October-2007 at 18:57
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check it in a month and let us know ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 30-October-2007 at 08:06
Oh yee of little faith! ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 30-October-2007 at 11:38
 ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 05-November-2007 at 12:49
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Checked it after 9 days. Finally got round to power washing that particular wheel arch and the wheel dropped off the hub after removing the wheel bolts. Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 05-November-2007 at 14:44
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See - told you so! ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: SHAX
Date Posted: 05-November-2007 at 17:48
| Well done! |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 14-April-2008 at 13:50
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Hurumph Same thing happened on my new E60. Wanted to power wash the underbody. Fronts came off as they had been greased, but the O/S/R had to be persuaded off with a fair amount of bashing with the rubber mallet bought to remove the previous alloys! Didn't get round to removing the other rear but I am expecting the same craic. FBMWSH obviously doesn't include greasing of wheel bolts! Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: BeemaBoy
Date Posted: 14-April-2008 at 15:57
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That is real rubbish that is! Why is BMW neglecting the basic stuff!!! What happens when you have a flat tire and you have to try and get that wheel off of the car at 3AM in the pouring rain...with no tool except the useless jack and wheel spanner!!! BB ------------- 87 E30 320I 95 E34 525I Auto, Executive Package, Arctic Silver 98 E38 740I Steptronic, Silver |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 14-April-2008 at 17:19
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Cos it only has 26,000 miles on the clock so it hasn't needed any attention to the rear brakes and the iDrive says it has about 17,000 miles to go before rear brake attention. so the rear wheels will have never been off the car, although I don't think the tyres are original.
It has runflats so I don't have a spare, I don't have a jack and I don't have a wheel spanner. All I have is the locking wheel bolt. I do have BMW Assist and AA! Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |