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Can't remove rear wheels.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by healthnut, Jul 2, 2011.

  1. healthnut

    healthnut Junior Member

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    Does anyone have a trick for removing rear wheels that are frozen to the studs/brake drum?

    I tried a 3 foot long pry bar but it was useless.

    If I ever have a flat tire I won't even try to change it. If I can't get the wheels off in the garage, then I know they won't cooperate when I'm hundreds of miles from home.
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Loosen the lug nuts several turns. Then drive the car up and down your driveway, hopefully that will loosen the wheels from the brake drums.
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    what causes this on a fairly new car? i took my daughters 04 wheels off no prolemo.
     
  4. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    i jacked mine up.. took the bolts off.. and kicked the wheel.

    driving it will work too. i think a simple turn of the wheel and a little forward backward driving will pop it off. turning the wheel should put turning force on your rear end as it tries to follow.
     
  5. spitinuri

    spitinuri Member

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    Loosen the lug nuts and hit the edge of the wheel with a couple of strong wacks from a rubber mallet. That should do the trick. But I like Patrick's move.
     
  6. Troyroy

    Troyroy Member

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    Loosen the lug nuts.....hit the center hub of your car,,,,,,not the wheel...hit it with a sledge hammer......the wheel will pop right off....

    That's how the pro's do it.
     
  7. freesky

    freesky Junior Member

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    electrolysis is the cause of rust or corrosion. The best prevention would be to put on anti-seize around the hub next time the rims are off.
     
  8. brick

    brick Active Member

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    I usually get it done with a kick or three.
     
  9. SpikeVFR

    SpikeVFR New Member

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    I wouldn't drive it with the lug nuts loose.

    Couple whacks on the tire should help. You can also try some taps with a hammer on the wheel center. You can also trying to spray some rust penetrant in there and let it soak for a while.
    When was the last time you rotated your tires?
     
  10. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    Assuming you have the lug nuts off, sit on ground facing tire and kick one side, should do it, if not kick other side of tire, very little to nothing is holding the rim on now, just surface rust. NOW, Just in case you are talking about getting the lug nuts loose... Put lug wrench at 90 degrees to vertical and step on it, all your weight. That should do it.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I use something very similar to Patrick's method, except have never had to go so far as drive it back/forth in driveway with loosened lug nuts (that makes me a little nervous). I found just lowering the car with loosened nuts, it will almost always pop loose. But if it still sticks when fully on the ground, push down hard on that corner, give it a bounce.

    Also agree: a thin wipe of anti-sieze coumpound, just a dab, then wipe with cloth, will help prevent it sticking again.
     
  12. healthnut

    healthnut Junior Member

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    Ok, I got them off.

    I tried to loosen the nuts and move the car. This did not seem to work and I was afraid to move it much. Kicking the tire did not help. Small mallets/hammers did not help. A neighbor with one of those brawny 4x4 trucks suggested hitting the inside of the tire with a sledgehammer. It took two licks and bounced off with the second try.

    I only hope the wheels will come off easier if I have a flat. The front wheels come off without a lot of effort, but the rear wheels seem to stick to the brake drums.
     
  13. Troyroy

    Troyroy Member

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    This is what I was trying to tell you on 7/2

    Loosen the lug nuts.....hit the center hub of your car,,,,,,not the wheel...hit it with a sledge hammer......the wheel will pop right off....

    That's how the pro's do it.:)
     
  14. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I had the exact issue. At 15K I did first rotation and they were welded.

    Apllied syn wheel bearing grease on the mating surfaces, around the castle nut (which was already severely corroded), and then with the wheel off you can easily pop off the center cap, leave it off and then when the wheel is back on and bolted up fill that cavity up with wheel bearing grease and then put the center cap back on.

    15K later the grease did not leak onto the rotor, and wheel fell right off after unbolting it.

    Major electrolysis going on there. I pity the northerner who has a flat before the wheel has ever been removed.
     

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  15. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    Strange,I have never run into that problem but, I do rotate my tires every 5-10K miles.
     
  16. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    It's not as likely to happen in Sacramento, unless the levee breaks.:D

    I bought a VW Jetta that had spent it's first two winters in Wiscowson. The wheels were a bear to get off. I finally loosened the lug nuts about 4 turns and moved the car back an forth in my garage, jamming on the brakes each time.
     
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  17. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    True, i am in one of the rust safe zones
     
  18. dhanson865

    dhanson865 Expert and Devil's advocate

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    Had my tires replaced around 110,000 miles on the odometer and rotated at around 115,000. Today I took off the driver side rear tire around 116,900 and I couldn't believe how much the car rocked on the jack and how many times I hit and kicked the tire from numerous angles until it popped off, bounced off a wall (that was very close to the car), and fell to the garage floor.

    I'll ask the shop about it when I go by there to see why the tire is leaking. I don't see any penetrations or damage from a casual inspection but I've got a slow leak. A leak that somehow allowed me to drive a 70 MPG trip home the other night and yet less than a week later left me around 10 PSI from the 40 or so it was at a couple of months ago. I suppose it was low during the good trip just not enough to offset the 3 good tires.

    Seriously, I was worried the car would fall off the jack if I got under it and no angle from the outside of the car worked. I had to lay under the rear bumper at as shallow an angle as I dared to get a kick from the inside of the car without laying under the car in case it fell. If I had known I would have done the whole thing outside of the garage to give myself more room to work the outside angles.
     
  19. Jon Hagen

    Jon Hagen Active Member

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    Lots of good advice posted on how to remove the wheels. My 2010 wheels were stuck at the last tire rotation at 50,000.
    I sanded the corrosion from the hubs and wheel center hole, then coated both parts with anti seize compound. That should be a permanent fix.
     
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  20. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    A funny thing happened today. It was not funny I had a totally flat tire, or rust/corrosion made it difficult to remove. I found this thread besides Paulette's cat - who looks exactly like the cat in the avatar of the OP.

    Believe it or not.