Re: Removing wheels - there must be an easier way

Whenever I have remove my wheels, it is always such a pain, especially the fronts. I get all the bolts out and then I have to rock it back and forth until the wheel comes off. Sometimes the wheel drops off leading to less than desireable results.

Any tips?

Greg
1999 Boxster

You know the wheel alignment tool in your toolkit? its a kinda cigar sized aluminum rod with threads on one end, buy another from your dealer, they are kinda cheap, remove two of the wheel bolts, thread in the wheel alignment tools, and this will prevent the wheel from falling, it also makes re-installing a snap.

Steve

Steve
Guards Red 1999
I'm not a race car driver, but I play one in 2nd and 3rd gear

See, I knew there was a better option. Thanks, guys!

Greg
1999 Boxster

then thread in a couple of those rods and remove the other bolts then just a bang of the side of the tire with the hand and the wheel comes free and the rods prevent the wheel from falling down. The rods then guide the wheel as the tech removes it.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

up here in Canada, or other places that salt the roads in the winter, I've had wheels stuck before, due to not putting antiseize on the rotor hat....

If it's really stuck, reinstall the lug bolts until they make contact with the wheel and back them off a 1/2 turn... Drive around the block, making sure you can do some right and left turns. The weight of the car will break the bond for you, you'll here a crack, and you can drive back into the garage and the wheel will be free from the rotor hat.

NB: One application of antiseize should last a couple of wheel changes (ie. you don't need to do it every time).

P

Put some anti seize on the rotor hat and hub center hole as well as the back of the wheels to avoid any minor rusting or corrosion that might be making it "stick" where these surfaces mate up.

See my other pastime at www.gothamcityracing.net

An update: I actually was able to use the one wheel aligment tool successfully to take the wheel off and put it on. Didn't even know that is what that tool was for!

Exactly. And before you apply the lube, hit the hat and inside of the wheel with a wire brush to get all the rust/crap out of the interface.

What John said - get a small bottle of Permatex Anti-Seize. It doesn't take much at all - it'll probably last you the rest of your life. You only need to put it on the areas where the wheel and the rotor contact, plus a tiny little bit on the bolts.

I was changing out my wheels yesterday (winter to summer) and for a minute there I thought the first bolt wasn't going to come out. All the rest were fine, but because of that one, I cleaned 'em all and re-applied the anti-seize.

put the dummy lug into a hole and us it to hang the wheel and re-locate it.

I actually buy a few studs from ECS tuning or M14 rod from home depot and keep them around.

Grant

Grant

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