Wheel stuck to hub

[LTD]

I had a recent puncture on my way to work that required me to call out the AA (rather embarrassingly) as the wheel was stuck to the hub.

The nice guy from the AA got the wheel off by careful use of a plastic mallet on the inside of the wheel.

Now, this has got me thinking as I really don't want to be in this situation again and I am also heading on a 500 mile trip next weekend.

Should I remove all the wheels, clean all the hub faces and wheel inners and apply copper grease to the mating surfaces then refit the wheels ?

Should I just get a plastic mallet ?

 

[Howard]

Wouldn't a good kick do the same job ?

 

[renault12ts]

This happened to me once on a w210. When they are stuck, they are stuck fast. No amount of kicking will remove it. The car is usually on the normal jack and there is a danger of it falling if kicked too vigorously.

Remove all wheels , clean up as necessary and apply grease.

 

[LTD]

Wouldn't a good kick do the same job ?

No, tried that.

I'm off work for a couple of days this week so I'll get some grease.

Is there any particular one I should get or any to avoid ?

 

[wemorgan]

another vote for removing the wheels and cleaning.
It will also give you the opportunity to set the wheel nut torque correctly.

 

[C230kompressor]

i had that problem once! but i had a rubber mallet to hand!
now i copper grease them all!

 

[trapperjohn]

Yup clean them, liberal with the copper grease. Problem will not raise its ugly head again. I also use copper grease on the wheel studs, but read somewhere not to do this. The hell with that it works for me.

 

[fuzzer]

yep , off and copper them.

I normally do it as soon as i get a new car allong with wheel wax on them , but ill be first to admit that ive been far too busy to do it this year and i really should before im stuck like you..

 

[yachtman]

I had a recent puncture on my way to work that required me to call out the AA (rather embarrassingly) as the wheel was stuck to the hub.

The nice guy from the AA got the wheel off by careful use of a plastic mallet on the inside of the wheel.

Now, this has got me thinking as I really don't want to be in this situation again and I am also heading on a 500 mile trip next weekend.

Should I remove all the wheels, clean all the hub faces and wheel inners and apply copper grease to the mating surfaces then refit the wheels ?

Should I just get a plastic mallet ?

I would remove and grease, but personally wouldnt use copper grease, as then you would have copper, steel & alloy, a great combination for galvanic corrision. Would be interested if anybody else agrees.

 

[stevesey]

I would remove and grease, but personally wouldnt use copper grease, as then you would have copper, steel & alloy, a great combination for galvanic corrision. Would be interested if anybody else agrees.

Note sure about the chemistry - but the alloy/steel corrosion is what makes them stick in the first place isn't it. So if copper grease makes things even worse, we should have given up on it a long time ago, but it seems to work.

 

[BlackC55]

I don't use copper grease. It is too messy.

I use a aluminuim anti-seize spray grease on the hubs every time I take a wheel off. I always clean the hub and wheel up with a wire brush.

If the car was serviced properly it would have had the hubs cleaned up and greased.

 

[LTD]

If the car was serviced properly it would have had the hubs cleaned up and greased.

Last time the car was touched was by a main dealer or their designated tyre people as it was fitted with new tyres before I bought it.

That was 7 months ago.

I'll look into the aluminium stuff tomorrow - any preferred brand ?

 

[BlackC55]

Nope.

Mine is a cheapo make. It does not have to be anything special.

 

[wxmclk]

I have had my fronts off twice in the last six months, each time it has been a plastic/rubber mallet job on the inside wheel. Last time they put back, about 6 months ago copper grease was applied on each hub- It still stuck fast when wheels off again earlier this week though sadly.

 

[BlackC55]

Clean the wheel up then. That should sort it.

 

[Rory]

I also use copper grease on the wheel studs, but read somewhere not to do this. The hell with that it works for me.

It's a really bad idea as the bolts will be stretched much more than intended. If the bolts are torqued when dry they should undo easily.


Regarding releasing the wheel, I did read that if you put the bolts back and back them off a small amount, then let the car down off the jack and drive it (a few feet) the wheel will normally release straight away.

 

[sms78]

Im surprised any merc gets the chance to get a stuck wheel amount of times they break down and get taken off to fix things

 

[LTD]

Regarding releasing the wheel, I did read that if you put the bolts back and back them off a small amount, then let the car down off the jack and drive it (a few feet) the wheel will normally release straight away.

Tried that to no avail ....... might work on the driven wheels though

 

[sms78]

You may laugh but i have released a wheel before by spraying wd40 behind it and using the mrs's hair dryer to heat the wheel up slightly . It has worked for me before but then you risk being beaten by your mrs when she find greasey finger prints on her hairdryer

 

[Roger Jones]

From MB's own Technical data passenger cars (10/93):

"Check wheel bolts. Clean bolts if dirty . . . There should not be any dirt or grease on the spherical collar of the bolts or spherical segments of the rims, otherwise the thread can be overstretched. Ensure that contact surfaces on the rims and on axles are clean. Clean corroded surfaces with a wire brush or emery cloth . . . Retighten new rims after driving 100--500km, because the spherical segments on the mounted wheels can set."

I believe that all MB torque figures for wheel fastening are based on dry surfaces. Gorilla tightening + grease = problems.