So how do I get a wheel off? Been out this evening to fit a nice new, or rebuilt anyway, rear diff from that nice Mr Ashcroft. Simple enough job, rear axle on axle stands, rear wheels off, rear prop disconnected from the diff and tied up out of the way, hubs pulled out far enough to disengage from the diff, undo the bolts, pull old diff out and slot new one in. However, when I went to take the rear wheels off, the nearside one came straight off but the offside one is seized solid to the hub. Got the diff changed by undoing the bolts on the hub from underneath and pulled the hub clear with wheel still attached. Now it's all back together I figured I should really get the wheel off and clean up the centre hub spigot just in case I need to change the wheel at the roadside. All wheels were last off just before Christmas when the new tyres were fitted so, even though I've done about 12,000 miles since then, I would have expected them to all come off easily enough. It's not like they've been on there welding themselves on for years.

Currently it's sitting outside with a couple of blocks of wood, a jack and a length of steel tube between the two rear wheels in the hope that constant pressure will force it of but I'm not holding my breath. I want to take it out and listen to a rear diff that doesn't whine on the overrun and throw oil all over the underside of the car from the front seal but I'd rather get the wheel off, cleaned up and put back on first. Any advice?

Yes when they are stuck on like that it's a real pain... Loads of 'dissimilar metals' corrosion... Pop off the centre cap and squirt some freeing oil in there and leave it overnight.... loosen the nuts and get a rubber mallet, lie on your back and whack away...(gently) at the tyres (or use a wooden drift/mallet on the rim...)

Will PM a 'less conventional' suggestion too

When I got totally stuck like that I slackened the nuts off a couple of turns, and drove in some tight swerving S curves up and down the farm track.

It worked, but it's dangerous and I don't really recommend it.

Tried the big block of wood on the rim and a club hammer, didn't shift. Considered the slackening off the nuts and driving it but figured it wasn't such a sensible idea when I need it to tow a huge trailer 950 miles on Friday night/Saturday. Even tried a 6 foot long, 1.5 inch diameter steel tube between the spokes on the wheel and tried to lever it off, that just bent the tube..... Lots of pressure from the jack, blocks and pole didn't work, not even when I started with the block of wood and club hammer while there was pressure on it.

So, I put the nuts back on, torqued them up and took it for a drive. The diff I took out must have been far worse than it appeared, it's damn near silent now and I'm sure it feels like it drives smoother. Just got to hope if I get a puncture somewhere it isn't on the offside rear but sods law says it will be.

I had one like that about 7 yrs ago, I also tried the wood and mallet, which progressed to a 7lb sledge, my step father comes along, sits in front of it, and starts stamping the tyre each side ( L & R ) , bloody thing came off, it’s about a rocking motion apparently..

That's my normal method, sit on the floor and stamp it alternate sides. Did that first before trying to get more brutal with it.

Silly question .................. have you thought about taking it back to where you had the tyres changed and asking them to take it off seeing as they put it on?

That is my last resort. I bought the tyres through MyTyres, had them delivered to the place that I use for MoT tests and they fitted them. I know the owner, have done for years, we grew up together in the same street, went to school together, and I will often drop in for a chat anyway. I can just imagine the amount of amusement it is going to cause when the bloke who normally does everything himself goes in complaining he can't do something as simple as change a wheel. I'll never live that one down.....

I've done the "back the nuts off a turn and drive round the block" trick before. Sometimes you dont even get out the driveway. I've had it where lowering the car off the jack onto the loosened wheel was enough and you get the satisfying "click" as it breaks free.

Happened to me on my UK one. Rolling the spare at it repeatedly eventually did the trick.

I had that happen when swapping the wheels over from my old Range Rover to the new one. I eventually sorted it by placing some large rocks in front of the the offending wheel, Putting the wheel nuts on but not tight and driving back and forth over the rocks several times.

Mine did that not long after I got it. A nice big sledge hammer did the trick, hitting the inside edge of the wheel (with a bit of wood to protect it).

OK, time for an update. Didn't get chance to do any more until I had to set off for another 2,500 mile jaunt around France. I worked on the principle that if I did get a puncture, it would almost certainly be on that wheel but I'd just use my ADAC European breakdown service and let someone else have a go. Anyway, didn't get a puncture so figured I ought to have another go at it today. Started with a lump of 4x4 fence post and a sledge hammer on the inside of the rim. No joy. Then decided the Gordon (and Dave) method was going to have to be tried. Took all the nuts off and then put them back on enough that the tapered part was just touching the wheel so the wheel would get very wobbly but wouldn't fly off and leave me running on the brake disc. Tried driving it gently (fortunately I live at the end of a private road), nothing moved. Reversed it into the driveway, put it on full left lock (so the maximum weight would be on the offending offside rear wheel) and floored the throttle out of the driveway. Nothing moved. Tried it again in low ratio and there was a loud crack. Looked at the nuts only to find that the the wheel had rotated on the hub but hadn't moved outwards. Then realised that I hadn't followed Dave's advice of putting some lube in the hub. Having used up all my PlusGas, tried Dave's suggested ATF (although didn't have any Acetone to mix with it) and figured I would need to roll it back and forth to spread it around. Did that, there was a clunk and the wheel was almost hanging off! Success!!! Cleaned the hub centre and wheel and put it all back together.

Then I noticed something really worrying. I've got one of those telescopic wheel breaker bars (like this https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cht163-extending-wheel-wrench/) and use it extended to get the nuts off and not extended to put them on. When I changed the diff my torque wrench was there so, just for a change, I used that and torqued the wheel nuts up to the recommended 80 lb/ft rather than just doing them up tight. The nearside wheel nuts were all loose. All bar one had worked their way out a few turns, enough for me to notice that they were standing further proud than they should. Only one hadn't worked it's way out but even that wasn't tight. So I've done them up my normal method now but it might explain the slight vibration I noticed when driving back from France at a steady 80 mph (Gulp!). Maybe 80 lb/ft isn't tight enough?

The extending bars are great for getting the nuts off but not so good at putting on. I doubt if you were much over 50 ft lb (if that) using it in short mode. Even a decent heave on mine in extended mode doesn't take it up to 80. Maybe 70 and change on good day. But I'll swear blind that I'm pulling harder on the extending bar than I do on Mr Britools finest.

According to a race prep mate slightly loose nuts are good way to get jammed wheels. Fretting under load changes rather than movement I guess.

Clive

When I used the torque wrench on the wheel nuts, it felt like I wasn't doing them up as tight as I would do normally. Then realised that my torque wrench is longer than what I normally use and put it down to that. But, it's the first time I've used the torque wrench and the first time I've had wheel nuts come loose too.

Now the GP has finished, I'll go outside and see how tight they are done up now......

Seems I don't know my own strength. My torque wrench goes up to 110 lb/ft and even set at that I couldn't do the nuts up any tighter than they already are......

I swear by my 3/4 drive breaker bar, I’ve always been weary of alloy wheels since the 80s, when I flew up a dual carriageway, turned at a junction to get clunking, yep, loose wheel nuts. They were all tight..
Now I pull them up with a heave at the bar, most probably well above the recommended torque, but I’d rather know there not coming off .

I've always used the torque wrench set the manufacturers recommended settings and never had wheel nuts come loose. Two Focuses, two P38's, a Sierra, a Corsa and several cars belonging to friends and family.

I wonder if you've over tightened them over the years and stretched the threads or damaged the wheel preventing them from doing their job properly.

Maybe, either me or a gorilla with an air wrench could have damaged something in the past. Normally when I do them up they creak as they are tightened but I noticed that they didn't when I used the torque wrench. I've never put any lube of any sort on them as I once had a hell of a job getting steel bolts out of an alloy wheel because the taper on the bolt had welded itself to the wheel. When I put it back I put some Copperslip on to stop it happening again, took the car out for a run and the bolts came loose.....

Ah...you've just reminded me to check the wheel nuts on the other half's car!

Replaced her brakes the other day under the watchful of her father. He insisted I put copper slip on the wheel bolts (which I've never done before) and I want to make sure they haven't worked loose due to the copper slip.

My previous boss (career truck mechanic, 40+ years) always advised me against putting copper slip on the mating faces of wheels/hubs and the nuts/bolts. He reckoned the grease prevented the wheel from sitting properly flat against the hub and when it got the grease would get runny and run out, leaving a small gap between the wheel and the hub. This gap would then mean the wheel was loose etc.

No idea how true that is though.