LF Wheel stuck.

[Ahlem]

This is my first post to this forum.
My son bought a 1993 v6 automatic that spent most of it's life in FL. We went to Discount Tire to get new tires and they struggled to get three wheels off and couldn't get the LF off. Granted it was -6 degrees out and we showed up at 4PM and they worked until well after 7:00. I'm planning on hitting it periodically with PB Blaster before I try my hand at it. Any suggestions?
This one has a very clean body but serious neglect in the routine maintenance department. There are a number of bigger issues to address before it's roadworthy.

 

[85straight]

This is my first post to this forum.
My son bought a 1993 v6 automatic that spent most of it's life in FL. We went to Discount Tire to get new tires and they struggled to get three wheels off and couldn't get the LF off. Granted it was -6 degrees out and we showed up at 4PM and they worked until well after 7:00. I'm planning on hitting it periodically with PB Blaster before I try my hand at it. Any suggestions?
This one has a very clean body but serious neglect in the routine maintenance department. There are a number of bigger issues to address before it's roadworthy.

By couldnt get it off you mean the lug nuts are frozen on the studs? Soaking it with PB may get the job done but most likely you will have to break them off and replace them ( pretty inexpensive). If you do end up replacing the studs you can take a look at the bearings while your in there. Lets see a few pictures of the truck

 

[Ahlem]

The lug nuts come off. The corrosion is between the hub and ID of the wheel.

 

[Hyde802]

Use a bigger hammer:tape:

 

[Rocketdog]

Use a short piece of 4x4 wood and the largest hammer you can swing underneath the vehicle. With the wheel in the air, take all but one of the lug nuts off..... back off the last one several turns to keep the wheel from flying off when it comes loose. Place the block of wood on the inside of the rim edge lengthwise (front to rear) and wack the crap out of it. The force has to be on the rim, not the tire. When you go back with the rims, clean off the corrosion on the rims and hubs and apply antiseze compound to both surfaces to prevent this from happening again.

 

[Ahlem]

The plan is to hit it with PB Blaster for a couple days,
jack it up and take off the lug nuts and use a 10 foot long 2x6 on edge with an 18# sledge hammer from the other side of the car. It's long enough to keep you from smacking the side of the car and keeps you from having to lay in the snow. You turn the wheel 180 degrees then in increments of 45 degrees to work it off.

 

[kc15842]

I would get a small block of aluminum placed flat against the wheel above the hub. Then using an air hammer hit the block. The air hammer effect may break the wheel loose.

 

[gtgt_bangbang]

method 1)
jack up truck , just so wheel hangs clear. Support truck via jack stands doH.

Sit on butt in front of wheel and stomp it free, rain some left and right foots down on tire.
if it does not come off with that treatment, remember to take off lug nuts.

Special tools recommended; butt, boots.

 

[fourwd1]

I have the same problem with my Trooper.
The method in post #5 above works for me.
Once off coat the mating surfaces with anti-sieze.

 

[jcoleman]

Alternatively, slightly (Just slightly) loosen the lugs and drive the truck slowly in your drive or other non-road piece of asphalt. Turn and brake sharply a few times and that will often break it loose.

 

[Ahlem]

I'm planning on trying the loose lug nut option tonight.
This baby is really stuck on there.
My older engineer son suggested ATF and Acetone as a penetrant.
And I'm trying this again once I re-weld part of the custom puller arm...

 

[Ahlem]

Here's the winning combination. If I heated the wheel, I could get a turn or two on the puller. Everything worked pretty well once I re-welded my broken welds. It took all 210# of leanness standing on a pipe wrench to budge this thing.

 

[jcoleman]

That looked like a miserable process with all the snow/ice in the pics. Congrats on getting it off!

 

[KidVermicious]

Nice. For the record, ATF/acetone doesn't work as well as PB Blast.

 

[Ahlem]

See post #8 above...
The thought of having to sit on my butt in the snow made this option far more attractive. The best thing is that what was once a failed home made puller project from a couple years ago now gets to save the day. "See Honey, there is a reason I keep all that junk in the garage"
Now on to the "running on 3 cylinders and rust in the fuel system" project.

 

[gtgt_bangbang]

holy smackerel ...
what was keeping this bad boy stuck ?

Aluminum wheels and iron hubs don't really form strong chemical bonds.
Was was the interference ?

I for one and impressed by the artfulness of the puller, but still wondering WTF was the root problem ?

 

[Ahlem]

Aluminum Oxide wedgie.
There was quite a bit of it in a pretty close tolerance space.
The PB blaster hardly got into it.