How to Remove Seized Wheel

If you remove the nuts and the wheel won't come off because it's seized here's the easy way to do it. Put two or three nuts on across from each other and engage three or four threads (3 or 4 rotations). Lower the vehicle and drive back and forth a few feet. Wheel will break off and then complete removal.

 

That sounds pretty sketchy, and a good way to damage or shear off your wheel studs.
Why not use some penetrant/wd40/whatever around the mounting surface and then give a few raps with a rubber mallet or deadblow hammer.

 

Dear genteel readers, please consider this as a 'what not to do'.

Kinda like 'hey, ya'll watch this!'

 

To the critics, when you're sitting there hammering away on your aluminium wheel just remember this is the easy way. I have a masters degree in mechanical engineering and there's nothing hillbilly in doing this. Incidentally, the sheer strength of a single 1/2" Gr 5 bolt is about 7 tons. https://www.nucor-fastener.com/Files/PDFs/TechDataSheets/TDS_013_Shear_Strength.pdf

 

Huh, they must teach engineering differently in Canada. I have a masters degree in structural engineering, and this is the hillbilly-ist thing I have seen in a long time.

Edit: for what it's worth, our wheel studs are m12, which have a minor thread diameter of (max) 0.407 inches, and are metric grade 10.9 with an allowable shear stress of 90 ksi (not sure why we're talking about Gr 5 1/2" bolts). That works out to a shear strength of just under 6 tons each. So no, you probably won't snap off the wheel studs doing this, but they are simply pressed into the hub plate with knurling, which could bend the studs, the hub, or (most likely) damage the threads enough that your lug nuts will not thread on correctly.

 

The OP's method is pretty common if you have ever had to remove an aluminum wheel that has bonded itself to the hub. I was fortunate enough I only had to give it a good kick.

 

I just picked a representative value for the bolt, but by your own calculation the 6 studs have a total sheer strength of around 36 tons. So the wheels certainly and not "probably" won't shear off. Next we can do the bending calculations which will show just how silly the bending assertion is. Lastly, Toyota lug nuts are internally threaded sleeves so thread damage is another scare speculation. If you claim science you should be scientific.

 

VW guys have been doing this for years

 

The wheels on my FJ we're seized BADLY when I bought it. I tried everything I could think of and when it was all said and done the only way to get them it was a 5lb sledge hammer and beating the shit out of the tire sidewall as I spun the wheel.

 

Thank you (and Dexterdog) for your confirming comments. Obviously some of the incredulous and terror-struck other posters haven't heard of this.

 

The VW guys have all 5 lugs on...but just not quite tight. Then they drive in a tight circle and it breaks the wheel off the hat. Later model VDub wheels are notorious for becoming one with the hub.

 

is his what happens when you dont use your truck properly? my wheels come off way too frequent to ever seize to anything

 

That's lovely.

 

Sounds like a lot of wasted time. Just hit the sidewalls a few times with a BFH and be done with it.

 

Then you have not had really seized wheels.

OP's trick is easy and functional, harmless too. But remember to put some paste/grease between the center hole and hub.

 

VW uses lug studs tho

 

And so???

 

This is a pretty common trick in cold-weather climates. Sometimes it's the only way to get a cold aluminum wheel off of a cast iron brake rotor when it's zero degrees out and you don't have a heated garage to park it in (and 5 hours to wait for it to warm up).

If you do it correctly (loosen the lug nuts just enough that they aren't contacting the wheel) you don't have to worry about breaking or damaging anything.