Facelift Rear Wheel Stuck on !!!!!!!!! SAFETY warning!

[Potterswheel]

I finally got round to attempting to clean and service my rear brakes today, but stumbled at the first hurdle and then found a second.
Firstly I could not undo the wheel nuts even with an extension, god knows how tight they were or if they had just grown on! eventually fixed with an extension and a short length of scaffolding tube (are the bolts damaged??)
Secondly, even with all 5 bolts removed the wheel would still not come off until I applied WD40 and then attacked it with a length of 4x2 and a sledge hammer !!!!!!
This cannot be right as the car has only ever been serviced by Audi before I had it 3 months ago and the wheels should have been off by now (2017 - 16k miles)

What would / could have happened had I have needed to change a wheel on one of our 'smart' motorways? I would have had to sacrifice the wheel !!!!!!!!!

Anyone else come across this dangerous safety flaw on our cars? I suggest everyone tries to remove their wheels before heading out on a smart motor way.

My solution will be to apply a very light smear of anti seize paste to the mating surfaces in the center of the wheels on reassembly.

 

[Adam14]

Had same issue on parents A6. I was planning to help my dad remove the wheels to clean and ceramic coat them. First tyre (OSF) was impossible to get off. Bolts weren't an issue but the wheel was properly fused on, no mallet or force would remove it.

Took it to Audi for then to remove all wheels and that solved it.

If it had happened when out then it'd have had to of been recovered. Simple as really.

Sent from my HD1913 using Tapatalk

 

[1Rockape]

The first thing I do when buying a car is to crack all the nuts off and take the wheels off .that's if it will come off . Then copper grease and hand tighten .then at least its easier when it's an emergency. At least you know for the future peace of mind now

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[MarttiMat]

Sadly common on VW / Audi models. I use a wire brush and clean the hub surface as well as the inner wheel. Then I apply a very light amount of anti seize compound. Only clean the lug bolts (no compound).

 

[SJC]

As mentioned removing the wheel is Common problem in VAG motors especially on the rear. Had this on a previous golf and 2 Audi’s. I have a f30 touring and f40 now and not experienced this problem. They won’t take the wheels off now a days during serving. The fact the bolts were on so right probably means someone has changed the tyres and banged them on with an air gun. Watch out if you decide to use copper slip / grease on the bolts. Could loosen. (Sorry for random post)

 

[AlS3BE]

Think the problem is the mechanics at the dealership don’t remove wheels for a service. They stick a camera in between the alloys and see how much material is left on the pads and discs. Gone are the days the wheels come off and the brakes are stripped and cleaned.
I had a 1 year old Audi and stuck with a puncture. Had to call Audi assist cause I couldn’t get the wheel off. They just towed the car to dealer instead of changing the wheel for the spare.
Now I just put a tiny bit of copper grease on the mating surfaces and hub ring so it’s easier to get them off next time.
As said don’t put any grease or lubricant on the nuts.

 

[s3mad_dude]

I bought my 2016 FL model in 2019. About six months later I decided to remove the alloys to paint the rusty brake hubs and I struggled to remove all four. I had to beat the wheels off with a rubber mallet, a thick cloth and use a pair of grippy workman-style gloves. If I was at the side of the road without my toolbox, I would have never been able to remove them. As others have already said, I cleaned up the hub faces with a wire brush and before refitting the wheels put a bit of copper grease on the mating surfaces. Unlike others, I always put a small ‘dab’ of grease on the lower part of the wheel bolt thread so that the bolt doesn’t seize into place.

 

[george forbes]

I bought my 2016 FL model in 2019. About six months later I decided to remove the alloys to paint the rusty brake hubs and I struggled to remove all four. I had to beat the wheels off with a rubber mallet, a thick cloth and use a pair of grippy workman-style gloves. If I was at the side of the road without my toolbox, I would have never been able to remove them. As others have already said, I cleaned up the hub faces with a wire brush and before refitting the wheels put a bit of copper grease on the mating surfaces. Unlike others, I always put a small ‘dab’ of grease on the lower part of the wheel bolt thread so that the bolt doesn’t seize into place.

I understand the reasoning behind the application of a small amount of grease to the bolts but you have to take into account due to less friction when tightening bolts you actually over torque them causing problems in it's own right ,that is assuming you use a torque wrench to do the job

 

[Potterswheel]

I had a quick count last night and this is my 10th Audi over many years, I have never had this issue before, maybe I have just been lucky - and like most of you, by the sound of it always hand tighten the wheel nuts/bolts with a slight smear of grease/copper slip on the thread. (now to include wheel center) something I have done for 45 years.
The bolts on my wheels were bone dry with an almost electrolytic corrosion in the threads and had obviously not been off in the three and a half years 16k miles of its life, which is something that will never happen whilst I own the car, they will be off for washing never mind servicing (good old fashioned servicing)
If this is a common problem then it should be part of the service "will the wheel come off if my customer has a problem?"

 

[Fatbloke]

If the wheels is stuck on after you get the bolts out, put the bolts back in finger tight and lower the car and drive it a couple of feet back and forth then raise and take the wheel off. The bolts need to be a fraction loose (only a quarter turn or so from seated) to allow movement in the wheel with the cars weight on it, breaking the corrosion grip.

Have had to do this myself and it worked perfectly.

 

[Bigjase88]

Those wheels have never been off since new. Wouldn’t be too concerned.