Wheels Stuck To Hubs

[Zafi]

Fitted my Winter wheels yesterday due to snow forecast.

The original wheels have been on for 22 months/18500 miles and I had to use a block of wood and sledge hammer to get them off the hubs due to the ally wheel festering onto the steel hub.

Normally I take the wheels off when I get the car and apply copper grease to the inside of the wheel to stop this happening, but had not got round to it, mainly cos the S-line is too low to go on the 4 post ramp at work.

So if you are looking for something to do, take your wheels off one at a time and smear the inside of the centre with copper grease before you have a puncture and find yourself with a wheel which you cannot get off at the side of the road.

Message ends

 

[leegsi]

Did it not get sorted when it was serviced?

When I service cars I always clean up the hubs, quick go with some sand paper on the center bore and copper slip for good measure.

 

[Zafi]

It's not had it's first service yet and I doubt they remove the wheels at service.

 

[ub7rm]

In any case Audi explicitly prohibit grease on the back of the wheel.

I had exactly this problem with my last car, no amount of rubber malleting would get them off. Eventually I put the bolts back in a few turns and slowly lowered the wheels back onto the ground - that worked a treat. If that doesn't work take some brave pill and roll it forwards or back a bit with the bolts still only in a few turns.

 

[Anthony566]

Have always done this .... and top it up every 6 monthe as remove my wheels to give them a deep clean at least once a year to keep them clean in fact I did 2 wheels last night and I'll be doing the other 2 next weekend.

Nothing worse than having a flat in the middle of back of beyond and not being able to get the wheel off .....

Every garage/tyre place should have to do it when they remove a wheel IMO

Very good advice zafi ....

 

[Bulldog]

This was one of the first things I did on my Avant as the wife had a Sport Ka years ago & we had to use a 14lb sledge hammer & a lot of swearing to get those wheels off so after that whenever we get a new car it's wheels off & out with the copper slip.

 

[desertstorm]

If you just undo the wheel bolts a little and drive the car backwards and forwards a few feet this will loosen them up.

 

[leegsi]

They should remove the wheels during a service so they can check the condition of the rear of the brake disc and any leaks at the rear of the caliper.

Why do they say not to put grease on the center hub? I know you shouldn't put it on wheel nuts and bolts but not heard of not putting it on the hub center.

 

[rum4mo]

For quite a few years now, I've moved from using copper ease (Copaslip) to using the clear stuff that you are meant to use on brakes - as you might expect, it still "sneaks" out to leave spots that become black on the inside of the wheels. I bought secondhand 18" 5 spokes for winter use, and the area around the centre bore were all seriously corroded, I think that that is due to water getting trapped in there and "working its magic". The 5 spoke alloys on daughter's Ibiza, have radial grooves that seem to stop this trapping of water - maybe VW and Audi could add that requirement to their wheel suppliers.

Edit:- I still use Copaslip on the other cars though!

 

[Zafi]

I am a bit anal about things like valve position vs centre caps (on the SE wheels) and I always put the little hole in the cap directly opposite the valve. There is no way that a mechanic would know this and replace all the caps back in the same orientation, so I know they did not take the wheels off my B8 SE at any of it's 3 services I had done.
Its booked in for a service soon with it's SE wheels on, so watch this space!

 

[Bulldog]

It's not just me that lines centre caps up then lol

 

[rum4mo]

I hope that you both also make sure that the security bolt is opposite or at the valve - depending on wheel design, this is not being anal, it is being CORRECT!

When wheel centre covers were a bit bigger, ie to cover the bolts, VW always had an indication on the underside of the covers as to "where" the valve should be - even when it did not affect the fit etc!

On the comments about wheels not being taken off during main dealer servicing, I think that, at least Audi and Seat, and probably others, consider that taking wheels off does not fit in with "value for money fixed price menu service plans"! I just had daughter's 59 Ibiza in for its "year 5" inspection service at main dealer and they commented on it almost needing the rear brakes cleaned - "please book in later £70" !

 

[Zafi]

I don't have a security bolt, too much faffing about.

 

[Brennan]

Happened to my mk5 golf many moons ago

 

[rum4mo]

I don't have a security bolt, too much faffing about.

Ah, you dumped them then as that car would have left the factory with them fitted? All part of the standard security devices fitted, and that your insurance company will expect to still be on the car.

 

[Zafi]

So should I put the spare key back in the glove compartment, just as it left the factory

 

[ub7rm]

They should remove the wheels during a service so they can check the condition of the rear of the brake disc and any leaks at the rear of the caliper.

Why do they say not to put grease on the center hub? I know you shouldn't put it on wheel nuts and bolts but not heard of not putting it on the hub center.

To be fair I'm not 100% sure about my statement regarding the wheel hubs. But I'm sure about the bolts. Probably since the quoted torque applies to non lubricated bolts and would result in being over tensioned if the same torque was applied to greased bolts.

 

[Bulldog]

I think I read somewhere that it's ok to put a little copper slip on the thread of the bolts but not on the bottom of the bolts as that causes issues with the torque setting. But I could be wrong so it's up to the individual to check. As for taking wheels off at service time 99% of garages don't as they just use the inspection holes to check the brakes.

 

[rum4mo]

So should I put the spare key back in the glove compartment, just as it left the factory

I've never bought a brand new Audi, but surely it MUST be the dopes doing the PDI or the donkey brained sales person that puts the plastic key there - which reminds me, I have a new plastic key that I must remember to get coded etc when the car is in for its next service.