Trouble Removing Wheels

[steve45]

I just rotated the tires on my 2016 Tahoe. I had driven the vehicle about 150 miles about an hour before I did this, but the wheels and hubs were cool to the touch. I had great difficulty getting the factory aluminum alloy wheels off of the hubs. I pulled and kicked, even lowered the wheels back to the ground and put the vehicle weight on them. I thought I was going to have to get a pry bar to get them off, but they finally started moving a little, then came off.

I've been rotating tires for over 50 years and never had trouble like this. My 2014 Silverado had the same wheels and I never had trouble getting them off. If I were out on the road and had to change a tire, it could have been a real problem.

Anybody else ever have this problem? Any thoughts on what might have caused it?

 

[Blackcar]

Sometimes dissimilar metals will react. I have had this happen several times mostly on trucks, I started after taking wheel off for first time I will put thin smear off wheel bearing grease on wheel surface on wheel area that touches hub area and on center area that touches axle centering hub. Have had problem since

 

[steve45]

Hmmm... I'll give it a try.

Thanks!

 

[Joseph Garcia]

^^x2^^

 

[Fless]

^^ x3. I use a little sil-glide or Fluid Film on mine, especially around the hub centric contact points. Less messy than grease.

 

[steve45]

I'll give it a try!

 

[olyelr]

Did you give the tire a firm kick?

I have been rotating the tires on all my vehicles for 25 years…usually always have to give the tire one good swift kick to pop them free from the hub.

 

[steve45]

Did you give the tire a firm kick?

I have been rotating the tires on all my vehicles for 25 years…usually always have to give the tire one good swift kick to pop them free from the hub.

Many hard kicks.

 

[drakon543]

be careful what your putting on there tho and make sure you dont use alot. too much and your liable to have it get slung out and potentially get on the pads. it could also get under the clearcoat on your aluminum wheels and cause premature peeling. ive always hit the steel mounting hub with a wire wheel first. if i use grease its just a wiping it on but ill generally give it a wipe of antisieze.