What's wrong? Can't remove the wheels on my E39.

richmak · 10-25-2008, 11:55 PM

Need some advice here.

This is my first time changing the wheels on my 525iT. Don't take me wrong I have changed my summer/winter setup many times on my E46 convertible so I kind of know I am doing.

Today I prepared my winter set of wheels and I thought I was ready to change the wheels/tires on my wagon. I started with the left-front wheel ... loose the bolts, jack up the car, remove all 5 bolts ... and damn, I cannot remove the wheel from the hub. It's almost like something else is still locking the wheel. I tried shaking it, slamming and kicking the wheels hoping it is just seized ... no luck. I put back the bolts and tried the right-front wheel ... same result.

This car has just been fully inspected by a BMW dealer 2 months ago and I don't believe the wheel is seized ... must be something else.

Any ideas folks? Thanks in advance.

Eurostyle · 10-26-2008, 12:14 AM

If you have all 5 bolts off, then thats IT, the wheels are just stuck. One SURE way off getting them off; put the bolts back on, but not all the way in (about 1 turn away), take the car out for a ride and make a sharp turn, you will feel the wheel snap off, at this point SLOWLY take the car back and remove the wheel, repeat for all seized rims!

BoostedMX · 10-26-2008, 12:24 AM

LOL! ^^

I wouldn't try that. Just take all 5 nuts off and just bang on it, you'll get it.

Eurostyle · 10-26-2008, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoostedMX

LOL! ^^

I wouldn't try that. Just take all 5 nuts off and just bang on it, you'll get it.

And why not?? Sometimes hitting it wont work, even a BIG hammer/axe doesnt do anything...This was shown to me by auto teacher back in highschool, and 10 years later, still the ONLY way that always works!

speedemn · 10-26-2008, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richmak

Need some advice here.

This is my first time changing the wheels on my 525iT. Don't take me wrong I have changed my summer/winter setup many times on my E46 convertible so I kind of know I am doing.

Today I prepared my winter set of wheels and I thought I was ready to change the wheels/tires on my wagon. I started with the left-front wheel ... loose the bolts, jack up the car, remove all 5 bolts ... and damn, I cannot remove the wheel from the hub. It's almost like something else is still locking the wheel. I tried shaking it, slamming and kicking the wheels hoping it is just seized ... no luck. I put back the bolts and tried the right-front wheel ... same result.

This car has just been fully inspected by a BMW dealer 2 months ago and I don't believe the wheel is seized ... must be something else.

Any ideas folks? Thanks in advance.

Leave all the nuts off and SLOWLY lower the jack to the point where the tire makes contact with the ground... and go a bit further. It will pop off.

BoostedMX · 10-26-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eurostyle

And why not?? Sometimes hitting it wont work, even a BIG hammer/axe doesnt do anything...This was shown to me by auto teacher back in highschool, and 10 years later, still the ONLY way that always works!

Just because it doesn't sound safe, but if it works for you then that's great.

Eurostyle · 10-27-2008, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoostedMX

Just because it doesn't sound safe, but if it works for you then that's great.

Oh it does work for me, i'm not the one asking for help! A lot of things many not "sound" safe to many people, but in this business you have to get things gone...one way or another...This is by far the only way that works 100% of the times. And if it was such a safety issue, i dont think a teacher with many many years of automotive experience would show it to highschool kids!

Bullet Ride · 10-27-2008, 12:17 AM

yeah same thing happened to my buddies mazda tribute, he got a flat and the rim was seized to the hub hardcore, tried hitting the tire with anything and everything, it wouldn't come off. He took in into a mechanic to get it off. can't really do the method mentioned above with a flat.... it will ruin the rim.

Eurostyle · 10-27-2008, 12:31 AM

^^^Its a good point, but most normal flat tires would hold air for at least a few minutes...Unless it has a knife cut, or was a highway blowout...in wich case this would not be your only problem! lol

Dado 540 · 10-27-2008, 01:07 AM

if you drive with your bolts not fully fastened you could 1. snap the bolts 2. warp the rim 3. ah i cant think of 3 but im sure there is one.

zubbie · 10-27-2008, 08:53 AM

Since the rims are hubcentric it's a good bet they are siezed around the centre ring. You can, therefore, take the centre caps off and spray some penetrating oil, rustcheck or PB Blaster in there, wait a few hours and whack that rim off. Put a large block of wood on the back of the rim (4X4) and give the wood good hit with a sledge. It will pop.

I guess you will be putting a little anti-sieze on the rim next time.....

richmak · 10-27-2008, 09:45 AM

Thanks for all the good ideas. I was too chicken to run the car with loose bolts so I ended up taking some other advices from the internet.

Went and bought a rubber mallet and a mini sledge hammer from CT yesterday. Started with the rubber mallet, slammed the perimeter of the rim like a mad man with no luck. Then brought a 2x4 wood and use 2 large bricks to hold the wood's position next to the tire. Use the mini-sledge to hammer the wood/tire at different spots, after a few times the wheel came off.

All 4 wheels had really nasty rust on the hub ring. I can't believe a full inspection at BMW didn't include removing the wheel ... I used a wire brush on the electric drill to clean up real nice before applying the copper anti-seize.

This will never happen to me again!

(until the next time of buying a used bimmer).

Quote:

Originally Posted by zubbie

Since the rims are hubcentric it's a good bet they are siezed around the centre ring. You can, therefore, take the centre caps off and spray some penetrating oil, rustcheck or PB Blaster in there, wait a few hours and whack that rim off. Put a large block of wood on the back of the rim (4X4) and give the wood good hit with a sledge. It will pop.

I guess you will be putting a little anti-sieze on the rim next time.....

***Gamite*** · 10-27-2008, 05:13 PM

What I do is, I put the bolts back in loosely, keep the carjacked up. Jackstands are even better. I sit down next to the tire, and just start kicking the tire on one side with the bottom of my feet. You can usally see it starting to loosen up. Once one side starts loosening, I kick the other side until it comes free. Keeping the bolts in and jackstands are just percautions just in case the car comes off the jack or something along those lines. (It usually doesn't happen *knock on wood*)

MLue1 · 10-27-2008, 08:26 PM

I had the same problem with removing the wheels when I got my 540. I tried the kicking and wacking with a hammer but after the hammer bounced off the tire/wheel and hit the under carrage/fender and exposed bare metal, I decided there was a better less violent method and there was.

Basically I use the scissor jack to push the wheel off the hub.
1) jack up the car so the wheel I want to take off is just slightly off the ground with the lug nuts removed
2) lay a pieces of wood (2x4 or fence post) braced against the tire on the other sides of the car
3) place the scissor jack between this piece and a second piece of wood (2x4 or fence post) that is placed against the wheel rim and slightly off the ground
4) expand the jack until to take up the slack and keep the pieces of wood in line; continue to expand the jack slowly keeping the pieces of wood lined up until the wheel is pushed loose.

This method requires so little exerson a kid could do it.

MLue1 · 10-27-2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLue1

I had the same problem with removing the wheels when I got my 540. I tried the kicking and wacking with a hammer but after the hammer bounced off the tire/wheel and hit the under carrage/fender and exposed bare metal, I decided there was a better less violent method and there was.

Basically I use the scissor jack to push the wheel off the hub.
1) jack up the car so the wheel I want to take off is just slightly off the ground with the lug nuts removed
2) lay a pieces of wood (2x4 or fence post) braced against the tire on the other sides of the car
3) place the scissor jack between this piece and a second piece of wood (2x4 or fence post) that is placed against the wheel rim and slightly off the ground
4) expand the jack until to take up the slack and keep the pieces of wood in line; continue to expand the jack slowly keeping the pieces of wood lined up until the wheel is pushed loose.

This method requires so little exerson a kid could do it.

Here are the pics, I hope this clarifys my method.

Cheers