Dual Rear Steel Wheel Frozen to Hub

[Al Anderson]

I am hoping someone has run into this.  I have both inner dual wheel frozen to the hub.  These are the steel wheel they use to keep the costs down.  I have purchased a special tool from KenTool designed to pop them off and after moving it back and forth between the two openings about 10 times, it bent.  If it matters my motorhome is a 2002 Beaver Marquis with a tag axle on a Freighliner chassis.
Regards,
Al Anderson

[Mike Shumack]

Perhaps a block of wood and a sledge hammer.
Sounds destructive but I have done this many times on steel wheels when I worked as a truck mechanic in the 70s-80s. I would stand the wood up so it would protect the wheel from damage then wack the heck out of it (hitting from behind the wheel). Usually one good wack would break it free. Of course you are trying to hit the wood directly in front of the steel rim (not the rubber tire, but many times just hitting the rubber would do the job). I would also spray penetrating oil in the wheel/hub area and around studs.

Another trick (I have not had to do this) that is said to work, is to back the wheel nuts off a couple of turns so they are loose, then drive the truck in "figure-eight" circles. I'm not so sure I like this idea but it is said tire shops do this all the time.

[Lee Welbanks]

We didn't have this problem with the old Bud wheels but these hub centered wheels can get really stuck on the hub. It is not usually a problem with a truck as the tires are change more often.
I have used a torch to heat up the wheel so it will expand and come loose, even when you get it loose they can still be a real pain to get off of the hub, grease the hub so the wheel will slide easier.
Last resort call a truck tire road service.

[Eric Maclean]

The wheels we are talking about are hub piloted meanig the weight of the vehicle is carried on the hub as apposed to on the wheel studs as such the fit between the wheel and the hub is tight to begin with usually lots of penetrating oil and a sledge hammer does the trick if not heat and lots of it around the hub on the wheel not the hub and beat on it some more it's not easy but it works
be careful when it starts to move these fit so tightly on the hub that they will cock one way or the other and jam you have to keep rotating the wheel and beating it out evenly to avoid jamming on the hub.
When you do get it off clean the rust from the hub pilot lands with a wire brush or wire wheel and apply antiseize compound to the hub lands before re-installation ( DO NOT BE TEMPED TO USE ANTISEIZE ON THE STUDS) the studs and nut should only be lubed with light oil (motor oil or spray lube as anything heavier may promote a false torgue on that note it is also important to make sure the hub pilot lands are clean at the hub face so the wheel seats flat against the hub face or the wheel may not torque properly as well . at any rate the wheels should be retorqued after the first 500 miles to insure the wheels are not moving no one wants to lose a wheel
hope this helps
Eric

[Jim Houghton]

I have had this happen on my RV as well as other vehicles. Make sure the vehicle is properly supported and reinstall a couple of the nuts part way so the wheel will not fall off and cause injury. I have an 11 pound sledge hammer and strike the inside of the tire a few times and if really stuck rotate it around and hit it in a few more areas. This has always worked of me in the past.