How to keep wheels from seizing?

[skeeter080]

I don't know how many others have this problem, but my wife's Elantra is notorious for having the wheels seizing and nothing short of a 2x4 and 2lb minisledge can get them off. This doesn't take long either. Within a few weeks they are very difficult to remove, the back ones especially. I've tried putting some grease on the contact points between steel rim and brake drum but they still get stuck. Any ideas??

Peter

 

[Nyquist]

Next time you have the wheels off take a steel wire brush and brush off the center hole of the rim and the wheel hub of the problematic wheels. If you want to make sure they come off each time, anti-seize lubricant is the only way to go from my experience. Use it sparingly though. It can make a bit mess. Also triple check to make sure your lugs are torqued properly.

 

[MGregoir]

Clean the back of the rim and face of the brake disc/drum, then brush on a layer of anti-seize and re-mount.

 

[JHZR2]

+1

I like the copper anti seize, as that is what BMW used. My saab had some green grease on the hubs from the factory.

 

[Kestas]

I use a light coating of antiseize.

Since this problem is now predictable, before every time you need to remove the wheels, loosen the lug nuts about one turn and drive the car a hundred feet with a lot of side-to-side motion before doing any service. Let the bulk weight of the car do the work for you.

 

[Steve S]

ditto the antiseeze.

 

[skeeter080]

Thanks everyone. I already bought a can of antiseize lube with thoughts of doing this. I'll clean the wheels and mounting spots with a wire brush and try the antiseize when I change the all seasons to winter tires in the upcoming weeks.

Also bought a torque wrench on sale recently so the lug nuts will definitely be torqued properly.

I like the idea of driving the car after loosening the lug nuts. Will try this too. Thanks again.

 

[XS650]

+1

VW has a special waxy substance they say to use on my Jetta but I use anti-seize because I have it and it works too.

 

[Kestas]

Just stay away from thin sheets of plastic sometimes sold to place between the hub and wheel. It can result in wheel-offs.

 

[Samilcar]

I had the same problem with an old honda civic. One application of anti-seize lube solved the problem for the nine years that I owned the car. Just be sure not to use too much. I used so much that it would work its way onto the threads of the wheel studs when I'd rotate the tires. Had to be careful the first few years to make sure it was wiped clean from the threads.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Just stay away from thin sheets of plastic sometimes sold to place between the hub and wheel. It can result in wheel-offs.


+1

What a maroonic idea.

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Just stay away from thin sheets of plastic sometimes sold to place between the hub and wheel. It can result in wheel-offs.


+1

What a maroonic idea.






Just about all our buses are equipped with those plastic spacers. Had a couple tire pop and tread-out, but yet to have a wheel fall off. I'd be more concerned with people who use anti-seize on their lug-nuts!!!

 

[Kestas]

Hub units is our business where I work. A fleet of Class 8 trucks had a rash of wheel-offs because of the plastic shim they used. Though properly torqued, over time the lugs can take a set and lose their clamp load. Once the lugs start moving metal fatigue sets in until all the lugs break. I'm working on such a case right now. You won't have the assembly take a set when it's metal-to-metal.

 

[andyd]

I use reg'lar ol' chassis lube. I wipe it on with a paper towel. Hub,lug bolts and the back face of the wheels. Havent had any troubles in the 20 yrs I have been doing this.

 

[mechtech2]

Same here. I use a little wheel bearing grease, after cleaning or dressing the mating surfaces.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I'd be more concerned with people who use anti-seize on their lug-nuts!!!


Why? Concerned about what?

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I'd be more concerned with people who use anti-seize on their lug-nuts!!!


Why? Concerned about what?


If you use the standard amount of torque on lubricated fasteners, you get a lot more tension in the fasteners. The fact that there aren't more failures is a credit to the robustness of the design, not the wisdom of the thread lubers.

 

[Junior]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Hub units is our business where I work. A fleet of Class 8 trucks had a rash of wheel-offs because of the plastic shim they used. Though properly torqued, over time the lugs can take a set and lose their clamp load. Once the lugs start moving metal fatigue sets in until all the lugs break. I'm working on such a case right now. You won't have the assembly take a set when it's metal-to-metal.


Kestas, I would be willing to bet the plastic spacer took a set causing the bolted joint to fail. (i.e. lost the torque tension of the joint) I have had similar problems with painted surfaces in bolted joints. I have never seen a bolted fastener "take a set" if tightened down properly to about 90% proof load in a properly designed bolted joint. In reality, torque is a very poor way to tighten a threaded fastener. What is more important is the bolt tension preload. Tighten to snug then x degrees more is much better. Just for example, if you use a tolerance of +- 10% for torque you can have up to +-50% or more on the bolt tension preload.

 

[Kestas]

That's what I meant to say in my poorly worded statement. It was the plastic shim that took a set. Without the shim the whole assembly is metal-to-metal and won't take a set.

 

[heathenbrewing]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I'd be more concerned with people who use anti-seize on their lug-nuts!!!


Why? Concerned about what?


If you use the standard amount of torque on lubricated fasteners, you get a lot more tension in the fasteners. The fact that there aren't more failures is a credit to the robustness of the design, not the wisdom of the thread lubers.



I have always used anti seize on my wheel studs with no issues. Of course, I retorque within 50 miles of reinstalling my wheels, and every so often thereafter. I also don’t over lube with AS either. I do think it is a good idea to apply the AS very sparingly to the lug studs, and to try to not get any AS on the contact point between the end of the lug & where it seats in the rim lug recesses. I apply a small 'dab' (sorry for the scientific lingo) on the end of the stud and run a nut by hand up and down a few times to get a very thin film of AS covering most of the stud (but not near the rim) and wipe off any excess.

But people being the people they are, I cant say for sure that this is for everyone - one must be diligent (ie retorque!!) in checking the wheels as they are quite important in keeping your car moving.

As always, YMMV.