Ready to perform an annual, and SURPRISE!!, the knock off hubs will not move at all. I cannot get them to undo. I have destroyed out wooden spanned wrench. Can any one offer a suggestion?
Use a 5- pound lead hammer on them, after heating with a propane torch.
Try the hammer sans heat first though.
I had this once with an MGC. The spinners, for no apparent reason, tightened up in service. In the end we had to use a piece of scaffold tube as a lever (and it took two of us) to release them. We refitted them with appropriate lubrication and exactly the same thing happened again. It was a customer’s car and we simply had to say that we did not understand what was happening. It crossed my mind that there might have been a trace of movement in the splines which, over a journey, wound the spinner tighter and tighter with a backward and forward movement. We never got to the bottom of it.
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I have a 5lb dead blow hammer that accomplished nothing. Do you think the lead type would be more effective or about the same as the dead blow style?
Yes, I am concerned about the chrome finish on wheels and knock offs, so open flame will be a last resort. I do have the sick feeling new knock offs will be order before this is all over with.
Do you think that a heat lamp might work?
Yes, in my experience lead does work better. There is zero rebound although some small amount of energy gets expended in lead deformation. I would also go with 8 pound over 5. Also make 100% certain you’re hammering in the right direction, and rotate the wheel so the ears are horizontal and gravity is with you.
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I have never had much luck with dead blows on knock offs, and I have had better luck with a 5 pound lead sledge.
Sometimes, they can get so tight that you have to use an 8 pound steel one and use an insulator of heavy wood between the hammer and the ear.
Conversely, if you have the special tool, as has been mentioned before, you can use a long bar to do it.
A propane torch will not hurt the finish of the knock off: just don’t hold it in anyone’s spot very long.
A heat lamp, pointed at the knock off, should heat it up fine
It couldn’t hurt.
I made a couple of 5 lb. lead hammers and they work great. My first choice would be to get one and just whale away on the knockoffs.
Timothy,
I must admit that I did not notice any fit issues to be concerned about the last time I had them off. So far I have destroyed the wooden spanner tool that came with the car when I bought it.
Perhaps I can develop some sort of leverage system to attach directly to the knock off.
Thanks
Wow, there are 8 pounders! I will have to go look that one. The knocks are labelled undo, so I am confident in that regard. I like the point made regarding gravity, although the bonnet sort of messes with my left handed swing.
Thanks,
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Raise the bonnet…always. You don’t want anything getting in the way of your swing. When doing the rear mine will be raised so the bottom of the tire just contacts the ground to maximize the distance between body and wheel while maintaining some friction.
You can get Pbs in all kinds of weights. I think mine is 7. Got it about 18 years ago
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Jeffrey, you swing a mean hammer ( A big one too)
Buy the knockoffspinnertool from Sarto Richelau and you won’t have to beat the spinners with a hammer again. One of mine was so tight I had a 4 foot pipe on the spinner tool before it budged and no damage to anything. One of the best tools I’ve ever bought.
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You only use sufficient heat to make the KO really uncomfortable to touch, not hot enough to discolour the chrome. Although the coefficient of expansion for brass is greater than steel, you need to be prepared and work quickly to hit the KO before too much heat soaks into the mating wheel component.
With regards using a Dead Blow hammer, if the common plastic or nylon construction, the material gives to some extent whereas the lead hammer will transfer a greater percentage of energy.
Regards,
Bill
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I struggled with the same problem when it came time to pull the wheels. The idea of a BF hammer did not appeal as it tended to mash the ears on the chrome spinners. My Ser 2 came with the brass wheel nut (not eared) spinners but I replaced them with the more cosmetically pleasing earlier ones. Like one of the responders, I destroyed the wooden lug wrench in my efforts. So my solution was to buy another wooden wrench and modify it. Behold the Frankenwrench. I had a local stainless shop CNC two 1/8" stainless plates which I laminated the wooden one with. Pound away if you will, but not really necessary as the extra weight and leverage of the Frankenwrench solves the problem without mashing anything. best regards, Mytype
I thank everyone for the positive encouragement and ideas, the frankenwrench is a neat idea.
Now, armed with a 10lb lead hammer (which worked perfectly, in fact, the knock offs dented the hammer face) and a slightly damaged laminated wood wrench, I will be hunting a shop in town that has the capability to cut stainless.
Many thanks
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