removing a wire wheel

[september2018]

The rear wheels slide off their splined hubs easily; those at the front don't.

Do you have any thoughts or ideas re: how I might temporarily modify a puller so that it will work without damaging the wires, or do you have other ideas?  I'm certain that others have had to deal with this problem.

Thank you

BTW, where do I set up a username?

[amgba]

To choose your own login, logout of the one we gave your and sign up for a new account.

Suggest posting in our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/americanmgbassociation but see below answer.

Frank

[amgba]

Having had an MGB with balky wheels, I found the best bet was to clean the splines on the wheels and hubs both. I used a wire wheel in my drill motor, and light lubrication afterward. It helped if I kept the splines lightly lubed. No build up of grease to trap dust, dirt, and sand. Normal rotation of the tires, and inspection of the splines at that time, should be sufficient intervals for checking the splines, or once a year at the least.

Scott Stuchell

[september2018]

Yes, but I need to get them off first.

[Art]

Quite the winter project. 

Soaking the hubs in WD40 and/or Liquid Wrench or equivalent should help, whether rust or grease. If you've ever dealt with a frozen clutch plate, you realize how little rust it takes to seize things.  This could take a while.

If it's just a hard grease build-up, you may have to apply some heat to both expand the wheel center hub and help melt and soften the old grease. 

Heat could be supplied by a heat gun - a sort of a super-charged hair dryer.  Harbor Freight or Grainger have them reasonably cheap.   These could get hot enough to fry the paint, but shouldn't damage the wheels or hubs.  Using a torch requires you constantly move it to avoid making hot-spots and damage metal parts by weakening them.  Highly recommend using a propane torch, like to solder plumbing.  An acetylene torch can often be too focused, hot and do more harm than good.

On pullers or presses, I don't know of any that would work without major modification.  You might try a slide hammer with a 3-jaw clamp.  Besure to get one that has a locking ring so the jaws stay tight to the slight lip where the wires are attached at the top of the center hub.  Make sure to protect the threads on the front hubs in case the jaws slip. 

Also, you can jack the car up, partially screw an old knock-off onto the spline tube, hold a 2X4 over the top and then hit the board with a heavy mallet.   Could be just enough to loosen the wheel.

Lastly, if all fails and the wheel becomes sacrificial, cut the wires and remove the rim, take off the brake calipers and remove the front hubs.  You then might be able to use a disc grinder with a cutting wheel to slot the wheel hub enough to split it and then remove it.  The trick here is to not cut it so deep as to damage the splines on the hub.

Hope that helps.  Good luck.

Safety Fast!

Art



 

[september2018]

Thanks for the reply.

Since i have a heat gun, I'll try that first.  If that doesn't work - with the hub still warm, I'll try Liquid Wrench or WD-40.

I'll keep you posted.

[Art]

Good luck.  One last thought, this is again only if the wheel becomes sacrificial and you've already cut the wire to get the rim off.  Before removing the caliper and hub, you might try using a plate-type puller closed tight under the top lip of the wheel center.

Protect the threads with either an old knock-off or a disc of wood or heavy plastic (like an old cutting board) and a metal plate so the screw on the puller presses on them.

Use the puller as normal.  Maybe a little persuasion with a dead-blow hammer or mallet and some heat might coax the wheel center off the splined hub.

Hope any of this helps you.

Safety Fast!

Art