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Maintenace Question - How Do You Keep Wheels From Sticking To Hub?

20K views 31 replies 20 participants last post by  WDE46 
#1 · (Edited)
I thought this might better be started in the General Forum, but it may be later moved to the Wheels and Tire section.

So the question to everyone is how do you keep your alloy wheels from sticking to the hubs on your car?

What you have tried, if anything, and with what you tired do you think it works well?

If you are running wheel spacers, what to you use and is there a difference in the issue, what sticks, what doesn't and what issues do you have with spacers and corrosion, what parts stick?

This question may also be somewhat Regional as I would expect fewer issues in drier/arid climates. But in the North East, North West, Rust Belt this may be a very different and bigger issue.

I have seen or heard of people using Anti Seize Compound (Aluminum and Copper), White Grease, Wheel Bearing Grease, Silicon Grease, Vasoline, Wax, Aluminum Spray Paint and Fiber Wheel insulators like these Wheel Mates from Kleen Wheels - https://www.kleenwheels.com/wheel-mates

Interesting article here from BavAuto - http://blog.bavauto.com/7360/bmw-and-mini-wheel-stuck-to-hub-corrosion/

Also how do you remove stuck wheels on your car? There are many ways to do this, some better than others. I have seen/heard of people loosening the lugs and shaking the car, moving the car back and forth and stabbing the breaks, using long pieces of wood to pry the wheel, kicking the wheel, using a sledge hammer on the tire or using a spare/extra wheel or tire and roll it into the side of the tire at full force.

I had a hell of a time getting one of my front wheels off my X5 the other day that has been off not long ago. I ended up using my LARGE 275/40-20 wheels with tire mounted and rolling it into the side of the tire about 15-20 times before the wheels started to at least break loose, then I has to the tire on opposite sides another 5-10 times until I was finally able to get it to release from the hub.

I clean up the hub mounting surface and inside of the wheel hub mounting area with a stainless steel wire brush and a scraper to get any rust bumps knocked down. So I try to "prep" and "maintain" the hub and wheel mounting area to reduce corrosion and sticking of wheels to the hub.

I had some silicon grease laying around the other day, so I thought I would try this and see how it works out over time. Just a very thin layer on the lip of the center hub. I did not cover the face of the rotor with anything this time.

I thought I would toss this out to see what ideas other have, what others have tired and like anything what works over time because until a few years has past, it is really hard to tell what really works and what doesn't.

Report in with what you do and what you feel works.
 
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#4 ·
So did you actually Link the Anti-Seize or was this an "Auto Link"?

$180 for a can of Sprayon Anti-Seize?

I think Unicorn Spunk would be a better option than $180 a can for Anti-Seize. :rofl:
 
#6 · (Edited)
I've been experimenting with 50/50 ATF/Acetone in a metal can with metal spout (plastic killed by the Acetone) Not used on wheels yet.

I coat thinly the hubs and wheels with copper grease after a quick clean of both.

I've noticed that (new to me) Copper grease is now sold as an aerosol here in the UK, might make life easier.
 
#10 ·
I used the Permatex pictured above but I bought it in tubes. On the gun forums someone pointed me to the copper anti-seize pictured below from Amazon. At $11 bucks with Prime, it was more anti-seize I could use on my guns, hubs, O2 sensors or plugs for the next 10 years.

Those with Glocks purchased new will recognize this paste:

<img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8735/16945743135_d8cbbe41e9_z.jpg" width="640" height="627" alt="Untitled">

Amazon link
 
#11 ·
I have never had an issue, even with Canadian winter driving, on my A4 or E46, with or without spacers. I make sure the mating surfaces are cleaned off and that's about it. I give the faces of my spacers a spray with silicone when I'm going summer to winter wheels and visa versa.
 
#13 ·
I bought wheel spacers mainly to address this.

12.5mm spacers from Turner with extended bolts on all four corners. The aesthetic benefit is also nice.

Getting them off the first time, I grabbed one wheel/tire and hit the mounted ones. Three popped off right away. The fourth was really stuck on there so I applied some tension via a ratcheting strap and a support pillar in the garage first.
 
#15 ·
The fourth was really stuck on there so I applied some tension via a ratcheting strap and a support pillar in the garage first.
Can only envision this!!

A bit hard on the side of the road at night when you need to change a spare with no ratchet strap or support pillar. I was surprised how hard the one wheel on my X5 was to get off as it had been the most recent wheel removed from the vehicle.

I have played with the Kleen Wheels Wheel Mates but do not have any follow up on these to know how well they work over time. Still think the hub taper needs some form of grease other protection even with the Wheel Mates.

Wheel Mates look like a nice solution to protect the rear of the wheel from corrosion.
 
#16 ·
What about lug bolts?

I know the portion that extends beyond the hub can rust and corrode easily.

I usually brush the lug bolts and at least hit them with WD40 or light oil.

Anti Seize will also work, but I am trying to find what people have used over the years that seems to work well.

For those of you in the dry/arid ares you are lucky.

My friends North of the border may have it worst.

But also state if you actually drive the car year round.

Garage Queen data is misleading.
 
#21 ·
My E32 gets this, even out here in the hot and dry IE. The wheels are from an E38 but it has the same hub size, so I don't know. Last time I sanded down the mating surfaces and that helped a lot.
 
#29 ·
Been using anti seize for 3 decades on wheels (sparingly on hub and contact area of rim) with good results.

I also coat the axle nuts of any winter car as soon as I can since at some point it will be coming off. Especially xi front nuts. Been doing that ever since my 1989 e30 ix wouldn't let her nuts come off after a decade of winter salt and rust.

The anti seize is great for preventing pitting and rust on key fasteners. I often put it on the shaft of long bolts like the alternator or the wp & t-stat where alum oxide and moisture may damage threads and where I will be regularly removing and replacing.
 
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