Needed a small sledge hammer to get wheels off

I never ran into this before. I swapped back to my normal tires from running snows this winter. I have the same kind of wheels for both sets except the snow tire wheels are painted black. I had to whack each tire from the back to get them off the rotors. I don't recall if I had to whack my original tire combo. It seems there was a small amount of corrosion on the rotor hub centers where the wheels make contact. I didn't think about smearing a little grease there before installing the regular wheels. I couldn't tell if there was any resistance installing the wheels either. My snow tires/wheels originally came from a Sequoia but otherwise look identical (except for a black finish) to my Tundra's.

 

It's normal. Just corrosion because of the contact surface, to stop it from happening you can clean off the corrosion and apply a light amount of anti-seize or you can just use a plastic mallet like me and many others lol. All up to you.

 

Pick a location and just kick it.

 

Tried that. That's why I used the mini sledge.

 

I see your avatar, kick it harder

 

He's got better knees than I do. I can't risk trying to kick anything really hard anymore. I'm better off using my head.

 

Your head, not mine.

 

I could have meant to use my head in a different way.

 

As cg13055 says, Anti seize is the ticket. I have been using that on wheel rims and spindles for years. Saves the knees and the hammer hand and will not corrode.

 

The other thing that seemed a bit off to me was the torque spec on the lug nuts. It's only 97 ft/lbs with aluminum wheels and flat washer style lugs. The lugs barely felt tight at that. I would have thought it would have to be more like 120 ft/lbs for these huge wheel / tire combos.

 

97 ft-lbs is correct, there is far less friction with the flat washer nuts for alloy wheels than a tapered seat nut.

 

I noticed that. So they didn't even feel tight because of that.

 

Never-Seez NSBT-8 Regular Grade

 

I dont know that I would put antisieze on the hub face. The friction between it and the wheel is important.

 

Just a dab around contact with wheel and studs. Some common sense is required...

 

You do realize what you're asking ?

 

It's normal. They are "hub centric" wheels, meant to fit tight. See the prior posts for solutions. Personally, I don't add any grease or anti-seize on mine.

 

Ole mushroom stamp strikes again.

 

Perhaps not... I have had similar issues where the axle contacts center surface of tire wheel rim seizes due to corrosion and point of contact with never seize is effective.
This "Ole mushroom" has been stamped...

Be safe.

 

100 ft lbs on my winter alloys, and 100 ft lbs on my summer alloys and never a problem since 2009. For even longer, I've put never seize on the hub where the hole of the rim fits so snug on all models of Toyotas, never a problem. You have to do that anywhere where they salt the roads in the winter, or if you don't change your wheels regularly.

 

A others have said, clean all corrosion from the lip of the hub and the inside center holes on the wheels. I have had Toyotas since '03. First 4Runners and now the Tundra, and with the road salt used in the NE winters, corrosion between the alloy wheels and the steel hubs is inevitable. I swap between summer and winter tires/wheels twice a year, and I always clean the mating surfaces of the center ring on the hub and the center holes on the wheels, then a light coating of never-size, only on those areas. Not on the flat surface of the hub or back of wheels. Once I started doing this, I have never had any problems removing the wheels.

One other trick I learned, to help with removing stubborn wheels, is to loosen the lugs a few turns (but no more) and with vehicle on ground, I rock it from side to side and let the weight of the vehicle break them loose. This usually does the trick.

 

I use a similar trick. Loosen the lugs, jack up the tire with a hydraulic Jack. Then quickly let the pressure out of the Jack to allow the tire to slam to the ground. Works like a charm to break the tires loose.

 

Just dealt with this on one of my guys' work trucks with a flat a few months ago. Our leasing office said to call for roadside assistance since the truck still had it. Even they couldn't get it off. Called tow to take it to the dealer and driver loosened nuts a turn or two and said to drive it slowly in a circle. Truck went five feet and we heard a pop. Came right off after that.

 

It's simple physics, use the vehicles weight to your advantage, and it is safer.

 

This

 

These are my snow tires / wheels.

 

Just a thought, have your winter rims been painted or redone? I had my OEM (winter) alloys powdercoated to bring them back to new appearance, and when I tried to put them on the truck for the winter, I actually had to file/sand the powdercoat off all the way around where the hub meets the rim, that's how tight the fit is!

 

I really don't know if they were refinished. I bought them from a former Sequoia owner and that's all I know about them. I really like the look of the wheels that I would switch my normal tires when I need to replace them.

 

To get wheels off, I slide a piece of lumber along the floor into the tire. Less risk of damaging the wheel this way.

I typically only have this problem with the alloy summer wheels that have integrated centre caps. My steel winter wheels are open in the middle so it allows the hubs to get some surface rust on them which then binds to the alloy over the course of the summer. I put some white grease on there one spring to see if that would help but I'm not sure if there's any risk associated with doing that.

 

You probably don't have to worry about it, you live in Hot ass Arizona.