Alloy wheels & Steel hubs

[BNH4221]

Hi all,



I have the aluminum wheels (Laramie pkg). When removing to rotate them, they stick to the steel hubs like I have never seen. I understand all about dissimilar metals and all that.

What can be done about this? Does anyone make or have a product that can be applied to the mating surfaces to prevent this? I was thinking anti seize type of stuff.

I was thinking about a thin layer of grease but I would think it would be messy and attract dirt and such.



Any ideas?





Steve

 

[DKizerian]

I had the same problem with my race car and my street cars, i've just been putting a very thin coat of anti-sieze on the mounting surface of each hub, and if the wheel is hub-centric around the inside of the wheel too...



this has worked well for me for 3+ years. .

 

[DHerzog]

I just rotated the aluminum wheels last week (and painted the calipers red... looks good). Anyway, I put on a very thin coat of anti-sieze that I had bought to put plugs into an aluminum head engine... don't know if it will work, but I figured it can't hurt. Doesn't it seem like the factory would put something on?? My son had a 2003 Ford (bought used from Michigan) and it took two hours to beat off the rims... . ouch!!

 

[JCleary]

Never-seez makes a cool aeresol anti-seize. You can apply a thin coat with it.



Product # NSA16



On edit:



Bostik Never-seez #NSA16

 

[BNH4221]

Most excellent! Thanks for the suggestions. I will give it a try.

The local tire guy charged me 80 bucks to balance and rotate all 4 the other day. I only used him because I was too lazy to beat the rims off. What a pain! Hopefully this will help and I can save the $80.



Steve

 

[Heavyweight]

Yup,,,, anit-seize... ... works like a CHAMP!!!!!!!!

 

[Tony T.]

Most excellent! Thanks for the suggestions. I will give it a try.

The local tire guy charged me 80 bucks to balance and rotate all 4 the other day. I only used him because I was too lazy to beat the rims off. What a pain! Hopefully this will help and I can save the $80.



Steve

He must have been taking his women out to dinner that night to charge you $80. 00 bucks for balance and rotation. I usually go to a local Goodyear Store and they charge $2. 00 bucks a wheel for rotation. Never have had them do a spin balance though, I'm sure it's probably under $10. 00 a wheel. Also if you have Goodyear Tires or have bought any other brand tires from them the service is free.



Tony

 

[TexBamBam]

Wal-Mart charges 8. 00 per wheel... but there are deals... if you buy the tires at Discount tire it's free... FREE is good...

 

[BNH4221]

He must have been taking his women out to dinner that night to charge you $80. 00 bucks for balance and rotation.

Well, he did just come back to work from a 6 month "vacation" paying his debt to society. Perhaps he needed a little walking around money?



The last time I had it done it was $48. Three months later it was $80? I told him it was the last time he would see me or any of my friends. He is an independent local shop and I always try to spend my $$ at the local business owner. There are others in town that will get my business now.



Steve

 

[Tony T.]

Well, he did just come back to work from a 6 month "vacation" paying his debt to society. Perhaps he needed a little walking around money?



The last time I had it done it was $48. Three months later it was $80? I told him it was the last time he would see me or any of my friends. He is an independent local shop and I always try to spend my $$ at the local business owner. There are others in town that will get my business now.



Steve

Yep! that word of mouth can be good business or bad business at times.



Tony

 

[HOCummins04]

I went to rotate my tires today and had to use PB Blaster on all 4 wheels. The right rear was stuck so bad, I loosened the RR lugs just a little and grabbed hold of the side of the bed and jerked back and forth. I was moving the rear of the truck back and forth 10 or 12 inches. Time after time I did this. Finally, I put all the lugs back on, tightened with air gun, then loosened with a tire wrench just a little. Started truck, did a couple burnouts forward and backward on the asphalt. That still did not pop it loose. Jerked back and forth and after 15 times, it finally broke loose.



I tell you one thing - if you are ever feeling your cheerios, see how many times you can jerk the back end back and forth. Did not take me long to really want to stop.



I could not figure any other way to break it loose without damaging something.



I took some heavy grit sand paper from a belt sander and cleaned up the inside of the hole in each rim. Gonna have to get me some never-seez. Thanks.



I torque my lug nuts to 125 pound feet per the Dodge manual - range is 120-150 for cone lugs.

 

[BNH4221]

HO -



I use a rubber mallet to whack the inside of the rim. Have resorted to a 5lb sledge hitting a 2x4 on the rim too. Whatever works.



Hopefully the anti seize will do the trick. Coated the hub last time I rotated the tires. Haven't rotated them again yet so dunno if it actually worked.



Good luck



Steve

 

[Sled Dog]

Most excellent! Thanks for the suggestions. I will give it a try.

The local tire guy charged me 80 bucks to balance and rotate all 4 the other day. I only used him because I was too lazy to beat the rims off. What a pain! Hopefully this will help and I can save the $80.



Steve

:--) OMG I'm getting rotation and balance every oil change for extra $20.

 

[rbattelle]

I put loads of anti-seize on everything. Never had any trouble removing the wheels. They literally fall off when I loosen the lug nuts.



-Ryan

 

[Buffalo]

BNH4221,



Sounds like your tire guy needs to go back on "vacation" at the barbed-wire hotel for robbery, this time.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[MickeyMiller]

My local Big O dealer rotates my tires every 6 K miles... no charge. Didn't even buy the tire from him... I'm now running a set of Hummer take offs.

 

[mwhals]

If it is a SRW truck, see if there is a National Tire and Battery nearby. They rotate the tires free. I don't know that I would take a dually to them though since they don't see them often.



Mark H

 

[BNH4221]

Buffalo -



There was the "reminder" phone call that it was time for a balance and rotate.

I was very polite when I explained why I have not returned lately to have the work done.



I usually do the work myself, having the tire place do it was simply a matter of laziness and shooting the local guy some business. Now, I won't go back to him as a matter of principle.





Shaft me once, shame on you. Shaft me twice, shame on me. Or, as the Who sang, "Won't get fooled again".



Steve