Aluminum wheel problem

[GOakes]

I had occasion to remove both rear (aluminum) wheels from my 04. 5, 2500 . One was a bear to break loose and the other was worse. During this job the truck was sitting on a concrete floor and the wheel was lifted on a 6000 lb floor jack. Taking either of these wheels off is not a side of the road job. When I finally got them off it looked as though the cutout that fits over the hub boss was undersized. It this wheel center cut out is supposed to be machined somebody did a poor job on both these wheels. When I remounted the wheels neither could be pushed all the way into position by hand, it required that the lug nuts be used to pull the wheel over the boss (a definite interference fit). Has any one had this same problem, if so what was the fix?

Thanks

old george

 

[BRuppel]

haven't taken mine off yet. you have the 17x8 forged wheels?

 

[Badunit]

Are you sure it wasn't just rust on the hubs and corrosion on the rims making it tight? That's pretty common

 

[CrimeFighter]

GOakes, I had the same issue with mine. Use a BFH and bang on the *TIRE* from under the truck outward, sometimes in different locations. They came off but not real easy. Then after thier off take emry cloth or some sandpaper and sand the corrosion where the hub comes through the wheel( the big hole in the middle). It seems that this is where the hang up is , is on this small lip. The problem lyes that aluminum and steel dont mix so good and thus corroding faster than anywhere else on your wheel. Before you reinstal put antisieze on all areas that your aluminum wheel makes contact with the steel hub/rotor assem. Thats you fix... Hope this helps, it worked for me.

 

[nickleinonen]

my factory wheels came off within 4 days of taking delievery of the truck to install the 315's and aluminum based antiseize was applied to the hubs and lugs to make it easy to remove later on. and it will be done every year

 

[bombero]

This never happened with my alum wheels on 01. If the wheel is actually riding on the lip of the hub that is wrong. The wheel is aligned using the bevel on the lug nuts not the center spline. If this is the case on my 05 I will grind the **** out of the wheel and or the hub!!

 

[DocDetonancour]

This has come up before and several have had to use the BFH route. Anti sieze is the answer.

 

[nickleinonen]

The wheel is aligned using the bevel on the lug nuts not the center spline. If this is the case on my 05 I will grind the **** out of the wheel and or the hub!

that is all fine if the wheels are lug-centric, but if they are hub-centric [like ours are], they are suppose to be aligned by the hubs... just take them off early, and antiseize the *#@& out of them. .

 

[GOakes]

Thank you all

old george

 

[y-knot]

You fellows are missing the point of hub-centric wheel, they are suppose to be tight. The hub is allso suppose to carry the weight of the truck, not the lugs. If you grind on the back of the wheel, this will change what was suppose to be carrying the weight and weaken the wheel.

In the 60-70's all wheels were lug-centric, they secured the wheel and also supported the weight of the vehicle. These wheels had a very lose fit, just sling off the lugs and the wheel feel off. These served their purpose then, but now they use a whole different approach to what the lugs are suppose to be used for. All the 3500 DRW trucks have the same thing, the wheels (steel) are machined to a very close tollerance so they fit tightly over the flange of the hub. These are also hub-centric wheels, and are designed so the hub bears the weight of the trucks load, the lugs just keep the wheel tight.

The ideal of grinding them so they are easier to install, is backward and dangerous. Not only will you change the balance of the wheel, you will end up weakening it as well. The best fix is to use some anti-seeze on the hub and a little on the lugs, both threades and cone ware the surface hit the wheel. This will help when it's time to remove the wheels in the future, but won't effect the function of the wheel, or downgrade it's rated capacity.

 

[bombero]

What happens when you replace the percise machined stock wheels with some after market alum. They arnt riding on anything but the lugs??