WHEELS are Stuck on!

[stangboy300ex]

I just got my 2001 300 EX and it has brand new Douglas aluminum rims and Kenda Claw tires. There were never used. The owner I got the bike from also gave me the original tires and wheels. Since I am gonna be riding in the messy stuff for a few months before the track, I want to put the factory tires and rims on.
I had to take the wehhls off anyways for the new brakes.
My question is... How the hell can the rims be on so tight. I had to leterally hit them off of the Lugs with a hammer. The lug holes seem too small. Can I drill them out a bit? The factory rims have room to play on the lug holes.
Thanks

[JDiablo]

i have that with my 300 sometimes,can't get the rims off,but it only happened in the winter time when it was cold,otherwise when it is warm out they come right off....must be something to do when crap shrinks or something:confused:

[AC 400 ex 02]

the stock bolts are tapered for the stock rims, the douglas rims dont have groves, they are flat, so the tapered nut pushes the aluminum in when u tighten it, so therefore they kind of bond together, best bet is to buy flanged nuts or washer and nuts for it, it'll keep happenin over and over, best bet is to pull the hub off and set it between 2 pieces of wood and wack it good with a dead blow mallet, good luck hope this helped

[PerrySoCal]

I too discovered that. I had drilled out the holes once. Guess I'll drill them out again and use a washer now...

Perry

[bradley300]

cant you just turn the nuts around so the tapered end faces out?

[PerrySoCal]

That is what I did, once I figured it out. I'm running a washer also.

Perry

[TC426EX]

Most people find this out the hard way. Just take a long skinny crowbar on the rear of the bike and stick it in between one of the holes between the 4 fingers of the hub and pry that rim off. Rotate the wheel and pry off each side. It might seem like the threads on the hub but I did it over 10 times each on my rims before I got non tapered nuts and they are fine.

[gratzracing24]

Happended to me...take a block of wood and put it inbetween the rim and hub and hammer the end of it and then spin hte tire some and hammer it again and it will eventually come off.

[stangboy300ex]

Thanks for the advice. I really don't want to have to FORCE the rims off the hubs everytime, so I think I will drill the holes on the rims a little bigger. I will let you know how it works out when I put the douglas rims back on.
Thanks

[David]

I bought some cheap steel ITP rims for my bear claws and the holes wouldn't fit, so i had to drill out the holes. But their still small so I have to use a pry bar to get the rims off, it isn't to hard. I didn't want to make the holes to big, because I also use the rims on the 300ex. (The studs are little smaller on the 300ex).

[IL400EX]

Originally posted by bradley300
cant you just turn the nuts around so the tapered end faces out?

I not only agree but I think there would be a chance of the nuts working loose if your putting tapered nuts onto non-tapered rims.

Turn them around.

[IL400EX]

Also be careful when talking about drilling the holes.

The reason Honda factory rims use tapered nuts and rims is to center the wheel on the hub.

The aftermarket rims don't rely on tapering to center the wheel, the rely on close tolerances of the wheel stud and the hole in the rim.

[trickex250]

i had itp rims and turned my nuts around to the taperd part was out and they wouldnt stay tight, they kept working loose and the holes in my rims became egg shaped from bein loose on the hub, anyone know y it dint work for me?

[Silver400EXinBR]

You should have got 16 new nuts and lock washers..... WHen i ordered a bolt kit for my bike that is what came with the package for the wheels.