Rim removal/stuck

[it3iceman]

Sounds simple and should be, but I went to replace the tires and rims on my Honda 450 and they are stuck. Removed the lug nuts on the front and rear but the rims wont slide off. Any tips to getting it unstuck??? Thanks in advance.

[400exrider707]

What wheels are you taking off? Have you tried a hammer?:devil:

[deathman53]

I had a set of rims that wouldn't come off, I loosened them, untill they were 1/2 off. Then rode it slow around the parking lots and the rims were loose. Kinda rigged, but it works, especially if you don't care out the old rims. BTW, those rims were bent and were heading to the trash anyway.

[it3iceman]

I've tried a hammer, kicking it but nothing has worked. I'll give it a try, it sounds like a good idea. Thanks

[Big - D Racing]

don't loosen it anr ride around, yeah it may work the rim off but will also help ruin the hub studs. Those aren't fun to replace. just knock it off with a hammer especially if the rims are trash anyways, which they sound like they are bent so means trash.

[RaptorRacer45]

put 1 lug on and find a BFH.....thats all ya can do

[svahle]

Instead of a hammer, I have used about a 3 foot section of 4X4 post. If the rims aren't going to be trashed, the wood is not as hard on the rims as a BFH. Of course, a dead blow hammer or rubber mallet might work too.

Am I correct in thinking that stock rims for a 450r use the tapered lugs? If so, the stock rims would come off very easilty because the holes for the studs are oversized and the tapered lug centers the stud in the hole and takes up the gap. So, you probably have aftermarket rims. Were the tapered lugs used with the aftermarket rims? If so, you must put the tapered side out. So, the flat side of the lug will be against the rim (actually you should use a washer so the lug nut does not dig into the rim). Putting the tapered side against an aftermarket rim can essentially weld or pinch the wheel to the stud thus creating the problem you have.

Obvisouly I don't have enough facts to say whether this was your problem, but this is some food for thought in the future.

[stumpleg]

Originally posted by svahle


Am I correct in thinking that stock rims for a 450r use the tapered lugs? If so, the stock rims would come off very easilty because the holes for the studs are oversized and the tapered lug centers the stud in the hole and takes up the gap. So, you probably have aftermarket rims.


Yep, that is correct I believe.

[it3iceman]

You are correct they are aftermarket rims and the tapered part of the lug nuts were facing the rim. Now they are stuck and I can't get them off.

[nick249420]

my buddy had some bajas on his z400 and he put the acorn end of the nut twards the rim ....
when he went to take the rim off it would come off he smashed them metal from the rim around the studs ..took him 4 days of beating them with a malet to get them off

[svahle]

Originally posted by it3iceman
You are correct they are aftermarket rims and the tapered part of the lug nuts were facing the rim. Now they are stuck and I can't get them off.

Okay, try this. Go ahead and pull off the hubs and wheel together. Then, instead of trying to knock the wheel off the hub, you can try and hammer the hub out of the wheel. Put the lugs on the hub studs when doing this so you do not screw up the ends of the stud bolts. I suppose you could damage the rims, but at this point rim damage may be unavoidable. If you have a torch you might add some heat to the rims hoping the rim and holes around the stud bolts will expand. Don't heat the stud bolts as this will just cause them to expand and make things worse. I guess another option may be to take the hub and wheel to a machine shop with a press. Surely they could figure out a way to press the hub out of the wheel.

Good luck and maybe someone else will have some better ideas.

[HondaBoy450RToy]

taking a torch to these components makes them garbage, heating metal dissapates its strength. i agree on the idea of taking off the hubs and all, even though you are heting up the holes trying to avoid the hub studs, its still going to affect the studs, and a torch isnt good for hub studs, thats the last thing you want to break off.

the machine shop idea will most likely work, and tons of auto shops have hydraulic presses.

[qr4life]

This is what you do. If you have access to a torch (not a cutting torch) heat up the wheel and studs just make sure that you don't leave it on there too long because you could deform your hubs if there aluminum. The heat causes the molecules to react in the metal and expand. But don't leave the heat on too long!

[JOEX]

Originally posted by qr4life
This is what you do. If you have access to a torch (not a cutting torch) heat up the wheel and studs just make sure that you don't leave it on there too long because you could deform your hubs if there aluminum. The heat causes the molecules to react in the metal and expand. But don't leave the heat on too long!
I'm no metallurgist by any means but wouldn't you want to avoid heating the studs? I'd think you'd want to heat the aluminum rim so it expands and avoid heating the studs so they don't. I'm aware aluminum will react sooner than steel but I don't think you'd want to heat up the studs too.

[NJ450rider]

Well ive been doing this for years now and havent had a problem yet so here goes. My Hiper wheels ALWAYS get stuck using the stock lugnuts. Prop the back end up so you can spin the wheels around and around. your gonna need a large long handle sledge hammer (8lb) or even the backside of a big ax will do. All you gotta do is hit the inside and keep rotating the tire around and around hitting in a circle. It should really come off after a few minutes of hitting it. And its not gonna come off in one shot you gotta keep hitting all the way evenly so it comes off even.

If that doesnt work after 5 to 10 minutes of hitting than your probably gonna have to do the last possible thing with a small propane torch. heat around the aluminum. it wont take long jsut a few seconds around each hole. dont heat the lugs to much and dont hold the torch to close either. even though if it discolors a lil bit you can polish it out. I wouldnt worry about ruining or getting anything to hot it doesnt take long for aluminum to heat up.


Oh yeah where to you keep you quad? If its in a place that isnt heated its gonna be super hard to get that stuff off. aluminum shrinks in the cold!!! Gotta get em warm!