In a message dated 12/5/00 3:52:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
mark@nellemann.nu writes:
> I'm the owner of an '69 MGC GT. I want to take off the wheels for the
> winter so I can clean them, but the bolts is so fastened that I can't
> unfasten any of them. I was hoping that one of you pro's would know a
> trick to unfasten them. I was thinking about hot water or grease of some
> sort, but i'm not sure if that would help at all. >>
With wire wheels, you should have one large nut holding the wheel on the hub.
Make sure you are turning them the correct way. One side goes to the left,
the other side to the right. The nuts should be marked "UNDO" with an arrow.
If any rust is evident, use a penetrating oil (PB Blaster, Busty, Kroil,
Liquid Wrench, etc. I don't know what is available over there.), and let it
soak in for a day. You should have a wrench that fits on the hub nut. Put
it on and bang the wrench with a hammer after you put on the oil.
Next day, squirt the nut again with oil, and try banging the wrench again.
Sometimes banging in the tighten direction will break it loose. Eventually
it will come off. If rust is the problem, you will have even more trouble
getting the wheel off the hub after the nut is removed. The wheel and the
hub have splines to keep them from spinning. Rust can be a big problem here.
More penetrating oil is the best answer I can give, with some careful
banging both ON and OFF to loosten it. Heat from a propane torch may help,
but can damage the wheel bearings, so be careful.
After you get the wheels off, clean EVERYTHING. Use a wire brush on the
splines of the hub and inside the wheel. And check the splines for damage.
They should be sharp and not rounded or worn.
After you clean the wheels, make sure the wires are tight. You can do this
by gently tapping on them with your finger. If they are loose, you will hear
them ring. If more than two or three are loose, you need to have someone who
knows what they are doing, tighten them. Loose wires are dangerous!
Before you put the wheel back on, you should liberally coat the hub splines
with white lithium grease to prevent any new rust from forming. Tighten the
hub nuts, drive for a few miles, then tighten the hub nuts again.
>
> I don't know the correct technical terms in english (i'm from Denmark
> and don't know much about cars), but I hope that you get my message.
>
You are doing fine. I hope you can figure out what I said!
If my guess about rust is correct, you will have other rust related problems
that should be checked. After you get the wheels off, the hubs should also
be removed so you can check the bearings.
Good luck. And posters, if I missed anything or you think I am way off base,
please fill him in. I haven't had wire wheels since 1970!
Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
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