Flat tire = wheel stuck on the hub?

[Sarra]

I had a flat tire, or a flattening tire (I could hear air hissing out of it and it was very low). So, since i'm getting 4 brand new Pirelli P210's installed tomorrow, I thought i'd just pull it off and stick the spare on until to tomorrow.

I used the tire iron and stomped each lug nug loose, then jacked the car up and pulled the lug nugs off all the way...

Once the lug nuts were in a little pile on the ground, I noticed that the wheel wasn't loose. I tried pulling it off... It didn't budge. o.O I kicked the right and left sides of it, and it popped loose, well, sorta. I then had to wrench the darn thing off the car, it sounded like I ripped my brake rotor or possibly the dust guard off with the wheel.

Is this something I should be worried about? I suppose tomorrow when I go down and fork over $$$ to get the tires mounted and balanced they'll tell me if anything is amiss (or when I go in for my alignment).

I do know I need to be worried about my brake pads, or lack thereof. That rear right brake had literelly 0 pad left, it was just the backing with like 1 mm of pad left. :( That's a project for next paycheck, once I get jackstands.

[Plays_with_Toys]

Brakes are real easy! I've been afraid of them since I started wrenching, but with this car I did them and it took me something like 2.5 hrs.

Do you have aftermarket wheels? Maybe they aren't tall enough to clear the brakes, and if you never installed them, you didn't realize this? Another thing may be that the rim bent, or, the lug nuts were snugged down too much and it simply stuck itself to the hub. If you've had salted roads/lots of moisture, might have had a small amount of rust between the hub/wheel, which caused it to stick.

I'd say nothing to be worried about, probably a fluke.

Check out tirerack.com for your brake order. You get out the door for all four for about $325

[shazapple]

Sounds like you had the lug nuts pretty tight :shock:

Its pretty common to have wheels stick to the rotor. Usually it only takes a few kicks like you did to get them loose.

The rotor is only held in place by the tire and caliper. It shouldnt have moved too much when you removed the tire. Did it look like you damaged the dust shield or rotor?

[legacy92ej22t]

2.5 hrs for a brake job?! :shock: :P

I can do all four corners in about an hour, including rotors. That's from breaking the lugs to tightening them back up.

When I first started doing brakes it took me a bit longer though. :wink:

[sheepdog]

When I worked at the jeep dealership this happened all the time. Takes a little muscle to get the wheel off, but there was never and damage done to the car it was just grime and a bit of rust built up behind the wheel.

[GT Wagon]

Here in Canada this is common enough with the winter & salt. The rust literally welds the wheel to the hub. I've taken off the wheels with a sledgehammer before. With the car properly supported on jackstands (not the jack) hit the tire from the backside on differentn parts until it comes loose. I said tire, not wheel !

Some people have done the following, I wouldn't but I can see how it works

Loosen the nuts (not remove just loosen) on the wheels in question. Driving very slowly turn and hammer the brake. It will loosen that wheel right up.

[BAC5.2]

That's what I've done before. Loosen the lugs, but have them still mostly snug.

Then drive in a figure 8 a few times, and then try again. I wouldn't nail the brakes, but I guess you probably could.

I don't know that I would officially recomend doing this, but it does work. When you have the wheel off, wire wheel the hub to get all rust off. The cleaner you put it together, the better off you'll be.

A few times with steel rims, I've even put a small dab of anti-sieze between the hub and the wheel. That helped things a lot.

I routinely torque my lugs beyond factory spec slightly. 85 to 90 lb-ft is about where I do it, and I re-check after a hundred miles.

[Plays_with_Toys]

2.5hrs ain't bad considering I have to work in the street, alone, with bits of tools here and there. That also includes setup time getting parts and tools, etc... I take my time with mods too, to ensure nothing is done wrong taking bits off, or putting them back on. :wink:

[Sarra]

Nope, they're the stockers.

There's a groove in all of the wheels for clearance for the brake rotors... Since I've been driving in mud and snow and all kinds of stuff like that, mud built up in there, and the rotation of the tires forced the water out, making it into a cement like substance... At least on the rear wheels.

The new tires are on, no problems at all. They balanced allright, which is good since I was afraid I had bent the hell out of one of my wheels on a boulder (I'll have to post pics of the damage that boulder did to my car some time).

I'm going to need new front pads and new rear pads/rotors. Unless I do a conversion and put H6 rears on, Tirerack doesn't have any rear rotors for my car, plain, slotted, vented, or anything. I'd perfer plain front and rears. I also have to work with 15" wheels, because I refuse to buy aftermarket. :p

[jey]

I also have to work with 15" wheels, because I refuse to buy aftermarket. :p

There are tons of Subaru OEM 16" and 17" wheels around.

[Sarra]

I'm so tempted to get some 16" GT wheels, but I'm out of cash at the moment. I very well may get some come summer time and put some performance summer tires on them. Or steal my mom's Outback wheels. ;)

WRX brakes (calipers, rotors) will fit under 16" wheels, right?

[shazapple]

Yup, the WRX comes stock with 16" and all Subaru rims have pretty much the same measurements

[Sarra]

Speaking of wheels, would a 14" steel wheel fit, or is there too little clearance between the caliper for it to fit? I have some 14"s left over from an older Legacy, I'd like to put them to use or if not, sell them.

[jey]

They won't fit over WRX brakes if that's what you're asking.

[Sarra]

I meant the stock BE brakes.

[shazapple]

Id have to say no. the stock BE brakes are 10.7/11.3" Front/rear and the BD L brakes (comes with 14" rims) are 10.25/10.5" front/rear

Since you already have them theres no harm in trying, but I doubt theyd fit.

[Sarra]

Yeah, next time I have a wheel off, I'll try a 14". I doubt it will clear though.

I guess I'll sell the set, they don't have too many miles on them.

[ooberdoob]

14s have one kinda of brakes, 15s and 16s are another.