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Thread: Flat tire change - tire stuck

  1. #1
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    Flat tire change - tire stuck

    This probably sounds dumb, but I was changing a flat tire today (thanks whoever had his/her snow chains explode in the middle of a road leaving sharp chunks of steel all over the place) but I can't pull the off after unscrewing all the lug nuts..

    I don't know if it's maybe because the parts might be a bit frozen, since the car was outside in below freezing temps for a day, or the tires weren't taken off in a while. Is there something I can do to encourage them to come off?

    I guess if I can't take that tire off I"ll have to call the towing folks from the insurance company and see if they can drag me somewhere heh.

    Thanks.
    1999 BMW 323i (E46)

  2. #2
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    Hey, sorry to hear about your tire. Have read about this and will pass along other people's fix. Disclaimer: I didn't think this one up, and I haven't had to test it myself, not yet anyway. One of the sources was Rob Siegel's "The Hack Mechanic" column in the BMW CCA Roundel magazine, though.

    If it's because of frozen water in there, then I couldn't tell you. But people say that the wheel hub, attached to the car, rusts to the wheel where it sticks through the wheel in the center. They say either seriously loosen or remove the lug nuts entirely, let the car down off the jack, and drive a short distance. IIRC Siegel said, "around the block." I guess they mean slowly too. That should break 'er loose. Then jack the car back up and remove the wheel.

    And of course remember to add anti-seize compound on the lug bolts and around the center hub when you put the wheel back on.

    Best of luck! I hope this will be helpful to you, don't like to see any Bimmer driver stuck in pit row, so to speak. If you think of it post a reply and let us know how you resolve it, and whether this method works, if you decide to use it.

    Taz

    You know, I apologize -- at times I think I'm a total idiot. [No confirmation necessary from other readers. It's understood.] You can't drive around the block on a flat tire, with BMW rims. Or any rims that someone reading this forum would put on a BMW!

    Try taking off the lug nuts, then letting the car down off the jack so the wheel is bearing at least its normal weight. Maybe back up a foot or two if you can do it without ruining the rim. Then jack it back up and try to remove the wheel. You get the point, I'm sure, to use the car's weight to break loose the rust between the wheel and the hub.

    If the tire will hold any air at all, assuming you have a way to inflate it some, then the drive-around-the-block thing might be an option.

    Hope you succeed in spite of my advice,
    :headdesk:
    Taz
    Last edited by tazM3; 12-24-2008 at 01:39 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the advice!

    What I did was put the lug nuts back in, screw them in loosely, inflate the flat tire a little bit so at least it wouldn't let the rim touch the ground, then go back and forth in front of the house 4-5 times breaking as hard as possible at the ends. Then I jacked the car up again and the thing came off very easily.

    I've never had a flat tire before (call me lucky heh) so I'm not sure what my next steps should be. I suspect that I might have driven for a few miles on the rims or whatever little pressure was left in the tire. I didn't notice anythign because it's a big slushy mess of ice and snow here and there's little exposed asphalt at all so I didn't notice anything until when I was close to the house.

    Should I drag the car (on the spare tire) to a dealer and have them look into whatever damage might have been done to the rims or related components? Or should I just go to a tire place and have them take care of replacing the tire? Also, can the dealer itself take care of replacing/fixing the broken tire?

    Thanks.
    1999 BMW 323i (E46)

  4. #4
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    You shouldn't drive at all on loosened lug bolts. When the wheel breaks loose, you'll immediately be beating your aluminum wheel's hub bore against the hard steel bearing hub. This will damage the wheel.

    You should have tried othe means first, such as PB Blaster or Kroil, then knock the wheel around by striking the bad TIRE (not the wheel) with a 2x4 or similar implement of destruction.

    You BMW dealer will happy to rape you on tire service, without the courtesy of a reach-around. Better to find a reputable tire dealer.

  5. #5
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    Hey, glad it worked! Hope it didn't cause any more damage (as per PixMan). Like I said I couldn't guarantee b/c haven't used it myself, but the reason you go slowly and only a short way is so you don't beat up anything. I'm betting you didn't. Leaving the lugbolts in sounds like a smart idea.

    Good luck with the tire and wheel -- I have used NTB here in the ATL, if I check prices on TireRack.com before I go they usually will negotiate if there's a big difference. Also they usually will let you know right away if the wheel is damaged or if it's bent and won't balance. Probably like PixMan says, no reputable place will mount a tire on a damaged rim (they'd rather sell you a new set!). If they go ahead and mount and balance your new -- or repaired -- tire, then you can ask them if the wheel has any issues, which should be minor ones if they mounted a tire on it.

    Didn't understand about dragging the car somewhere on the spare...

  6. #6
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    Eh, driving the car on loose lugnuts is not a wise idea, no matter how far. Next time just leave a lugnut on loosely, car in air, and hit the tire repeatedly with a 4 lb sledgehammer, preferably from the backside. Make sure you clean the hub and the wheel-bore with a wire brush, and antiseize the hub, so it won't happen again.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  7. #7
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    same issue, broke free with spare 'wreaking ball'

    glad I read this post

    I used the spare to swing like a wreaking ball between my legs and bounce off the tire - also sprayed wd40 in all the holes

    took about 5 minutes per tire

    lowered and raised a couple of them with bolts loosened

    wd40 sitting for a few minutes seemed to really help

  8. #8
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    1lb sledge on back of loosened wheel

    Great advice - had my buddy's '07 X3 parked at my house for a few months - got a flat so I decided to pull the tire. Oh boy what fun (AKA nightmare)! Til I went on the interweb and got the info I needed! raised car, loosened lugs (kept three on, loose) sprayed WD40 silicon in the joint (seized) between rim and rotor by turning tire full 360, let sit 15 minutes, then 1lb sledge carefully tapping (strong) on the back side of the rim - alternating the impact around the rim like tightening the bolts (opposite sides) and off it came!

  9. #9
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    I use a 20 lb dumbbell against the inside of the rim.

  10. #10
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    A baseball bat is my preferred tool for this but not a part of BMWs trunk tool kit.

    Have pity on the next guy, or yourself, and put a coating of anti seize paste on the hub and back of the wheel flange after wire brushing it clean.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  11. #11
    dworthy's Avatar
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    +1

    See it all the time, and we have a 10lb sledge called "The BMW Tire removal tool". I like to use a 2X4 to protect the rim, and Ross, that bat is a good idea too!
    Darin
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  12. #12
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    And put antiseize or grease on the flange because of aluminum wheel on steel hub can also create problems

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by jclausen View Post
    And put antiseize or grease on the flange because of aluminum wheel on steel hub can also create problems
    please elaborate

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  14. #14
    dworthy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ross1 View Post
    please elaborate
    Sorry, but you have never heard of this? I have to say that I am surprised by that, as you live in the rust belt, and I am not sure if you are being tongue in cheek.

    But just in case you are being serious, the aluminum can create a cold weld with the steel hub. Cleaning off the crap and applying a thin layer of grease keeps this from happening.
    Darin
    Current:
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by dworthy View Post
    Sorry, but you have never heard of this? I have to say that I am surprised by that, as you live in the rust belt, and I am not sure if you are being tongue in cheek.

    But just in case you are being serious, the aluminum can create a cold weld with the steel hub. Cleaning off the crap and applying a thin layer of grease keeps this from happening.
    My understanding of the sentence was he claims that anti-seize or grease will cause trouble. I see now that was not his intent.
    Trust me, I've dealt with plenty of galvanic corrosion. You'll note I suggested anti-seize in an earlier post.

    The worst cases I know of regarding wheels were in the late seventies on some Ford cars with alloys. Mechanics got so frustrated they were driving cars around with all the lugnuts backed off trying to dislodge wheels effectively welded to hubs. Plenty resorted to destroying the wheels.
    I learned the baseball bat trick in those days. One Olds Cutlass wheel took many of my hits with a big bat and the wheel wouldn't budge. My pal Tom, 260# of muscle, took one swat at it and sent it into the neighbors yard. I loosened it up for him
    Last edited by ross1; 02-21-2018 at 07:09 PM.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  16. #16
    dworthy's Avatar
    dworthy is offline Wagon meister :) BMW Tech Expert
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    No worries, but I am not surprised about the Fords!
    Darin
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    05 M3 Imolarot II(405)/Gray(N5TT) ZCW, ZPP 6sp Manual C.F. Lip, CSL diffuser, SSK, Euro Infra-Rot front windshield and a trunk liner! Mr. Go_Fast Stored for the Winter
    Past:
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    84 M535i gray market Burgandy Rot Met/Black Leather Lowered by Intrax on bilies, poly everywhere, B&B cat back system, K&N, and a hitch! Da Beast - Still running w/400k+!
    91 316i euro Tizianrot/Gray cloth - E-36 w/M-40 RIP, but great on gas! Best was 38 MPG
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    79 525 euro Green/Green RIP
    79 318 Silver/Black - The first one that got it all started
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