2002 525i, wheel is very hard to take off...why?

hello,
i've got a 525i 2002 sport model. I ran over something on the highway
and now there's a loud metal scraping sound coming from the passenger
wheel.

I jacked up the car and took off all the lugs from the wheel, but I
can't get the wheel off! I pull really hard and it doesn't want to
come off.

Is there anything else I should be doing to get the wheel off? I just
want to take a look at the brakes, I think something got stuck by the
brake shield and it's causing it to rub against the rotor. I'm pretty
sure I can fix this if only I can get the wheel off!

Thanks,

Oskar

> wrote
> i've got a 525i 2002 sport model. I ran over something on the highway
> and now there's a loud metal scraping sound coming from the passenger
> wheel.
>
> I jacked up the car and took off all the lugs from the wheel, but I
> can't get the wheel off! I pull really hard and it doesn't want to
> come off.
>
> Is there anything else I should be doing to get the wheel off? I just
> want to take a look at the brakes, I think something got stuck by the
> brake shield and it's causing it to rub against the rotor. I'm pretty
> sure I can fix this if only I can get the wheel off!

Sounds as if you may have bent the wheel and it's caught on the
brake rotor. Try to see if you find the bent portion, and pull on
the opposite side.

If it's stuck on the hub center - this happens if you get rust/corrosion
and it almost welds itself to the hub - you just need to give it some
kicks to loosen it. Or, remove the center propeller (blue/white
cap) and squirt some wd40 or other penetrating oil. But don't get
it into the bearing assembly!

FloydR

wrote:
> hello,
> i've got a 525i 2002 sport model. I ran over something on the highway
> and now there's a loud metal scraping sound coming from the passenger
> wheel.
>
> I jacked up the car and took off all the lugs from the wheel, but I
> can't get the wheel off! I pull really hard and it doesn't want to
> come off.
>
> Is there anything else I should be doing to get the wheel off? I just
> want to take a look at the brakes, I think something got stuck by the
> brake shield and it's causing it to rub against the rotor. I'm pretty
> sure I can fix this if only I can get the wheel off!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Oskar
>

The hub center is a tight fit to begin with. Then after the wheel
corodes a little it's even harder. Undoubtedly, that is where the wheel
is stuck. Use a mallet and positiona a block of wood over the inside
surface of the tire. Use small whacks and rotate the wheel 180 degrees
after each whack. It will work its way off eventually.

Before you replace the wheel, wire brush the corrosion off and coat with
some anti-seize grease so you won't have so much trouble the next time.

--
-Fred W

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 09:31:42 -0700, "
> wrote:

>hello,
>i've got a 525i 2002 sport model. I ran over something on the highway
>and now there's a loud metal scraping sound coming from the passenger
>wheel.
>
>I jacked up the car and took off all the lugs from the wheel, but I
>can't get the wheel off! I pull really hard and it doesn't want to
>come off.
>
>Is there anything else I should be doing to get the wheel off? I just
>want to take a look at the brakes, I think something got stuck by the
>brake shield and it's causing it to rub against the rotor. I'm pretty
>sure I can fix this if only I can get the wheel off!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Oskar

The wheel is corroded to the rotor.

Put the lugs back on, run them down almost all the way but leave them a bit
loose, lower and remove the jack, then start the car and roll forward &
backward a few meters to get the wheel loose. If it's still being belligerent,
roll a bit faster and stomp the brakes. Eventually you'll get it loose without
damaging anything...

/daytripper
'00 s4 6spd

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 09:31:42 -0700, " >
wrote:

>hello,
>i've got a 525i 2002 sport model. I ran over something on the highway
>and now there's a loud metal scraping sound coming from the passenger
>wheel.
>
>I jacked up the car and took off all the lugs from the wheel, but I
>can't get the wheel off! I pull really hard and it doesn't want to
>come off.
>
>Is there anything else I should be doing to get the wheel off? I just
>want to take a look at the brakes, I think something got stuck by the
>brake shield and it's causing it to rub against the rotor. I'm pretty
>sure I can fix this if only I can get the wheel off!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Oskar

I must reiterate all the previous but add that I had a client with exactly the
same problem - he actually drove the car 7 miles to our workshops with the wheel
nuts/bolts 1/2 out in the hope it would free itself - it didn't.

Nor would it work loose with a 10 ton portapower ram pushing it from the other
wheel (blocks of wood to protect both). Eventually we removed the centre badge -
kept the hydraulic pressure up but not quite 10 ton and heated the wheel with an
oxy-acetylene torch for 20 mins and eventually with extra persuasion from a
dammed great 4lb club hammer it gradually came off.

The corrosion was unbelievable and over the 27 year in the trade and the 20
since I have never seen such corrosion on an alloy wheel.

Steve

daytripper wrote:

>
> The wheel is corroded to the rotor.
>
> Put the lugs back on, run them down almost all the way but leave them a bit
> loose, lower and remove the jack, then start the car and roll forward &
> backward a few meters to get the wheel loose. If it's still being belligerent,
> roll a bit faster and stomp the brakes. Eventually you'll get it loose without
> damaging anything...
>

Not likely. The rotor is a flat surface as the part of the wheel that
contacts the rotor is. The hub goes through the rotor and into the
hubcenter bore of the wheel. That is the usual location for the hang-up.

--
-Fred W

No, there are 5 lug bolts to remove, and the tire should fall off easily.

If you live in the Snow Belt, you may be having issues from salt corrosion
causing the wheel to sitck.




> wrote in message
ups.com...
> hello,
> i've got a 525i 2002 sport model. I ran over something on the highway
> and now there's a loud metal scraping sound coming from the passenger
> wheel.
>
> I jacked up the car and took off all the lugs from the wheel, but I
> can't get the wheel off! I pull really hard and it doesn't want to
> come off.
>
> Is there anything else I should be doing to get the wheel off? I just
> want to take a look at the brakes, I think something got stuck by the
> brake shield and it's causing it to rub against the rotor. I'm pretty
> sure I can fix this if only I can get the wheel off!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Oskar
>

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:49:08 -0400, Fred W > wrote:

>daytripper wrote:
>
>>
>> The wheel is corroded to the rotor.
>>
>> Put the lugs back on, run them down almost all the way but leave them a bit
>> loose, lower and remove the jack, then start the car and roll forward &
>> backward a few meters to get the wheel loose. If it's still being belligerent,
>> roll a bit faster and stomp the brakes. Eventually you'll get it loose without
>> damaging anything...
>>
>
>Not likely. The rotor is a flat surface as the part of the wheel that
>contacts the rotor is. The hub goes through the rotor and into the
>hubcenter bore of the wheel. That is the usual location for the hang-up.

I've loosened many corroded hub-centric wheels using the above procedure...

/daytripper
'00 s4 6spd

On Jun 30, 4:33 pm, daytripper > wrote:
> On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:49:08 -0400, Fred W > wrote:
> >daytripper wrote:
>
> >> The wheel is corroded to the rotor.
>
> >> Put the lugs back on, run them down almost all the way but leave them a bit
> >> loose, lower and remove the jack, then start the car and roll forward &
> >> backward a few meters to get the wheel loose. If it's still being belligerent,
> >> roll a bit faster and stomp the brakes. Eventually you'll get it loose without
> >> damaging anything...
>
> >Not likely. The rotor is a flat surface as the part of the wheel that
> >contacts the rotor is. The hub goes through the rotor and into the
> >hubcenter bore of the wheel. That is the usual location for the hang-up.
>
> I've loosened many corroded hub-centric wheels using the above procedure...
>
> /daytripper
> '00 s4 6spd

Thank you all! You were correct in that the problem was corrosion. I
didn't have wd40, but I sprayed water and mild soap (i had a bottle
from when I was using body clay to clean the car). I let that sit a
little while and then the wheel came off! Sure enough, there were
some foam peanuts from a box and a piece of card-board stuck by the
rotor. This was the source of the noise!!! I took that out and put
the wheel back. I have to get some grease to put on all the wheels
but I finally got rid of the noise. I'm glad it's gone and I didn't
have to go to the dealer!! That makes me happy

Oskar

wrote:
<snip>
> Thank you all! You were correct in that the problem was corrosion. I
> didn't have wd40, but I sprayed water and mild soap (i had a bottle
> from when I was using body clay to clean the car). I let that sit a
> little while and then the wheel came off! Sure enough, there were
> some foam peanuts from a box and a piece of card-board stuck by the
> rotor. This was the source of the noise!!! I took that out and put
> the wheel back. I have to get some grease to put on all the wheels
> but I finally got rid of the noise. I'm glad it's gone and I didn't
> have to go to the dealer!! That makes me happy
<snip>

No! Don't use grease! Anti-seize compound is the order of the day...

JRE