Get spacers off a wheel?

[rnp614]

So I was a bonehead and when I put spacers on for the first time I didnt put any lube in beforehand. When I realized that I had dropped it in to the wheel without lube I tried pulling it out but it had essentially already seized...so i just put em on the car and have driven around 1K miles...

Now that I've already had 2 fronts go flat, I'm wondering what happens if a rear (wheel wiht spacer) goes flat? How do I get that damn thing off without damaging my wheel? Any tips or tricks? I have a titanium package wheel if this matters.

[Audi Juice]

You are just now learning that it has to be lubed before you put it in?

[rnp614]

Wow, I was wondering how long it'd take for that post to be made. 2 minutes. Not bad. haha

[Audi Juice]

You know it! For real though.... You have a rubber mallet?

[rnp614]

No but it looks like I'll have to buy one and keep it with my spare?

[B6JoeS4]

wait so you have t put grease all over the spacer before you put it in? i would have never known that. im confused.

[[email protected]]

You have to lube a spacer?!??

[4RingRook]

No, all you have to do is put some grease on the bolts. You dont lube the spacer.

[autoverruckt]

Take a hammer and a screwdriver and tap it off. Then put anti-seize compound on both sides of the spacer. A thin light layer (as indicated on the instructions) will do the trick. Do a search on here.

[4RingRook]

Congratulations, this is the 10,000th time I've been wrong about something!! Looks like you have to put some lube on either side of the spacer to prevent seizing.

[Obvis07]

really? i never lubed my spacers before lol. and they come off so easily mmm thats odd.

[rudtf]

you don't need to lube the spacer. just the bolts the first time i put it on, never since.

[john@fifteen52]

So I was a bonehead and when I put spacers on for the first time I didnt put any lube in beforehand. When I realized that I had dropped it in to the wheel without lube I tried pulling it out but it had essentially already seized...so i just put em on the car and have driven around 1K miles...

Now that I've already had 2 fronts go flat, I'm wondering what happens if a rear (wheel wiht spacer) goes flat? How do I get that damn thing off without damaging my wheel? Any tips or tricks? I have a titanium package wheel if this matters.

If you're saying that the spacer was stuck to the wheel as soon as you put it on, lube probably would not have helped. Your spacer wasn't "seized" on, it was just stuck due to tight tolerances. If you need to remove the spacer from the wheel, just pop off the center cap and tap it off from the center.

I would suggest taking a wire brush and cleaning off the inside of the wheel, especially around the hub center. Also clean the hub/rotor surface that the wheel/spacer mates to. Usually a good cleaning during installation will keep parts from seizing over time. A very light coat of anti-seize can be used on the mating parts. Just enough to lubricate the metal, any more will keep the parts from seating properly.

I've been using spacers/adapters on just about all my cars for the past 10 years or so and have never had a problem with parts seizing. I've only used anti-seize on a few instances where the existing parts were corroded.