Stuck Spinner

[nathanmargolis]

I am new to the Cobra world. Purchased a used Backdraft last week with 2,800 miles. However the car is a 2016 and tires are original and time to replace because of age. Going with Nitto 555 G2s as one of my neighbors is a DiscountTire District Manager and getting me some good prices. Because of the spinner wheels, they will mount if I get the wheels off.

I was told to use a lead mallet and knock the opposite why the tire spins. For example, on the passenger side, hit clockwise and on passenger side hit counter clockwise.

Using a 4 pound lead hammer and pounded the hell out of it. Used PJ Blaster, pounded the hell out of it. Still no luck.

Questions:
• Confirm I am going in the correct direction
• Is a four pound hammer to light as the 6 pound is 50% heavier?
• Has anyone used a Spinner 911 tool for about $179? Are they worth
good.
• Anybody in the Houston area own one and if so, willing to let me have a shot with it?

Thank you,
Nathan Margolis 713 960-2415

[Gaz64]

On the left side, hit clockwise; on the right side, hit anticlockwise.

Gary

[spdbrake]

You're going the wrong way.
On the left side of the car. Counterclockwise to loosen (left ear). Rightside of car. clockwise to loosen. (Right ear).
Loosening is always in the the direction of tire rotation. Spinners are safetied to prevent loosening during braking.
You will have better effect if hammering with the tire supported or off jacks. Alternate spinner ears every few whacks. Reassemble with antisieze on the threads and cone seat areas.

[Gaz64]

Hmm, sorry for confusion, yes left side, ccw; right side, cw.

[Phx Mike]

Originally Posted by spdbrake

You're going the wrong way.
On the left side of the car. Counterclockwise to loosen (left ear). Rightside of car. clockwise to loosen. (Right ear).
Loosening is always in the the direction of tire rotation. Spinners are safetied to prevent loosening during braking.
You will have better effect if hammering with the tire supported or off jacks. Alternate spinner ears every few whacks. Reassemble with antisieze on the threads and cone seat areas.

This is correct. To loosen, strike the spinner so that it will turn in the direction the tires would turn if you were driving. You have right hand threads on the left side of the car and left hand threads on the right hand side of the car.

Takes a lot of hits to loosen them. Don’t do it with the car on a jack or jack stands.

[twobjshelbys]

You loosen the spinner by pounding the ear towards the front of the car, whichever side you are on.

That means you will pound counterclockwise on the driver side (right to left) and clockwise (left to right) on the passenger side.

[ACHiPo]

You can also try this:
Cobra Valley's Spinner Removal Tool

Remember—“everybody likes a tight ass”—spin toward to the back of the car to tighten, front to loosen.

[Ron61]

The tool that ACHIpo shows is what I use and they work great. And the easy way to remember how to turn the spinners is always turn both sides toward the front of the car to loosen and toward the rear to tighten. If you have to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on your garage wall.

Ron

[patrickt]

In the embedded video in this thread you can see the correct direction for the passenger side. The driver side is just the opposite (normal, as you would expect).
I Can Remove My Spinners With One Finger

[HI Cobra]

I recently tried the spinner removal tool when I had to remove all 4 wheels to do
a brake bleed. The tool worked great - put some tension on a spinner with it and
smack with the hammer, tighten, smack, then they came off easily without much
degrading of the hammer. Much easier than with the hammer alone. Be sure to
put a sharpie mark on the wheel/axle so you can the movement. Tight ass works
well for me for remembering rotational directions. LOL

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by ACHiPo

You can also try this:
Cobra Valley's Spinner Removal Tool

Remember—“everybody likes a tight ass”—spin toward to the back of the car to tighten, front to loosen.

I may have to look at one of those to help save my hammers. Wish they would work on my Corvette KOs too.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

I may have to look at one of those to help save my hammers. Wish they would work on my Corvette KOs too.

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you can fire it up with an impact wrench. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world to your elbows and shoulders.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you can fire it up with an impact wrench. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world to your elbows and shoulders.

Now Patrick, I'm still trying to keep my 67 year old body is shape with regular exercise like wheel borrowing and spreading a truck load or two of dirt across our yard each year, getting up and down from a creeper 20 or 30 times a day, swinging my lead hammer on these KO spinners, huffing transmissions in & out of my cars and howling at the moon or any group that has offended my sensibilities of late.

[lomdel]

The newer Backdrafts have a clever lock-cap therefore no need for wires. The undo direction is also engraved on the spinners and caps. See photo...

Backdraft also supply a special machined wrench to remove the lock-cap together with a lead filled hard plastic hammer and wrenches for the shock adjustments, as part of a tool-kit when delivering new cars.

[Ron61]

Lomdel,

That looks like a pretty nice setup and with the direction engraved on the center part no one that pays attention should have a problem with which direction to turn them.

Ron

[lmmargheritis]

The way I always remember is to think the driver is always right. Standard threads on the drivers side. Passenger is always wrong. Reverse threads on the passenger side.

Don't tell my wife though!

[tortuga]

Originally Posted by lmmargheritis

The way I always remember is to think the driver is always right. Standard threads on the drivers side. Passenger is always wrong. Reverse threads on the passenger side.

Don't tell my wife though!

Drivers side normal passenger side backwards...

[nathanmargolis]

Thanks for the input.

Discovered that the wheels are installed backwards but that did not come into play as the original owner gave me correct information.

What I am looking for now is a Backdraft 17 inch front wheel it was fused to the hub. Hard to imagine but it looks like it will be cut off with plasma cutter.

Thank you.

[spdbrake]

The spinner can be drilled off without damaging the hub or wheel.

Chain drilling is multiple holes drilled as close as possible together.

You will need to chain drill the spinner in the center space between each ear, horizontally along the axle axis.

Using an approx 1/8" dia drill bit. Drill 6-8 holes (as many as you can fit) in the face of the spinner starting nearest to the hub and work your outwards with each hole.

You will have to be careful on the depth so as to not drill into the wheel cone area. Using removed a spinner try and determine the depth as it will be reduced as you work you way outwards.

Once you have all three areas drilled. Using a 1/2-3/4" cold chisel try and split the face of the spinner by connecting the holes.
Just cracking the spinner will most likely do it.
If it does not break free, try loosening the spinner again with the lead hammer.

The goal here is to just have to buy a new spinner.

[lomdel]

Anyone here know the owners at Cobra Valley that sells the tool? I am trying to get a shipping quote.