Spinners -- On for years..

[cdog534]

Guys, my SPF needs new tires, planning to get some from Roger Kraus.

ISSUE: The spinners have been on since 2001. Yep, factory safety wire still in place. Any suggestions on removing them. From what I understand, they don't like to come off if they've been on for years...

[Rick Parker]

You may need to put a little penetrating oil or "Liquid Wrench" on them overnight. Should be ok though.

[Bob In Ct]

Jack the car, heat the spinner with a hair dryer, Hit an ear with a lead hammer, rotate 120 degrees hit the next ear, repeat, repeat, repeat. Be sure you're hitting in the correct direction. Normally it's tops to the front.

Bob

[streetrod1927]

Try Gibbs oil in a spray container. This stuff loosens anything. Its about $15.00 a can. Great stuff

[patrickt]

If you can't loosen one up with a couple whacks of the lead hammer, fashion yourself one of these and you can lay down some pretty serious torque on those spinners.

[Nedsel]

Having seen photos of those spinner wrenches before, I have wondered how you keep the thing on the knock-off itself? Seems to me it would want to simply slide off as you applied pressure.

[wtm442]

You are in the same boat as I was last year. First owner never had them removed. There was 11K miles when I removed the rims to add anti-squeek shims to the Wilwood brakes.

Just keep hitting the spinner with the lead hammer. It will come off. I wrapped the lead hammer with cloth just in case my aim was not too good.

[double ugly]

Save some sweat and put some liquid wrench or similar product on over night as per above reccomendations.
I had a SPF with the same problem. I used a 2x4 and it saved nicking the alum. spinners. Rotate the ears so all the abuse isn't on just one ear.
It's important to be loosening not tightening. Spinners come off the same direction as tire rotation when driving.
John

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

Having seen photos of those spinner wrenches before, I have wondered how you keep the thing on the knock-off itself? Seems to me it would want to simply slide off as you applied pressure.

That steel pipe that I have shown there is about 30" long -- it's a nice length that fits well in both your hands, of course by having one hand on each end. By pushing down with one hand and pulling up with the other the applied torque is very even in the middle of the wrench and you're actually pushing it in to the wheel; there is no slippage. That's different than having a normal wrench, or ratchet, where the socket is at the end of your wrench. I think if you tried to do it that way it might slip off.

[JBo]

Having had this issue with my AK, my experience is this is like war, esculate as necessary. 1.The Thor brass or lead hammer first with wheel on ground tapping each ear soundly in succession attemping to break the "set" loose, 2.then penetrating oil; let set for requisit time; raising wheel off ground to take lateral load off threads(use a floor jack for this) rotating the wheel to get a new "ear' on each blow, 3. the Finish line type or other job defined tool,4. light heat on center face of "knock-on" via small torch or a very directable heat device (do not heat hub itself as this self defeats the process). I've had success and only badly scarred one "knock-on" with this process. The final step is cutting the "knock-on" off and I'd hate to consider this. Recommend you do NOT use a dead blow hammer, do NOT slip a pipe over an ear expecting leverage will do the job (at best you'll break an ear off the "knock-on") Post a sucessful removal:Very liberal amounts of "Anti seize" or "never seize" after cleaing male and female threads with a solvent and tooth brush. Also good to put "antiseize" on face of wheel that mates to hub and in pin drive holes. I've left them on for 2 seasons and 3000 miles and never had to go above level 2. above to remove in a very damp climate. Don't forget the safety wire

[JCoop]

Oh, just make sure you're hitting the ears in the right direction...I broke an ear off hammering the wrong way...kinda embarassing but it happens to old men like me.
forward-loose, backwards tight

[JBo]

The direction can vary by assembler or by source of parts...but the rule is TTA or top ear (towards the rear) tight as** on BOTH sides of the car

[thudmaster]

Its a spf so it is always tap towards the front to remove......... Been that way since the beginning and has not changed once. The parts are made in-house.

[DonC]

Cdog:
Good suggestions all. If you want to get the full picture of what it takes take a look at:
Can't get a wheel off, any suggestions?
A lot of good information and a couple of off the wall suggestions just to keep it light.
DonC

[65cobra1]

Originally Posted by JBo

Don't forget the safety wire

After reading all the horror stories, I pulled my wheels, cleaned them up, anti-seized them and put them back on.

Now time to safety wire. Is it done tight to keep the knockoff from moving too far or is there a loop left in it so that when the loop disappears it will be a warning that the spinner is becoming loose?
Ivan

[patrickt]

Tight spinner, tight wire; no loops.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If you can't loosen one up with a couple whacks of the lead hammer, fashion yourself one of these and you can lay down some pretty serious torque on those spinners.

When looking at one of these, I have always thought they should have added notchs so that the spinner was locked into the tool. As it is it could slip off and you could damage a wheel when you went a$$ over tea kettle across the garage.

[JBo]

65cobra1,
Safety wire is NOT to advise you thatr you have a Knock-on coming off. Safety wire is designed to be used to prevent the problem. It should be twisted tight, with no loops and NEVER reused after removal. If you are anal, 2 per wheel are better than one. This material was used in aircraft (still is) and is designed to keep parts from coming off...not to advise you they are loose...what happens if the safewire tells you at 30,000 ft that your fuel whatever is loose and going to start spraying fuel on your exhaust manifold?
Jbo

[601HP]

I've experienced similar issues. My car typyically sits from early November until the first of May. Now, one of my annual winter shut-down habits is to cut the safety wire and loosen each knock-off about one full turn.

David

[wtm442]

http://performanceunlimited.com/cobr...tructions.html