Frozen Rim

Any body have any ideas for getting a rim off of a brake drum. It is very stuck in place. I've soaked it in rust penetrating spray forever, and beat on it mercilessly with a sledge hammer. This rim just does not want to brake away from the brake drum. I jack it up, take off the bolts, and go crazy, yet nothing. If I were to ever get a flat tire, I'd be pretty screwed. I'm trying to get it off without messing up the drum. This rim is on the rear driver side. Any help is VERY MUCH appreciated. Thanks, I'm going nuts. :screwy:

what kind of rim, if you can't knock it off whith a sledge, you can try putting the nuts on a little loosa and drive in a circle, works better on fronts but u can try, if its steel you can try a torch, other that that soak it and smack it, inless you have a big three jaw puller

yeah the propane torch method works really well. make sure to make only the outer rim hot and not the studs for the lug nuts or else youll defeat the purpose of heating it up. what happens if its done right is the outer rim part will expand due to getting hot and the lug studs will not get hot and will not expand so the rust holding them to the drum will break loose because of the expanding rim. also, once my dad had your same problem and he took a long metal bar and placed it on the outer edge of the outer rim part and went on the other side of the truck where the end of the bar comes out and slams on it with a sledge hammer. only do this as much as needed to break it loose so you dont bend your lug nut studs or something lol

The rim is aluminum. I might find a way of heating it that isn't so risky as a torch, but I'm not sure what. If it was a steel rim, the torch would be fine. Looks for now that it just comes down to rust spray and a sledge... Thanks by the way, the ideas really help.

hey kid, if you loosen each of your lug nuts about 2 turns and drive down a desserted street where you can weave your truck from side to side it will break loose. only do this where you won't meet any traffic. or in an empty parking lot. when the wheel breaks loose you can change it there or tighten the lug nuts up again and go home and change it. it works. good luck, toivo

Thanks for the replies, I'll try again later with some of the given meathods.

Any body have any ideas for getting a rim off of a brake drum. It is very stuck in place. I've soaked it in rust penetrating spray forever, and beat on it mercilessly with a sledge hammer. This rim just does not want to brake away from the brake drum. I jack it up, take off the bolts, and go crazy, yet nothing. If I were to ever get a flat tire, I'd be pretty screwed. I'm trying to get it off without messing up the drum. This rim is on the rear driver side. Any help is VERY MUCH appreciated. Thanks, I'm going nuts. :screwy:


I have yet to see something not brake loose for me by using a sledge hammer, maybe it has something to do with me being 6'5" and 260lbs :biggrin:

I'm 6'3" , 265 lbs. at 16 years old. Still growing. I weight lift for football constantly so I'm plenty strong. I bench 275, shrug 300, squat 325, and power clean 220. Everyone says I'm a huge, mean, looking kid, even though I try to be as nice as possible. (Which everyone agrees that I'm friendly) All my teachers say I'm well behaved. But despite as strong as I am, this dumb rim still won't come off... Jeesh

If you can't get it off with a sledge hammer then I'd say your in some pretty deep shit. But I'd do the driving idea before anything else. Or get one of those bottle jacks and stick it between the tire and the frame rail and go at it.