Tired to rotate my tires today - could not get the rear wheels off. Wheels seem to be welded to the brake drums. Wack the tires with a sledge (from the inside and the outside) for a half our - nothing. Pried on the wheels with a long 2x4 wedged between wheel and shock mount - wouldn't budge. I usually put anti-seize where the wheels meet the drum/disk but lat time the wheels were off the new tire guy did it and no anti-seize was put on. Anyone have any tips on removing the wheels?

OEM aluminum mags on 89 XJ LTD.

 

Red neck method. Put the nuts on and leave them about 2 turns loose. Get in and try a few burn-outs! They will come loose!

OR, try a solution of 50/50 ATF and Acetone as a penetrating oil.

 

aluminum wheels against steel drums make for a good bond. so, good luck.

not sure i've tried the burnout method, but i have tried loose lug nuts and driving the vehicle in a figure 8. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

but most of the time, i've just horse kicked the tire, top and bottom, or even used a 2x4 behind the wheel, against the control arm/frame or such. or even the jack handle through a hole in the rim, against the drum/rotor, and pried it off that way.

there's only so much we can do with the tow truck. if nothing works, tow it to a shop. they can usually do better when it's up in the air. more swing with the sledge from underneath, i guess.

 

I'll have to remember the red-neck method!

Lots and lots of penetrating oil. Give it some time to work, tap the wheels a bit to vibrate them so it can work in better.

If you can put heat on it without damaging the wheel, that would definitely help.

 

Sit on yer butt facing the tire and kick back/fourth on each side of the tire with each foot violently and rapidly ...making sure your feet are contacting the outside of the tire for most leverage. Back/fourth, back/fourth ....bang bang bang. Yer trying to wiggle back fourth a lot. Get mean! Usually works for me. The redneck method can work but be careful you don't damage yer wheel. Try kicking first.

B/f putting the wheel back on, take a file and carefully clean the back of the rim and any corrosion out of the hub area, then more anti-sieze ..on both mating surfaces.

 

Have someone who trusts you hold a 3 ft length of 4 x 4 across the tire and take turns hitting each side with a sledgehammer.

 

You will sure as heck hurt yourself seriously trying to kick it off. PB Blaster as much as you can the openings in the drum, then hit it top and bottom with a steel hammer. not a sledge, about 100 times. It will come off. -

 

This. Too many people think they can squirt some penetrating oil on there and go to work. It needs time.

 

When I worked in the brake shop in tx, that's all we did was brakes. And never did the customer want to give us time. Maxwell's silver hammer did it every time.
Whoops, I see the OP is trying to get the wheel off, not the drum..so....bit more of a problem. Two people, hold a 2x4 against the rim, and a sledge, same methodology. Eventually it has to come off. You want to set up vibrations and hit it with that oil.