Help! stuck front wheel spacers

[AJ68]

wondering if anyone has any ideas. I needs to replace my front discs and pads, prob going to go standard. the issue is my hub centric sparco spacers have stuck on the hub/spigot. when i fitted all four (3 months ago) i cleaned all faces and all four spacers just slid on snug, bolted wheels back on, happy! the rear ones come off easy, but now i cannot get the fronts off. a friend suggested hitting the hub from the back, but obviously the 2 torque screws/bolts would need undoing first for this to work and i cannot get to them. i thought about gently heating the spacer but dont want to warp them. they are made of alloy so i dont want to 'loosen' them with a hammer, although i feel like it.... tried WD40, that's not worked. any ideas would be greatly appreciated before i blow more hard earned cash on a new set of front spacers after i rag the old ones off
ps. just fitted some zunsport front grills, mainly coz i like the look, they really fill out the front and also protect radiator etc as i think the standard ones aren't great(after looking at my pockmarked radiator). if anyones thinking of getting some they sent me a 15% discount code off anymore and you can PM me if you want it
cheers
andrew (no i dont work for ZS )

 

[M88KE C]

I had this yesterday. In the end I took an angle grinder to just inside where the spacer sits to create a gap that I could then get a drift into to open the gap further. They now have lots of copper grease on the insides

 

[Jambo6593]

You might find that the aluminum has corroded to the steel. Will be a nightmare to with any damage. Could try using a punch to try and rotate then. If they won't budge then they probably won't come off in a Re-useable condition.

 

[Paddy_R]

I always use copper grease on something like that. I even used some when I fitted my valve caps as they were cheap metal ones from eBay and I didn't want then corroding on to the valve. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.

You could buy a cheap paint scraper or similar tool and try to hammer it into the small gap between the spacer and the hub. Shouldn't cause much if any damage.

 

[M88KE C]

If it's anything like mine that won't work.

You'll need to sacrifice the old disc, cut gently into the disc just inside where the hub sits so you can drive a screwdriver or drift into the gap which will then free it from the corrosion. I tried putting the wheel back on and smashing it with a rubber mallet and even that leverage didn't work

 

[jostheboss]

Heat it up - you won't warp them. Then you need to shock them into loosening No need to destroy anything!

 

[AJ68]

Thanks for the input guys, will give it another go.

 

[Foxspeed]

can you not remove the hub retaining bolts and then bolt the road wheel back on to the hubs and use this to free the hubs....?

 

[M88KE C]

I tried that fox and it really was that seized - hence the drastic angle grinder action!

 

[AJ68]

Foxspeed, problem is I cannot reach the hub retaining bolts as spacer is jammed on in the way. Not even tried getting hubs off yet!

 

[Foxspeed]

Foxspeed, problem is I cannot reach the hub retaining bolts as spacer is jammed on in the way. Not even tried getting hubs off yet!

err are they not hubcentric hubs that bolt in the original wheel bolts holes? if the wheel is removed aren't the hubcentric retaining bolts accessable?

you remove the hubcebtric bolts and bolt the wheel back on and use the wheel to free the spacers - surely?

or are they "just" spacers?

 

[AJ68]

they are called hubcentric, but they dont bolt on, they sit over the original and the spacer has a piece/spigot that the wheel then centers itself on as the original hub does.comes with longer wheel bolts. unfor the spacer for some reason has stuck fast and there is no way of getting to the 2 torque screws that hold the hub to the disc,if that makes sense?

 

[Foxspeed]

they are called hubcentric, but they dont bolt on, they sit over the original and the spacer has a piece/spigot that the wheel then centers itself on as the original hub does.comes with longer wheel bolts. unfor the spacer for some reason has stuck fast and there is no way of getting to the 2 torque screws that hold the hub to the disc,if that makes sense?

ah get it!

thought the "hubcentric" ones were only bolt on type only..

 

[930Tech]

Hubcentric means they sit on the hub part and then have a face to 'replicate' the hub so the wheel sits centrally like it does originally.

 

[Foxspeed]

Hubcentric means they sit on the hub part and then have a face to 'replicate' the hub so the wheel sits centrally like it does originally.

I know that bit but was under the impression that to be "proper" hub centric they had to be bolted to the hub rather than just longer bolts clamping spacers on the hub

 

[930Tech]

Some of them are only 16mm wide so are not wide enough to be bolted on separately.

 

[Foxspeed]

Some of them are only 16mm wide so are not wide enough to be bolted on separately.

:thumbsup: