spinner removal

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agnoraan
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spinner removal

Post by agnoraan »

I tried to take a rear wheel off yesterday and really struggled to get it undone. I'd copper greased the pins, the spinner thread and tapered surface and it still wouldn't come off. I ended up bending one of the spinner "ears" in the process. the 6lb lead hammer is looking a bit worse for wear now too as a chunk flew off it. The wheels have been off numerous times, but this one just didn't want to budge this time. Have any of you tried the various spinner removal tools on the market with any success?

cheers...Nige
catsx11
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Post by catsx11 »

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agnoraan
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Re: spinner removal

Post by agnoraan »

Hi Alan, yes mine are peg drive. I never over tighten them for the very reasons you say, but this one just didn't want to budge. It's copper slip that I used (not grease) I tighten them until the wheel is "home" and then drop it to the ground to fully tighten them with three or four good whacks (so that there's no stress put on the bearings). For whatever reason, this one would not come off. The spinner is reuseable and is alloy, but I'm really concerned now in case it happens to the others, hence my trying to find a less brutal way of trying to get them undone.

cheers..Nige
Paul Blore
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Re: spinner removal

Post by Paul Blore »

Alan,
As Nige has already said, you're better off tightening the spinners with the wheels on the ground so that you're not transferring all if the shock through the bearings.
Mine have always come off okay so far, but I'm dreading the time when they don't. Barry had a problem with one of his recently for no apparent reason.
Paul
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Roger King
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Re: spinner removal

Post by Roger King »

I never use a copper grease on splined hubs or spinners - a good-quality general purpose such as Castrol LM is best. I've never had a spinner stick (touchwood) in over 40 yrs of running cars fitted with them, including everyday motors back in the day (Triumph TRs etc.). A thin smear on the tapers, internal and external, and a decent amount on the splines should be fine. I use a hide hammer so as not to damage the chrome. Never had one come loose in what must be over 200k miles using them...
Obviously I've not had peg-drive wheels, but that shouldn't make any difference to the spinner threads. However I have always understood that copper grease should not be used on aluminium - don't know if your spinners are aluminium alloy? Sounds like you might have had some galling of the threads - any picked-up metal on the tapers or threads? Are the wheels tightly located on the peg drives? A tiny bit of chatter could make the spinner tighten over time.
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Post by catsx11 »

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Paul Blore
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Re: spinner removal

Post by Paul Blore »

Put the spinner on with the wheel off the ground and give it a tap to nip it up, but then lower it to the ground before fully tightening them up.
That was the instruction from Kirkham when I bought mine and the specific reason was so as not to transfer the shock through the bearings. I think I can say with pretty high confidence that my wheel bearing are probably bigger than most, therefore more conventional sized bearings will take less shock to damage them.
I use copper grease where aluminium contacts steel.

Paul
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Roger King
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Re: spinner removal

Post by Roger King »

No, I always jack the car so the majority of the weight's off the suspension but the wheel is still on the ground, showing a little bit of tyre wall deflection. As you say, you don't want either the whole weight of the car on the wheel, or the wheel dangling in mid-air.
Opinion is always split on copper grease - I use it as an anti-seize compound, not a lubricant.
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Re: spinner removal

Post by the289admin »

Speaking to Gerry Hawkridge the other day, he told me that he's had a batch of spinners made up from aluminium bronze alloy, which he says is as per original. Told me they're stronger and less corrosion-resistant than other spinners out there, so if you're looking to replace your bent one Nige, it might be worth giving him a call.
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peterc
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Re: spinner removal

Post by peterc »

I'm with Paul and Roger's comments ref the tightening of the wheel when engaged with the ground. I believe it was tightening in the air that cost me a new outer bearing on my Jag hub. Not helped by the angle of attack within the depth of the 8.5 inch wheel.
I only use copper slip but then mine are St Stl spinners and of course the hub is some variety of carbon steel. Mating surface within the Ali wheel is also steel.

I expect Gerry can direct you to a correctly shaped spanner to fit onto the spinner.
Peter C
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