Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing I can't get the wheels off!

I tried to get the front wheels off (for the first time) yesterday. The are spoked wheels with the hex center nut (without the ears). I have the spanner tool but try as I might with a mallet, the nut will not budge.

Any thoughts?

G

Have you checked which direction they undo?
RHS (off side in UK) undo clockwise. LHS (near side) undo counter clockwise.

Also, how old is the car? The centre nuts tighten as you drive. When worn, they can tighten to the point where they are tough to remove. Fixed this on our old (1985) car by fitting new hex centre nuts.

Sorry to ask, but I must check the obvious - you are hitting them in the correct direction, aren't you? The wheel nuts on the right hand side of the car are left hand threads, the ones on the left are right hand threads.

Personally I never hit mine with a mallet as you can easily bruise the brass spinner. I carry a homemade extended handle for the spanner. You may also need somebody sat in the car with their foot on the brake pedal to stop the wheel turning if it is really tight.

Get a 2' x 1/2" round bar welded onto the spanner and you won't need to worry about distorting anything and the added leverage makes it an easy job.

A no9 rawhide hammer it fits under the seat .

If they are that tight check the direction of turn and then turn the steering on lock so your direction of turn is furthest out (think protecting your leg and bodywork, put on the spanner so its as close to parallel to the ground as you can get it and put your foot on the spanner, push, don't jump, on the spanner with a steady and increasing force and you might find it turns. I have had some so tight it takes someone in the car applying the brake to stop the wheel turning. Re the comment about welding an extension to the spanner if you don't have access to welding gear you can, assuming you have some spare metal, also extend it by drilling a couple of holes and bolting on an extension, as the actress said to the bishop its amazing what a few extra inches can do!

Should have added that I have done the bolt on extension to mine for roadside use (I have the Mulfab spanner at home on the garage wall), also if you put the MMC spanner in a vice and give it a couple of degrees 'tweak' it moves the end for your foot away from the tyre and makes it much simpler to use, I only put the nuts and bolts in finger tight so it can go back in the toolbox together in a few seconds.

Or buy a spanner from Peter and Simon at MulFab?

http://www.mulfab.co.uk/our-products/6/tools

Carefully heat up the hub nuts with a heat gun which might help them ease off.

Homemade spanner extender (stand on). Disassembles and stows under the seat. The mallet stay at home!