Trouble with knock off spinners

[Rick Parker]

Judicious application of heat on the knock off with a portable propane torch, dont overdo it.

[Widows Son]

I have one of these:

Sarto Rocheleau - Shelby AC CobraHalibrand type Spinners      If your Halibrand spinner looks like this one, the tool will fit.This tool applies equal force to all 3 ears of the spinner without distorting the spinner.     The tool drops on

[PLDRIVE]

Igotta

What is the weight of your lead hammer?

[cdog]

You don't need the tool in my experience.

Try this:

1) jack up the car
2) hit a spinner ear with a lead hammer in the 'loosen' direction with a mild amount of force
3) turn the wheel
4) hit the next spinner ear
5) repeat 3 & 4

It may look like you aren't getting anywhere, but in a minute or two it will loosen. Spin-tink-spin-tink-spin-tink. Just keep at it, and boom it's off.

You don't need to hit them hard, pretty much the weight of the hammer is what does it. I don't think this is possible to do WITHOUT a lead hammer; make sure you have one.

[JWilly]

What CDOG suggests worked well for me.

[WardL]

I used a 2 ft long 2x4 as an extension to allow better swing path with the lead hammer. The 2x4s split pretty quickly but I was able to get the spinners off. The right rear wheel should be the worst and the front wheels the easiest. Sure was a good feeling when the spinner finally came free. CDOG's approach sounds better.

[mike harter]

cdog's way is the way I do it and it works every time

[CobraDan]

Widows Son has the exact tool I was looking for & even it is expensive at $260 but ask him how the tool works especially if he has first tried with a lead hammer. I have seen the ears broken off the spinners with the lead hammer blows and when all the ears are broken off you have to hack saw what’s left off, that’s really fun.

[strictlypersonl]

This design is modified from a wing-nut tool that I've seen. (Origin unknown) It's made from 1/2" nylon plate (with some optional aluminum retainers). I've made it pretty universal, so that you can bolt a big bar to it or have a central nut for use with an impact wrench.

I priced it (nylon plate only) out at emachineshop: $70@5 pieces, $45@20 pieces. If someone wants to take on the project (maybe with their own laser/waterjet), I will supply the file for free. If I have to get involved, the price will get a lot higher.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

This design is modified from a wing-nut tool that I've seen. (Origin unknown) It's made from 1/2" nylon plate (with some optional aluminum retainers). I've made it pretty universal, so that you can bolt a big bar to it or have a central nut for use with an impact wrench.

I priced it (nylon plate only) out at emachineshop: $70@5 pieces, $45@20 pieces. If someone wants to take on the project (maybe with their own laser/waterjet), I will supply the file for free. If I have to get involved, the price will get a lot higher.

Bob - how would the aluminum retainers work? It looks like they would have to be attached after the tool was fitted over the spinner.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by CobraDan

Widows Son has the exact tool I was looking for & even it is expensive at $260 but ask him how the tool works especially if he has first tried with a lead hammer. I have seen the ears broken off the spinners with the lead hammer blows and when all the ears are broken off you have to hack saw what’s left off, that’s really fun.

There is a badly beaten one sitting on my desk right now that makes a great paperweight and reminder. Antiseize!!!

[Widows Son]

Originally Posted by Bernica

There is a badly beaten one sitting on my desk right now that makes a great paperweight and reminder. Antiseize!!!

Well, I have had my wheels off and on more times than I would have liked in the poast 3 weeks (new shocks and Wildwood brake kits all the way around -will post full write-ups later). In regards to my knockoff tool I posted about earlier on this thread: worthless! Well, that's probably too harsh a description. The reality is I used my trusty 6lb lead hammer with no issues. I have gotten so used to taking the rims off and on, that its become fairly simple process. I will say the rear right wheel is always the toughest as someone noted earlier. I will keep the tool for a just-in-case scenario...God willing, I hope that day never comes. The other good news is I have become an expert on the wire protecting and wire spinners - easy, and fast and looks like a piece of art. So its true that practice makes perfect.

[cdog]

Originally Posted by CobraDan

I have seen the ears broken off the spinners with the lead hammer blows and when all the ears are broken off you have to hack saw what’s left off, that’s really fun.

The ears break off when people repeatedly bang on ONE ear. If you use the cdog tap-spin-tap-spin method, that shouldn't happen.

And all weight should be off the wheel. If you have resistance on the wheel, you risk breaking an ear. Having the wheel turn a bit while being hit keeps the stress off the ears but still loosens the spinner.

[Voyager]

Not to muddy the water….

I remove the wheels fairly often on my Cobra. I have pretty much “mangled/consumed” my lead hammer over the past 2 years. My concern is what danger does the lead "shrapnel" pose to me, my kids, pets, etc?

I wouldn’t mind a socket-type knockoff tool that incorporates your jack stand handle as a breaker bar.

Bob

[Barnsnake]

It's not Plutonium. When you sweep the floor just don't eat or snort the sweepings.

Seriously. if leaded fuel, lead paint, lead shot, lead sinkers, and lead toys didn't kill us all in the 60's, swinging a lead hammer twice a year shouldn't do it.

[Ralphy]

I've always found when you encounter a stubborn thread. The more you hit it from one side, the harder it is to get it to turn. Try going around the KO's three points starting with lighter hits. Keep going around.

Ralphy

[Ralphy]

I don't think that's lead nor a boy. lol

Ralphy

[Mr Jody]

Something that could be used to provide a combined effect of an impact wrench and lead hammer is to use an air chisel on the spinner ears. Obviously, you will want to use something to protect the surface of the ears (ie., aluminum, or anything softer than the spinner). I saw a video of someone using one on a rather large (1-7/16”) radiator fan clutch nut (link below). He simply put the chisel head on the edge of one of the flats to sort of push/rotate it around and then pulled the trigger while pressing down to push on that edge. About three half second bursts and it loosened right up. Granted it wasn’t tightened to the same torque as a spinner, but with a spinner you do have the well defined surface of the spinner ear to put the chisel against and provide direct blows.

Although in the video he uses a standard chisel head attachment, it looks like the head in the shape of an inverted “V” would be the preferred attachment here, as the insides of the “V” are not sharp, so it will be providing more of a hammer effect than cutting effect on whatever you are using to protect the ear, and it can straddle the ear to keep it in place. Chisel and attachments < $20 at Harbor Freight.

As a disclaimer, I haven’t done this nor have I seen it done, but the concept of using sudden blows on the ears is essentially the same as with the lead hammer, just a much much faster repetition of blows. Just use the same method as has already been pointed out in other posts on the subject….just a few seconds of taps on each ear, and work your way around, several times if necessary. As with an impact wrench, the vibratory action alone will have a tremendous effect on breaking the molecular bond that gets established between the threads over time.

Use of air chisel is at around 2:20
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