Stuck Rear Wheel Conical Rings

[TimTyler]

Three of the four cone-shaped washers (#3) that fit between the wheel bolt and the rim have been stuck to my rim since I acquired the bike 25k ago.

I've tried penetrating oil and tapping them out without success. The tip end of the cone matches up exactly with the rim so there's no edge to grab to tap them out from the inside. I don't want to whack anything too hard.

Anybody got any ideas?

[Scott_]

Leave them be.

It's not hurting anything leaving them alone.

[Kyle10]

If you really want/need them out, then a penetrating oil will free them.

Kroil is good, but a 50/50 mixture of acetone and ATF works better.
Sounds bizarre but it is the best penetrating oil I've used, ever.

[Grim]

WD-40 is not penetrating oil. Its to keep your rocket from rusting on the launch pad. Seriously....thats what it was designed for. I personally like either Liquid Wrench or PB blaster. I haven't tried Kroil but I'll be keeping an eye out for it from the amount of people here that like it.

If its just burning you up to get those out (and unless I was swapping rims Id just leave it if it were mine) you might try ice the rim down for a bit and then heat the cone or rim up with a heat gun and see if it pops out. Then apply some ant-seize when you reassemble if you get them out.

[TimTyler]

Thanks for all the advice.

WD-40 is not penetrating oil.

Who said anything about WD-40?

[Grim]

Thanks for all the advice.

WD-40 is not penetrating oil.

Who said anything about WD-40?

A Lot of people think WD-40 is penetrating oil....you didn't say what you used. Just making sure you used something that actually worked as a penetrating oil. ;)

[Chaos]

ATF is a decent penetration oil, I keep an old can of it around just for that.

[Kyle10]

Non-food for thought:

Penetrating oil...................Average load
None...............................516 pounds
WD-40.............................238 pounds
PB Blaster.........................214 pounds
Liquid Wrench....................127 pounds
Kano Kroil..........................106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix (50/50).....53 pounds

[mac]

As long as we've hijacked the thread to talk about penetrating oil, I worked at a garage that was stocked with products by Wurth and fell in love with Rost Off.

They now have an even more powerful product called Rost Off Max Ice, combines penetrating oil with a freezing/shrinking effect. Worked great on some crusty fork brace bolts on an F650ST recently (after breaking the first one with no p-oil...doh!)

As for the conical washers...any reason you need them off? Some of mine come loose, some don't. I actually kinda prefer the ones that stay stuck--I'll never lose them!

[TimTyler]

As for the conical washers...any reason you need them off?

No.