A wheel that will not come off the hub
Anyone who has changed a tire on a vehicle that has not had its wheels off in years knows the moment: every nut is off, and the wheel still will not move. It has effectively grown onto the hub.
What has happened is corrosion between the two surfaces. Where the wheel sits against the hub, and around the center bore, moisture and road grime get in and build up a layer of corrosion that locks the two together. It is especially common where an aluminum wheel sits on a steel hub, because the two metals react with each other in the presence of moisture.
A stuck wheel is more than an inconvenience at a roadside change. Freeing it often involves force that can damage the wheel, and the corrosion that caused it is also sitting on the mounting face. A mounting face that is not clean and flat may not clamp properly once the wheel is back on.
What refurbishing addresses
Cleaning the mounting faces and the center bore back to sound metal, checking them for damage, and refinishing so the wheel is protected. A wheel that comes off a fleet vehicle stuck is a good candidate to have refurbished before it goes back on, rather than refitted with the corrosion still on it.
The inspection comes first and decides whether the wheel can be refurbished at all.
A crack ends the wheel and it is replaced.
Making it easier next time
Wheels that come off regularly, at tire changes and rotations, rarely seize. A fleet that has its wheels removed and checked on schedule, through a fleet account, avoids most of the problem. Rebalance after refurbishing, with tire and wheel balancing at this store. The national wheel refurbishing page covers the process.
Other stores nearby
Washington and De Soto also refurbish wheels.
About this store
The Fenton store runs seventeen services and is managed by Daniel Garcia.
See the national wheel refurbishing page for all 42 locations.