pcb1114

I bought a knock-around fixed gear online to replace my recently stolen one. I'm currently building it but have run into a problem with the rear tire. The nuts on the rear hub are preventing the tire from fitting, and trying to remove them has proven impossible with my weak muscles. Aside from taking it to my local shop, any thoughts on how to fix the issue?

Thanks

ClydeClydeson

If you are sure you have a proper fitting wrench (probably 15mm but I'm not certain about track and fixie parts) then the trick is to add leverage - find a pipe that can fit over your wrench and use it to effectively lengthen the wrench. The other possibility is to position the wrench such that you can use your foot to push down and loosen the nut. But a length of pipe (called a 'cheater bar') is the best solution. You'd be amazed at how easily a tight nut can come loose with along enough wrench.

Also, if using a 'combination' wrench (one side open, one side closed 'box end') then use the box end whenever possible.

Iride01 

Do you have a mini vulcanizing machine that you can build your own tire on the wheel without removing the wheel from the frame? If not, then go to a bike shop where they'll be able to remove the wheel and properly install the tire.

Sorry to not have the answer you seem to want, but if you can't get the nuts off the axle to remove the wheel, then I foresee many other problems.

If you want to proceed though, we can help, but you have to remove the wheel. A start will be telling us what make and model bike you have.

alcjphil

I don't see how the nuts on the hub could prevent installation of a tire on a rim
Unless perhaps you are talking about installing the wheel into the bike frame

Barry2 

Welcome to Bike Forums.
I suspect your description of not being able to install a tire really means you can't install a wheel.
Tire installation is what you do after fixing a flat.

Are you're sure you are attempting to remove the Wheel retaining nuts and not the Adjustment cones for the hub?

If you are sure it IS the wheel retaining nuts.... These nuts are a regular right handed thread and loosen by turning anti-clockwise.
They may be tight and will need two wrenches one each side of the hub, But that would be unusual for a new wheel.

Barry

Bicycle Wheels Nuts look like this

JohnDThompson 

You have to remove the wheel from the bike before you can fit a new tire.

cxwrench

Tire=the rubber part w/ the tread
Tube=the rubber part inside the tire that holds air
Wheel=the rim/spokes/hub
Rim=the big round thing
Spokes=obvious
Hub=the thing in the middle the spokes attach to

Please use proper terminology, it helps to eliminate any confusion.

shelbyfv

I agree. If you can't remove the wheel you are in over your head and need to take it to a shop.

Geepig

Or simply find a friendly neighbor.

As to the wheel nut size, I have 13, 14 and 15 mm on my various bikes, all from the same manufacturer, so I automatically grab all three wrenches each time I have to remove a wheel

I assume that you are trying to turn the nut in the right direction, so with the bike standing securely upright and the wrench fitted parallel with the ground, put all your weight onto the wrench. If that fails then you can try carefully standing on the wrench - just make sure that the wrench is securely on the nut and stand on it without disturbing the wrench on the nut.

Iride01 

Maybe some others are on to something.... you did say you were building a bike. And maybe you are using bad terminology further confusing some. So is it the black nuts on the hub and axle of the wheel that won't come off and you can't fit it between the rear dropouts of the frame? You don't want to loosen those. If you have hub with cone bearings, those are the locknut and bearing cone. Loosen them and you have to know how to adjust your bearings.

If the hub of the wheel will not fit in the frame of the bike, then either the hub is the wrong O.L.D. (over locknut dimension) for the frame or the frame is bent.

If the nuts in question are a gray or silver color then someone ran them down too tight on the axle. Be careful trying to undo them, you might move those black nuts which again control the bearing adjustment.

You might have a hub with QR's, (quick release) and that will be another issue.

A pic might help, you can upload a pic to the Gallery here, and just let us know to look for it. Or put the URL of your pic in the plain text of your message and remove the https:// and put spaces before and after any . dot in the url.