HC Tire Carrier Cap Seized!

I'm trying to do maintenance on my bruteforce high clearance bumper and the aluminum cap that covers the bearings has seized up. Put anti seize grease prior to installing last time but I guess didnt help. I've tried pbblaster, ammonia, heat, hammer. I would hate to have to cut the drill out the cap. Any other suggestions?

 

Can you post up a picture or two?

 

Dry ice may do the trick

 

You can use a large pipe wrench or large channel locks and break it free. It'll gouge the aluminum a bit but you can clean up the gouges with a file or sanding pads.

 

Can you get a picture from a bit further back?

 

Heat the steel part not the aluminum. Heat cycle it a few times.

 

I've been using a massive pipe wrench and it pretty torn up.

 

Is it the silver cap, centered in this picture?

 

Define “massive”

 

Yes

 

Can clamp up to 3" dia. and is around 18" long

 

I use a medium-small flat blade screwdriver with a sharpened tip for caps like this. Go easy though, it is easy to do damage. Is there a lip on the outer circumference of the cap that bottoms out on the housing?

 

Get a good bite with the wrench and hit it with a 4lb hammer. If that doesnt work you should try like others are saying and heat the steel and cycle the heat a couple times to see if it'll help break it loose.

 

An 18” pipe wrench is tiny. They go up to 48”. I would try smacking a pry bar at an upwards angle with a big hammer right along the edge of the cap

Edit: I know it screws on but sometimes if you give something a good impact it’ll come loose naturally

 

Once it’s off put a grease nipple in

 

just to make sure here, because I thought I had a similar issue with my pelfrey swing out cap...
does the BruteForce cap have a screw on the side to secure the cap??