Three piece alloy wheels are a popular upgrade for enthusiasts that are looking for a strong, light and stylish set of rims for their car. Three-piece wheels consist of an outer lip, which is the rim of the wheel; the center, which is the face of the wheel; and the barrel, which is the inner portion of wheel. These three pieces are held together with a series of bolts that run around the rim of the wheel and are visible. Three-piece wheels can be disassembled if they need to be restored, repaired or worked on.
Place the wheel on a work bench or somewhere that you can easily move it around to access both sides.
Remove all of the bolts and nuts that hold the wheel together. Place the appropriately sized socket over the nut on the inside of the wheel and hold the bolt on the other side with the appropriately sized wrench. You may need to use a socket here as well if the bolts are star shaped. Place the nuts in a plastic baggy.
Loosen the bolts by rotating them in the holes. There is usually sealant in the bolt holes that can make it difficult to remove the bolts. Turning them with a wrench while they are in the holes will help you remove them. Remove the bolts and place them in a baggy.
Make a mark with a marker where the rim, wheel face and inner barrel meet up so that when they are reassembled later they will be put back in the same orientation.
Attempt to separate the three parts of the wheel by scraping any visible sealant off where the outer rim and the inner barrel meet. Use a putty knife to scrape the sealant off. Tap the rim away from the barrel with the rubber mallet to separate the rim from the center. If that does not work, proceed to the next step.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the center cap on the wheel. Put the wheel in the oven for five minutes. Do not put the wheel in the oven if the tire is still mounted. Have the tires removed from the wheels before attempting this procedure.
Remove the wheel from the oven while wearing oven mitts to protect your hands. Tap the outer lip away from the inner barrel with the rubber mallet to separate the rim from the center.
Place the inner barrel and the center of the wheel on a flat surface and tap the center free using the rubber mallet. You may be able to use a piece of wood to help tap the center out as well. Tap on the edge near where the wheel center mounts to the inner barrel to avoid damaging the wheel.
