I have never taken the wheel off myself. I'm only a rider and have never tried to remove and replace major parts on the bike . I had to dissemble the brake pads after riding in rain, because the rim, brake pads, the washers and nuts all got muddy. I think brakes are very important for safety so I'd like to keep them in optimal working condition. It did take me a looong time to replace the pads in just the right positions.