How to decouple a docking port that does not show the option "undock"?

[Magzimum]

tl;dr

Is there any way to detach this wheel (and the  part, preferably without diving into the code of the craft? 

Longer story

I built some extension for my Minmus station. I want my stations to be stationary. Because... well, it's in the word, no? It's stationary. So it needs to stand on legs, not on wheels, so the wheels gotta be temporary and detach. A station on wheels is called a "rover" in my opinion, no matter how large it is. 

So, since the section I was gonna fly out has many docking ports, I figured that I would just attach the wheels to that. Then I would just decouple them when I arrive. I do this all the time with aerodynamic nosecones on top of upwards facing docking ports on my ships. I just detach the nosecone as soon as I am out of the atmosphere. So why not with the sideways docking ports? 

Well, I will tell you why not: as I get to Minmus, and I approach the station, it does not show the option of undock or detach or whatever. Why not, and how can I get them off? (Reloading did not change anything, and docking it with the station, and/or undocking it from other parts also did not change the lack of options I get on right-clicking the docking port. 

[Van Disaster]

The "why" is usually because a port is stuck half-undocked - the answer is a savegame edit ( if you can rename the broken ports, do that ) to set the state of one of the ports, but unfortunately now I start explaining I've forgotten what to do :S a search in here for "stuck docking ports" might pick some answers up, it's an old problem.

Unless it's a new problem I don't know anything about, of course!

[Tex_NL]

That wheel is not connected to the docking port. It is connected to the part but not to the node. Only objects connected to the docking node can be undocked/detached. All others are rigidly connected similar as how the port is connected to the rest of your craft.

Options:
Keep it as it is.
Revert and try again.
Crash something into it and destroy it.
Use KAS to remove the offending pieces.
 

Edited September 22, 2016 by Tex_NL

[Temeter]

KAS is for boring people!

Use whack a kerbal, it's in the Alt+f12 cheat menu. Set a projectile, and then throw it with the middle mouse button!

Just quicksave before.

Bonus points if you accidently destroy your entire station.

[Magzimum]

@Tex_NL, I know that the wheel itself is not attached to the docking port. The metal beam or whatever it is called is attached to the docking port. Nonetheless, there is a part connected to the docking port, and when I right-click on the docking port, it does not give the option to undock.

Will attempt to edit that save-game as @Van Disaster suggested... 

As for the option to just destroy it - yeah, that's the Kerbal way. But I have 4 such stupid wheels... and I already attached sepatrons to my wheels, which in my opinion was already quite violent. Oh well...

[Tex_NL]

15 hours ago, Magzimum said:

@Tex_NL, I know that the wheel itself is not attached to the docking port. The metal beam or whatever it is called is attached to the docking port. Nonetheless, there is a part connected to the docking port, and when I right-click on the docking port, it does not give the option to undock.

I used the term 'wheel' to describe the entire contraption you're trying to remove. The beams, the seperatron and the wheel itself.
Yes, of course the entire contraption is connected to the docking port. I already said that. But it is not connected to the docking node. Only parts connected to the docking node can be decoupled/undocked.
Next time try attaching something like an FL-A5 Adapter to the docking port and add the wheel contraption to that. The FL-A5 is cheap, light weight and saves you a whole lot of trouble.

[Magzimum]

3 minutes ago, Tex_NL said:

I used the term 'wheel' to describe the entire contraption you're trying to remove. The beams, the seperatron and the wheel itself.
Yes, of course the entire contraption is connected to the docking port. I already said that. But it is not connected to the docking node. Only parts connected to the docking node can be decoupled/undocked.
Next time try attaching something like an FL-A5 Adapter to the docking port and add the wheel contraption to that. The FL-A5 is cheap, light weight and saves you a whole lot of trouble.

Aha, that's the lesson I was hoping to learn. So to avoid this you have to connect to the node, rather than anywhere to the part. Sorry that I was a little thick - because you already gave the answer in your first post. Thanks for being patient and explaining a little more! 

[Tex_NL]

1 minute ago, Magzimum said:

Aha, that's the lesson I was hoping to learn. So to avoid this you have to connect to the node, rather than anywhere to the part. Sorry that I was a little thick - because you already gave the answer in your first post. Thanks for being patient and explaining a little more! 

No problem. Everything is new to everybody once. Now that you know you'll never make the same mistake again.
The only stupid question is the one you do not ask.

[Vectura]

Another common mistake with docking ports that people seem to make is attaching the port the wrong way around. Always double check (ideally before liftoff :P) that your docking ports are attached the right way around!