Changing tire

You have dissimilar metal pressed against each other for long periods of time and they corrode together. You will need get a mallet or long breaker bar to "break" the wheel from the contact surface.

 

Where are you, in a garage with a slab, or roadside? If you're on a slab, have access to tools:

1. Jack it up till the tire is just clear of the slab, say 1/4".
2. Reinstall one lug nut, at 12 o'clock, very loose.
3. Put some sort of timber cribbing (say a piece of 4x4, or a pair of 2x4's) on the slab and against the inside face of sidewall. In a pinch you could forgo this, but I kinda think it protects the sidewall.
4. Reach in with a good sized sledge hammer, layed flat on the slab, and back a bit, then swing it through an arc and give it a good wack.
5. If nothing happens, try a second time, a little harder, it will work

If you're out on the road:

1. Install all lug nuts, semi-loose, at least a couple of turns loose.
2. Lower the car down, hopefully the weight alone will crack it loose.
3. If nothing happens give that corner a down-bounce or two, put your weight into it.
4. If nothing happens drive it very gently forward/back a foot or two. Hopefully that'll do it.

Alternately, and maybe simpler, when on the road:

1. Put the lug wrench or what have you, in between the openings in the wheel, lever against the shoulder of the brake caliper.

Prophylactically, for future:

Brush the hub face, in particular right at the center where it meets the wheel opening, and apply a sparing coat of anti-seize compound. It won't totally prevent it, but will help some.

 

Loosen nuts, not too loose. Drive a few yards, slam on brakes, repeat a couple of times. That should break the corroded parts apart.

Wire brush and then apply anti-seize on the faces of the wheel.

Watch this video from the 2:40 minute mark and it addresses this method. Watch the whole video and it addresses all the methods.

 

I put the anti freeze gunk (silver) around just the center hole of the rim, just enough to cover it, especially on the truck with 20" wheels, they slide off vs using a sledge.

 

Those bigger wheels are hard on your back. I've started working smart with our daughter's Pilot: try to get it so the tires are at most 1/4" clear of the slab. Then when putting the wheels back on, just kinda crab-walk them up, almost in position, then put a pry bar under the edge of the tread, lever it up slightly, and push the whole thing onto the studs. Works a charm. As long as you have a lug nut within reach, lol.

 

I've been having decent success lately just grabbing some plastic-dipped-handle pliers and sticking one handle between the wheel spokes and against the caliper bracket and prying outward. The dipped handle doesn't mar the wheel, and the wheel pops off without a lot of trouble, and the whole process is just less drama than other ways I used to do it.

-Chap

 

On the wheel itself you can see the hub mating imprint apply synthetic grease on that wheel imprint and it will never stick again.

On the front wheel when the wheel is off push out the center cap. Put the wheel back on fill that center cap hole with grease and put the cap back on.
You will thank me if you ever need to take that castle nut off, because if you don’t keep it lubed it will rust really bad and make it very hard to remove.

 

Here at Finland we have to change tires two times at year: at fall winter tires and at spring summer tires.
Even those ~6 months will make that i have to kick tire to get it loose.
I can just wonder how tight you guys tires are if they are on lets say couple years if rotation is not done :S

 

Just use the "grease" on the small hole of the rim or where it contacts the hub, the wheel will always come off with no pressure, as is being repeted andover and over.

 

Yeah, well last many many years i actually had used the grease and last three years i have used "tire hotel"-Service, so i dont have to change them and store them, so no kicking so much any more. Just writed so, that i know how they get stuck with so short of time.

 

I think too, as alloy rims age, they get an aluminum corrosion crust or skin, seem less prone to sticking. I do put a thin smear of of anti-seize too, especially at the hub. Put it on and wipe it off, leaves a residue.

They should do that when installing bearings, at the factory.

 

Kick it


iPhone ?

 

That’s what I had to do this morning. Loosened the nuts 1/2 turn and put the car in reverse then jammed on the parking brake. Finally got it loose.

 

Living in Minnesota, our wheels can get pretty tight. I spray WD40 lubricant on the inside of the wheel on my snow tires and my regular tires and I have not had an issue for years.