Why won't my tire come off when attempting to change it?

(2011-01-10 16:20:34)

1. FoxSocks Says: Let me preface this scenario with the fact that I know very, very little about automotive repair or cars in general.

I am trying to change a flat tire on a '99 Pontiac Grand Am SE Coupe. The tire has around a 3-inch gash in the side of the right front tire. As per regular tire changing, I popped off the hubcap, loosened the lugnuts in a star pattern, jacked the car up with a scissor jack, removed the lugnuts completely, and am not able to pull the tire off. I have tried multiple "tricks" to get it off, including using penetrating oil to sink in overnight and potentially loosen rust that is causing it to stick. I have tried beating the tire off of the car with both a rubber mallet and the spare tire itself. I have driven it back and forth over a short distant and made sure to play with the wheel while doing so. I have driven over a thick book back and forth in hopes of jarring the tire loose.

Nothing is freakin' working. I presume that the aluminum alloy and steel rusted together, as this is an occasional problem when replacing a tire.

Anyone have any helpful tips for this novice?

2. The Eagle Keeper Says: I think your right about the corrosion. This would not have occurred if the tires were rotated on a regular basis as outlined in the owners manual. Anyway, there are road services that can come to your place & help out for a fee of course. But in the end it's all about getting medieval & keep beating it.

3. geoffrey_0007 Says: Get a fan heater to blow hot air at the point of join, the heat will make one of the metals expand more than the other, and help free it, after ten minutes, use your rubber mallet also.

4. Eduardo S Says: I've had that problem, the rust "welds" to the alloy rims, so it's stuck on there.

What I usually do is kick the bottom of the wheel while pulling on the top of it.

works every time

5. JBF Says: Bigger hammer.

I use a 10 pound sledge to get stuck wheels off.

6. Paperinik Says: It just happened to me with a clk. Guess what, I got so frustrated that I removed the hand brake while the car was on the jack. And slowly the car collapsed with the jack falling off.
At that point, I raised the car again, then kicked the flat tire with my foot on different circumference spots and , off it came! Violence always works I said.

I had been kicking the tire before too at no avail. The fall to the ground did the trick (no bolts weren there, there was only an alignment pin that supported the tire).