If you’ve got a flat tire that needs changing on your car, the last thing you want to find out is that you can’t get the tire off when you’re trying to replace it.
Luckily though, you’re not the first person to run into this problem, and there are a number of solutions you can try that don’t require any professional assistance. Take a look at our guide below to find out how to remove a stuck tire.
And read more: How To Install A Tire
Why Do Tires Get Stuck?
Tires can get stuck for a number of reasons, but the most common is rust.
On your car’s wheel, the metal hub rusts and ends up expanding and seizing around the edge of the tire, making it very difficult to separate the two apart.
Five Methods for Removing a Stuck Tire
If you’ve removed the lug nuts from your wheel but can’t get the tires off, here are some methods you can use to increase your chances of removing the tire.
1. Give it a Whack
It sounds silly, but sometimes a little extra pressure can be enough to dislodge your tire.
First, apply some penetrating oil to the back of the wheel. Next, grab a hammer and give the edges of the wheel a whack, alternating between the front and the back of the wheel until you notice the tire starting to loosen.
2. Keep One Lug Nut On
If a simple whack was not enough to get the job done, fear not: there are other methods you can employ. This one requires a jack, so you can raise your car wheels off the floor.
Reattach one of the lug nuts back onto the wheel. Then, try pulling at the tire from the opposite side of the wheel to the one where you’ve attached the lug nut. The idea is to concentrate the force around the part of the wheel where the tire is most loose, boosting your chances of being able to take it off.
3. Tighten the Lug Nuts Loosely
If you’ve reattached one of the lug nuts but haven’t got any results yet, the next method you’ll want to try is to loosely reattach the others.
Once you’ve done this, slowly lower the car back down such that the wheel is making contact with the floor again. The idea is that the car’s weight will push down on the loosest part of the tire and allow it to peel off the rest of the tire from the wheel.
4. Shake the Vehicle from Side to Side
Now that you’ve lowered the car back down to the ground, if that pesky tire still isn’t budging, you could also think about gently shaking your car from side to side. Increase your push incrementally if you don’t get any immediate results.
This method works by using the car’s weight to push against the wheels repeatedly to dislodge anything that’s causing the tires to stick to the wheels.
5. Use a Pry Bar
If you’ve tried all four methods above, but you still haven’t got anywhere, you could consider using a pry bar to free the tire from the wheel.
Grab a long pry bar and apply it to the back of the rim, wrenching it back and forth to try and prise apart the wheel from the tire.
Be careful with this method — you must make sure the pry bar isn’t touching delicate parts such as brake lines, as this could cause damage to them.
For most people, applying one of these five methods is an adequate means to remove a stuck tire. However, if all of these fail for you, it’s time to get a professional who’s better qualified to work out what the problem is.
Also feel free to check out – Use A Manual Tire Changer
How to Prevent your Tire Getting Stuck Again
If you successfully figure out how to remove a stuck tire on your vehicle, chances are you won’t want this situation to repeat itself any time soon, and you need to find out how to stop this from happening.
The best way to prevent your car’s tire from getting stuck a second time is to get some anti-seize compound and apply it to the back of the rim of your wheel. Use a kitchen towel to spread the compound around the rims for maximum effect.
This procedure should stop the hub from seizing to the tire if any future rusting occurs.
If you liked this guide, please, feel free to look through the others:
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