Hi there. I have changed a tire or 2. I figured not too bad for a woman!!! Got my first flat tire last night and this morning was changing the tire on my 1996 Acura 3.2TL (premium). I did everything down to the tee and got to the part to take off the flat and it won't come off the car. The car is in park, hand brake set and on a smooth flat surface. My husband was impressed that I got that far. Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong? Or should I get a tire sealant just so that I can make it to the repair shop?

 

Sometimes rust can make the wheel stick. If you have removed the lug nuts and the wheel doesnt seem to want to fall off, give it a good whack with a rubber mallot or a 2x4 and it should come right off.

 

Hey.

You should be able to get off by using what foot said or maybe you could just wiggle it off. Metal objects like to "freeze up" or get stuck together because of time and the elements. Most of the time actually. If you take other things apart even small screws you may find that they are stuck together and just need to be smacked around a little. Happy DIY-ing and welcome to HAN.

 

just jack it up and start kicking the tire it'll fall off sooner or later.just don't hurt your foot.

 

yup, just kick the tire and try not to bang your foot on the car or metal part of the wheel (it doesnt feel too good...)

 

Great ideas! Thanks so much! After I posted the thread, I started to think about a rubber mallot and just bang away until it pops off. Here's what I remembered too--when I was trying to pop off the tire yesterday, I noticed that it would not spin. The tire would only spin to about 10 to 15 degrees and sounded like it was hitting something metal. It's like when the steering wheel locks...same kind of thing. I thought that was strange that the tire would not spin around. That's when I knew something was not right. I have a 15 month old so it makes it difficult to get out there to mess with my car.

 

I almost always have to use a great deal of force to get the tire off for maintenance, fix a flat, etc. Is there a lubricant that helps prevent it from sticking so fiercely? I have a 95 Accord and had a flat along the road, I had to search for something to whack the tire with.

Rich

 

put anti seize on the wheel where it meets to thehub. the reason is because ur wheels are probably aluminum and the hub is steel so they bind together over constant heat cycles and weather.

 

oxygen/hard water/acid rain or anything like that between two disimilar metals causes a battery effect. Whack the wheel.

 

It sounds like the car is in park if its an automatic or in gear if its a manual.

Like everyone says, just give the tire a good kick and it will break free.