Knocking the Wheel Loose
Hold a wood block along the rim’s edge so it overlaps the tire. Jack up your vehicle and support it on jack stands. Choose a wood block that’s at least 4 by 4 inches (10 cm × 10 cm) and place it flat against the left side of the wheel. Make sure half of the block extends onto the rim and the other half goes over the rubber tire. If you use a piece of wood any smaller, you may damage your wheel if your hammer slips.
Hit the center of the block covering the tire with a hammer. Aim for a spot in the middle of the block so it’s less likely to slip. Forcefully pound the hammer 1–2 times against the block to try and loosen the wheel from the joint. Use a mallet if you have one since it will allow you to hit the tire with more force. Pounding on the sides of the wheel breaks apart the rust that formed between it and the hub so you can pull it off. Avoid hitting the metal part of the wheel with your hammer since you could damage or cause it to misalign.Variation: If you don’t have a mallet or hammer with you, you can also kick the side of your tire. You don’t need to use a wooden block, but make sure your vehicle is supported by jack stands and on flat, level ground.
Pound the right side of the wheel with the block and hammer. Move the block horizontally across the tire until you reach the right side of the rim. Press the block against the rim and tire, and hit the middle of the block with your hammer. Knock on the block 2–3 times to help break the rust.
Rotate the wheel by a quarter turn. Grab both sides of the wheel and turn it in either direction. Keep rotating the wheel until the spots you just hit are on the top and bottom. Position the board horizontal across the wheel again so you can loosen the other sides. If you have trouble rotating the tire, you can also position the board vertically across the tire.
Continue hitting the wheel until it breaks loose. Forcefully knock the block with your hammer 2–3 times against the wheel’s left side before hitting the right side. After you hit the wheel, try and wiggle it by hand to see if it pulls off of the hub easily. If not, rotate the wheel and keep tapping it. Usually, you’ll hear a cracking sound when the wheel comes loose.
Prying off the Wheel
Screw 1 lug nut halfway back onto your wheel by hand. Keep your vehicle jacked up and supported on jack stands. Choose one of the bolts closest to the top of the wheel since they’ll be easier to work with. Turn the lug nut onto the bolt by hand until it’s about halfway down. Avoid using a tire iron since you could overtighten the nut. If you tighten the lug nut all of the way down, then you could damage it or the bolt when you try prying the wheel.
Place the end of a pry bar against the ball joint holding the wheel. Look for the metal arm underneath your vehicle and find where it connects to the back of the wheel. Place the flat end of the bar into the small gap between the back of the tire and the front of the ball joint. Keep the bar horizontal and make sure there aren’t any hoses or wires between the bar and the wheel, or else they could get damaged. Longer pry bars will provide more leverage than shorter ones. You may have a pry bar in your vehicle with your jack and spare tire. Otherwise, you can buy them from hardware or automotive stores.Warning: Always use caution when reaching or working under your vehicle. Place jack stands under the frame and work on flat, level ground so your vehicle doesn’t slip.
Pull the pry bar toward the wheel repeatedly until you loosen the wheel. Press the end of the pry bar tightly against the ball joint as you bring the other end closer to the wheel. Keep pulling the bar tight until you feel pressure or have difficulty moving. Then sharply tug the bar multiple times until you break the rust and the wheel moves. Ensure the end of the pry bar doesn’t slip off of the joint while you’re working. Be careful not to pull the pry bar so hard that your vehicle slips or falls since it can cause serious injury.
Remove the lug nut and wheel from the vehicle. Unscrew the lug nut by hand and set it aside with the others. Grab both sides of the wheel and pull it straight off of the hub. If it’s still rusted slightly, wiggle the wheel back and forth until you’re able to break it off.
Spraying Lubricant
Apply rust penetrating spray to the holes for the bolts and center hub. Raise your car up with a jack and put jack stands underneath it for support. Point the nozzle of the penetrating spray where the bolts go through the wheel. Press down on the button and coat around the entire hole. Continue spraying each of the bolt holes before moving to the opening in the center hub. Coat the center hub with the spray to break through the rust. You can buy rust penetrating spray from your local hardware or automotive store. Rust penetrating spray soaks into small cracks or crevices and lubricates them so your wheel moves easier.Variation: If you don’t have rust penetrating spray, you can also try using a lubricant like WD-40 instead.
Wait 5 minutes for the spray to set in. Allow the spray to soak into the rust so it breaks apart and makes it easier to work with. Give the spray 5–15 minutes to work before you move on.
Turn the wheel a half turn and spray the connections again. Grab both sides of the wheel and rotate it either direction. Once you go halfway around the wheel, stop turning it so you can apply the rust penetrant to the bolt holes and hub again. Leave the wheel alone for at least another 5 minutes so the second coat of spray works. You don’t need to rotate the wheel if you don’t want to, but it can break apart more rust.
Rock or rotate the wheel until it comes off. Hold the left and right sides of the wheel so you can support it well. Pull one side of the wheel toward you before pulling the other. Turn the wheel by a quarter turn and try wiggling it out again. Continue rotating and pulling on the wheel until it comes loose. If you aren’t able to pull the wheel loose, you may need to hit or pry it off instead.
Preventing Stuck Wheels
Scrub the wheel hub and bolts with a metal-bristle brush to remove rust. Once you have the wheel off, look for the circular hub where it was attached to your vehicle. Rub the surface with a stiff metal-bristle brush so the rust breaks off of it. Continue scrubbing the rust until you don’t see any more dust fall off of it. Be sure to also scrub the bolts so you don’t have trouble removing the lug nuts later on. You can buy a metal-bristle brush from your local hardware store. You may also scrub the back of the wheel if it’s rusty.
Apply anti-seize grease on the back of the wheel. Turn the wheel upside-down so the side that connects to the vehicle faces up. Dip the brush into the grease to coat it completely. Spread the grease around the middle of the wheel near the bolt holes. Make sure you have a thin, even layer of the grease so it lubricates the joint completely. You can buy anti-seize grease from your local automotive shop. If you don’t have anti-seize fluid, then wet a shop cloth with motor oil and rub a thin layer onto the back of the wheel.Warning: Never apply anti-seize grease to the wheel studs since it can loosen the lug nuts and make the wheel fall off.
Attach the wheel back onto your vehicle. Slide the wheel back onto the bolts and make sure it presses tightly against the hub. Turn the lug nuts clockwise onto the bolts until they’re hand-tight. Then you use your tire iron to tighten the lug nuts until you can’t easily turn them anymore.
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