Flat tyre. Took all nuts off wheel but it wont come off. Any ideas?

peteburnshndbag · 21-11-2007 6:16pm #1

HI, hope someone can help me here, dont really know much about cars.

Basically i got a flat tyre today. So i jacked up the car, and got the four nuts off the wheel, but then when we were trying to pull the wheel off (which we thought would be the easiest part), it wouldnt budge. And all the nuts were taken off. Its like it was sealed on.

Does anyone know what the problem is? The car is sitting in a car-park now and i really dont want to leave it there overnight..
Do some wheels need a machine to get them off??

The car is a 96 Ford Mondeo, and its the back tyre.

Really appreciate some help.. Thanks

Raytown Rocks · 21-11-2007 6:18pm

Hit the back of the wheel with a hammer.
Have seen this happen many times in the local garage.
Just needs a little persuasion.

Copper · 21-11-2007 6:19pm

Same thing happened to me with an A3. Needed a sledgehammer to knock the wheels off. You can buy a can of tyreweld for a tenner, its a foam which you spray into the tyre. You will be able to drive to a garage on it, but you will have to buy a new tyre.

mike65 · 21-11-2007 6:19pm

Sounds like it has'nt been moved for so long its slightly rusted to the hub. Hit it with a hammer around the perimeter of the centre then the outer edge.

Mike.

fletch · 21-11-2007 6:20pm

Yep, just keep hitting it until it comes off!

Happened me on a fair few occasions

Anan1 · 21-11-2007 6:23pm

OP - Tighten all the nuts until they're finger-tight. Drive the car slowly (walking pace or below) and pull up the handbrake sharply. If this doesn't work, do the same in reverse. That should do the trick.

mobby · 21-11-2007 6:25pm

Same happened a mate of mine same type of car strangely enough. We had to go to a tyre centre and even then it took the guy almost 20mins using a Sledge hammer to get the wheel off. Try grapping both sides of the wheel and rocking it as hard as you can. If you can spray some WD40 on the Hub it also may help . good luck

Owen · 21-11-2007 6:27pm

Copper wrote: »

You can buy a can of tyreweld for a tenner, its a foam which you spray into the tyre. You will be able to drive to a garage on it, but you will have to buy a new tyre.

This is an urban myth. If you use tyre weld, there's no damage to the wheel, it's the laziness of tyre fitting monkees that perpetrates this story. I've had plenty of tyre-welded wheels repaired by shops, and they ran for thousands of miles after, including high performance bike tyres. The reason shops tell you it can't be repaired, is that it takes time to clean the inside of the tyre to remove gunk.

peteburnshndbag · 21-11-2007 6:27pm

Jeez that was quick!

Yeah we tried hitting it with a hammer, but it didnt do much.. although we didnt try for that long..

Should i try the hammer thing again around the edge of centre and then the outer edge?? Will it come off if i persevere, or are some tyres impossible to get off??

If there's no joy, would any of the tyre places drive up in the morning to replace it with a new tyre, or do i have to get the car to them?? Cause i'm only 5 minutes from that FastFit tyre place at the square..

Thanks for the help guys

danjo · 21-11-2007 6:28pm

I have seen this happen with alloys. Lower the jack down so the wheel is just off the ground and hit the tyre all round with a mallet. This will loosen it up without doing any damage. Best of luck.

MarkR · 21-11-2007 6:28pm

Lower the car very slowly with the nuts off. Raise it again. The pressure of the weight of the car should break the seal. If it doesn't you can try the hitting the back of the wheel with a hammer thing. If you're concerned about alloys or something try putting a board between the wheel and hammer.

Turn away from the car and kick at it (like a horse or mule or something!), top, bottom, left and right is another way.

Maybe some wd40 sprayed along the gap and leave a while.

Spud83 · 21-11-2007 6:29pm

Get a man to do it

Or if you are a "man", Get a real man to do it

unkel · 21-11-2007 6:36pm

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

Get a man to do it

Or if you are a "man", Get a real man to do it

Thanks for that remarkable insight :rolleyes:

pa990 · 21-11-2007 7:11pm

this usually happens with allow wheels

one you have the wheel off, put a tiny amount of 'Copper Gease' on the hub and on he wheel bolts.
it'll prevent it from happening again

Tipsy Mac · 21-11-2007 7:56pm

peteburnshndbag wrote: »

Jeez that was quick!

Yeah we tried hitting it with a hammer, but it didnt do much.. although we didnt try for that long..

Hit it like it's stolen

Try getting a plank of wood a line it up with two sides of the inside tyre and hit it hard, real hard. Might also be worth tapping it from the outside of tyre, this might free it up.

blackbox · 21-11-2007 10:02pm

OK to put copper grease on the hub, but DON'T put it on the nuts. Manufacturers normally recommend against this as you are reying on friction to keep the nuts from opening.

sundodger5 · 21-11-2007 10:24pm

ned78 wrote: »

This is an urban myth. If you use tyre weld, there's no damage to the wheel, it's the laziness of tyre fitting monkees that perpetrates this story. I've had plenty of tyre-welded wheels repaired by shops, and they ran for thousands of miles after, including high performance bike tyres. The reason shops tell you it can't be repaired, is that it takes time to clean the inside of the tyre to remove gunk.

you may think that is why they decline a repair. but the correct reason is that it is very hard to check a tyre for secondary damage after tyre weld has been added. it masks runflat damage.
i would always think safety first.

colm_mcm · 21-11-2007 11:04pm

ned78 wrote: »

This is an urban myth. If you use tyre weld, there's no damage to the wheel, it's the laziness of tyre fitting monkees that perpetrates this story. I've had plenty of tyre-welded wheels repaired by shops, and they ran for thousands of miles after, including high performance bike tyres. The reason shops tell you it can't be repaired, is that it takes time to clean the inside of the tyre to remove gunk.

does the gunk damage the tyre if left in for a long period (e.g 6 weeks) kinda forgot to get mine repaired....

Esel · 21-11-2007 11:15pm

Copper wrote: »

Same thing happened to me with an A3. Needed a sledgehammer to knock the wheels off. You can buy a can of tyreweld for a tenner, its a foam which you spray into the tyre. You will be able to drive to a garage on it, but you will have to buy a new tyre.

Because of Tyreweld (or any similar product)? Totally crap statement.

Old mechanic's advice: "Get a bigger hammer."

pburns · 22-11-2007 12:03am

That always happened to an old car I had. Ended up keeping a sledge-hammer in the boot like a feckin mass-murderer - give it a good little tap, the long handle will give leverage/torque, should pop out.

Owen · 22-11-2007 12:05am

colm_mcm wrote: »

does the gunk damage the tyre if left in for a long period (e.g 6 weeks) kinda forgot to get mine repaired....

I don't think so. I had it in a bike for about 3 months, and then got it repaired.

JJJJNR · 22-11-2007 12:52am

Put a block of wood against the wheel and hammer it off, it'll come off in no time.

yayamark · 22-11-2007 1:17am

happened me about a month a go took ages .

Simply put,bate her like he f****d you sister!:p

JoeySully · 22-11-2007 10:43am

Happened me too - emabarrassingly i rang my dad and said i cant get the wheel off my car - he told me sit on the ground and with your leg hit the tyre and bang it came off. more effictictive that a hammer i think and no damage to wheels

endplate · 22-11-2007 10:51am

Happened to me before I put the nuts back on but left them 1 cm loose. (Do not attempt to drop the car with the nuts out as suggested by a previous poster. Cos if the wheel comes loose you can damage your brake disk or the car body)

Finally back on topic drop the car off the jack and get somebody to shake the crap out of the car while you pull on the wheel.

Also careful using a hammer it's a good way to damage the wheel rim if you miss the tyre. Best use a wooden mallet. Funally put a coating of grease inside the wheel rim to prevent it rusting up again

MercMad · 22-11-2007 11:18am

Anan1's suggestion is the best followed by Joe Sully's !

I've seen this hundreds if times, the mallet/hammer/wood will only damge the alloy !

It needs a sharp shock and I find that if you sit on the ground can kick your legs at it like a baby that will shift it without damage !

BnA · 22-11-2007 1:20pm

Very simple

Pop the boot

Take out your hurley. (Not your good one, use an old one in case you damage it)

Bate the tyre (not the wheel) like it's the only thing between you and burstin' the net in the last minute of the county final to win it for the first time in your parish in 100 years and so guaranteeing you free pints for the rest of your life as you re live the moment with a barstool and a scrunched up beer mat every Saturday night \ Sunday Moorning at about 6 am.

peteburnshndbag · 22-11-2007 4:56pm

JoeySully wrote: »

Happened me too - emabarrassingly i rang my dad and said i cant get the wheel off my car - he told me sit on the ground and with your leg hit the tyre and bang it came off. more effictictive that a hammer i think and no damage to wheels

This is exactly what i had to do for this morning. Rang my Dad. He came up and tried most of the stuff said here, like hammering timber up against it, kicking it, hammering it again. It was like it was sealed on. He gave up after an hour, and he rang his mate who's a mechanic, and he said that you just have to keep hitting it to get it off.

Does anyone know if I got my car down to FASTFIT, would they be able to get it off if i was going to buy a new tyre from them?? Would i make it down, about a mile, on a flat??

And what's this tyreweld stuff? Some guy above said he's been driving his car for 6 weeks with this in his flat tyre!! Does anyone know where i can get this? And is it easy to apply?? I think that would solve my problem if i could get some of that..

Thanks everyone
You really dont know how much you depend on your car till something like this happens, i feel like i've lost a part of me.. Its so DEPRESSING!! And on top of all this, I'm dying with the flu aswell...

Anan1 · 22-11-2007 5:13pm

peteburnshndbag wrote: »

This is exactly what i had to do for this morning. Rang my Dad. He came up and tried most of the stuff said here, like hammering timber up against it, kicking it, hammering it again. It was like it was sealed on. He gave up after an hour, and he rang his mate who's a mechanic, and he said that you just have to keep hitting it to get it off.

Does anyone know if I got my car down to FASTFIT, would they be able to get it off if i was going to buy a new tyre from them?? Would i make it down, about a mile, on a flat??

And what's this tyreweld stuff? Some guy above said he's been driving his car for 6 weeks with this in his flat tyre!! Does anyone know where i can get this? And is it easy to apply?? I think that would solve my problem if i could get some of that..

Thanks everyone
You really dont know how much you depend on your car till something like this happens, i feel like i've lost a part of me.. Its so DEPRESSING!! And on top of all this, I'm dying with the flu aswell...

Have you tried my suggestion yet?:)

10-10-20 · 22-11-2007 5:40pm

I had this and I can tell you, no amount of 4lb hammer-action could shift the tyre!
It was a front tyre, so I even tried lowering the jack to the point where the tyre gripped the surface and then turned the steering-wheel - NO MOVE!
I had to actually lower the car with the BOLTS REMOVED (Not recommended) but still lightly resting on the jack and then steer then saw on the steering-wheel sharply!

It came off at that point and the jack prevented damage to the underside, but that was unbelieveable!

McSandwich · 22-11-2007 7:00pm

MarkR wrote: »

Turn away from the car and kick at it (like a horse or mule or something!), top, bottom, left and right is another way.

The donkey kick works for me every time

TychoCaine · 22-11-2007 9:40pm

BnA wrote: »

Very simple

Pop the boot

Take out your hurley. (Not your good one, use an old one in case you damage it)

Bate the tyre (not the wheel) like it's the only thing between you and burstin' the net in the last minute of the county final to win it for the first time in your parish in 100 years and so guaranteeing you free pints for the rest of your life as you re live the moment with a barstool and a scrunched up beer mat every Saturday night \ Sunday Moorning at about 6 am.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

CJhaughey · 23-11-2007 2:07am

Best way is to refit the bolts and then back them all off by three or four turns, drive slowly along and make a hard turn in a direction away from the puncture side, the weight of the car should pop the wheel away from the hub and allow you you to stop and jack the car and remove the wheel.
Works every time, just make sure that the wheel nuts aren't backed off too much.
Think about it a car weighs much more than any sledge hammer

peteburnshndbag · 23-11-2007 5:26pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

Best way is to refit the bolts and then back them all off by three or four turns, drive slowly along and make a hard turn in a direction away from the puncture side, the weight of the car should pop the wheel away from the hub and allow you you to stop and jack the car and remove the wheel.
Works every time, just make sure that the wheel nuts aren't backed off too much.
Think about it a car weighs much more than any sledge hammer

I rang Fastfit this morning, and this is exactly what he told me to do aswell.

I didnt really know what i was doing so i asked him could he get it off if i got the car to him.

I bought a can of that tyre-weld stuff, and i was trying to use it this morning, but it says you have to completely DEFLATE the tyre before applying it.
I know this sounds so thick, but i hadnt a clue how to de-flate a tyre. So i had to drive the car down to FastFit with a flat. Luckily I made it down.

The tyre just popped off so easy when they unbolted it. I was thinking it was probably cause of all the stuff we had tried on it the last 2days, and the washing up liquid my dad put on the wheel.

They only charged me 15Euro aswell. I thought i was gonna have to buy a new tyre, but they just fixed the flat for me and put it back on. Chuffed with that. Was expecting to hand out at least 80Euro..

Just wanted to say Thanks for all the suggestions.. really helped me out..

unkel · 23-11-2007 5:54pm

peteburnshndbag wrote: »

this is exactly what he told me to do aswell

It's pretty much the same as what anan1 suggested to you about 24 hours ago. Did you try it? If not, it might have worked, saving yourself some money / hassle

Flat tyre. Took all nuts off wheel but it wont come off. Any ideas?

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