Encinitas Bruin

I've changed 20 tires in my life, but I'm stumped: My 98 TL had a flat this morning, so I hauled out the spare and proceeded to change the tire. Easy enough. Loosend the lugs, jacked the car, removed the five nuts--and nothing. Can't budge the tire, can't move it at all. Why won't it simply come off? What in the heck am I missing?

Slightly embarrassed,

Encinitas Bruin

Ron A

Welcome to the forums.

I bought a 96TL in 98 and the first time I went to rotate the tires, the front wheels wouldn't budge.

I took it to the dealer and he said just hit it with a mallet, and I told him I hit it with a mallet and also a 2X4, and kicked also the hell out of it, and they still didn't budge.

The shop guy came, took off the lugs, and after a lot of work and kicking the wheels finally came loose.

I guess it's just something that happens to this model, so give it another try but you might have to go to the dealer like I did. After that I never had a problem.

modelcarnut

Your wheel is frozen to your hub. If you're using a floor jack, you can try lowering the car on the wheel and the weight of the car might be enough to jar it loose.

Applying Anti Seize compound to your hub's surface will prevent this from happening in the future. Make sure you don't use the compound on your lug nuts.

GL, hope you get it resolved.

TLin401

Hit it at the bottom going in and if that doesn't work, then hit it from the back going out. repeat this until you get it off. It works for me.

simm

Sorry to hear about the flat tire.

Same thing happened to me with my 95 Ford Contour. I bought the car from my brother and within a year or two of owning it I had put in three times as much in repairs than I did for the original purchase price. And the tranny died in that same time period. Thankfully, that same brother was able to pick me up and get me to my work gig. lol

Anyways, the shop nearly ripped the axle off trying to remove the wheel. The tires hadn't been rotated in.....well, a LOOOOONG time.

bigwerm187

this usually happens when the bolts are titen a little bit too much. When i rotated my tires one of them wouldnt come of. sooooooooo i kicked it a couple times... lol

myisanog

or you can just start working out lol jk

Go90go

Put one lug loosely back on, then kick it. That way when it comes off, it doesn't fall on your toes. Or work out like My says, haha.

~Cheers~

desired_speeds

put the entire end of the car on jackstands and kick the crap out of the wheel