If you use a piece of wood any smaller, you may damage your wheel if your hammer slips.
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.
If you have trouble rotating the tire, you can also position the board vertically across the tire.
Usually, you’ll hear a cracking sound when the wheel comes loose.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You don’t need to rotate the wheel if you don’t want to, but it can break apart more rust.
If you aren’t able to pull the wheel loose, you may need to hit or pry it off instead.
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.
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.
