Wheel Stuck On Vehicle??

Okay, here's one I've never seen before: 2023 4Runner SR5, 35k miles, like-new condition. Found that I have a screw in the tread of my tire, went to take it off yesterday. Jacked it up after loosening the lug nuts. Wheel is stuck on the hub. Yanked, pulled, swore, tugged, beat it with a nylon dead-blow hammer, more copious swearing... this sumbitch will not come off. No idea what to do next, never saw this in my life. Any ideas as to a) what has happened here, and b) how to break this thing loose? All serious advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

Spray some PB Blaster between the hub and wheel and let it sit for a few minutes. I always put a thin coating of anti-sieze on the back of the wheel where it meets the hub to prevent this from happenning.

 

Put the lug nuts back on but don't tighten them. Leave them a couple of turns loose. Lower the truck to the ground allowing the tire/wheel to react full weight. Roll forward/backward as necessary. Pull/push tire laterally back and forth getting the truck weight involved. Should do it.

 

I had this happen on a new Tacoma (many years back). Truck was only few months old and had a blowout. Took 2 people taking turns kicking the tire to finally break it free. Wasn't much fun doing that on the side of the interstate. It was the aluminum rim against the iron brake drum which had just a little corrosion between them. Happened on my FJ Cruiser also the first time I rotated the tires. Since then I have always added anti-seize to the rims. Just did that on the 4Runner when I rotated the tires few weeks ago.

 

You get in the car with the lugs loose and then you go foward and hit the brake hard. That should loosen it. I had that problem in a previous vehicle that I owned.

 

Excellent input, thank you all. I never thought of loosening it by rolling back and forth on the loose lug nuts, that's brilliant. Anybody know exactly what's sticking on it? It isn't some sort of fusion between steel and alloy, is it?

 

That's exactly what it is, a chemical reaction between dissimilar metals.

the only thing I will add to the excellent input already provided is I knocked off the corrosion with a wire brush before adding a bit of anti-seize.

 

As others have said, a very thin layer of antiseize on all contact surfaces on the wheel will prevent this problem. I've learned to do this with all my rigs that have alloy wheels.

 

Great advice. Since they are hubcentric wheels, I also put some on the lip of the wheel bore.

Assuming regular use and tire rotation, hopefully it won’t ever be that stuck again. Maybe the vehicle sat at port for a while and the salt air fused all that freshly cut metal together.

 

Kick alternating sides of the wheel. It will come off

 

If its the rear, is your parking brake on? Although on a 4runner you could prolly just muscle through the weak parking brake haha.

 

LOL! No, it was the passenger front. Got it loose with plenty of banging with the dead blow hammer. The funny part is that once I got it off and broken down, the screw was only a 1/4" long and didn't even go through the tread.

 

Don't ask how I thought that you might have left the parking brake on. /hides

 

Was your plan to plug it? I've plugged tires on the vehicle, I just crank the wheel to full liock and slowly roll forward till I can see and access the screw. I've even plugged rear tires without removing them.

 

Meh, just spray W/it Pam when re-installing, JK!!Any kind of dissembler metal compound will be sufficient. I just kick'em off, I guess I SHOULD take my own advice ,eh?!?!As I am older I really need too!!! Think I'll use LPS2 or 3 when I rotate these for the 1st time or maybe LPS 1 as it's not so much a "film" or DFL 50 Teflon vs DFW50 is another choice. Never had an issue here in Pa W/Crap they put on roads during "Winter Season"(Cause we DO NOT GET SNOW!!:-()

 

Yep, the plan was to plug it -- and when I finally got the tire off, it turned out the screw was 1/4" long and didn't even go through the tread.

 

I've had this happen, too. I've always had success positioning a 2x4 against the rim from the other side of the vehicle (so maybe a 7'-8' board), and hitting that with a hammer. You can get better swings. And then yes, as mentioned earlier, anti-seize on the mating surfaces.