GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I apologize for skipping the formality of the "introduce myself" thread, I'm having an issue and Google has not been able to work its usual magic.

I came home today and saw that my rear driver's side tire was flat. I pulled my 2007 Vibe (the bottom end model, FWD only) out of the garage and got out my tire changing equipement. It apparently had started to get a fair bit of rust after I last used it 3 or 4 years ago. When I unscrewed to cap that holds the plastic cover over the tire, removed that cover and found that I could not unscrew the large lug that holds the tire in. It wouldn't budge. I got pliers and just ended up tearing plastic. I tried applying them to the screw that points up and just pealed off metal. I assume the thing got cross threaded the last time it was put in or that settling of recent years just got it wedged in oddly.

Can anyone think of a why to get that bolt out so I can actually get to my spare?


Any help is appreciated


For reference, I'm talking about step three on this page

Hope this isn't too late for you.
WEARING EYE PROTECTION! Take a hammer and chisel and bust-up the plastic "nut" around the shaft. The spare tire will then come out without removing the frozen bolt!
To remove the frozen bolt: find two nuts that fit the bolt. Thread them both on as far as possibly. Back-tighten the bottom nut to "lock" it onto the top nut - this grabs the bolt solidly. Using a vice-grip or a box-end wrench(that you put on the bolt before the nuts) Back out the frozen bolt. PB-Blaster or WD-40 may help.
Replace the broken plastic/bolt with one from a junk yard!
good luck,

that's strange

mine has never done that