How can I remove a stuck tire from a 2001 Toyota Echo?

remove stuck wheel with a heavy objectThat happens all the time to me. I get the wheel off the ground and with the lug nuts removed, I just tap the inside of the tire with a heavy sledge hammer. Not much force is required. In fact, I just use gravity. But after 5 or 10 taps, the wheel suddenly loosens. I helps a lot if you can tap different parts of the wheel. I only hit the actually rubber part of the tire. Never any metal.

I used a large tire iron, wedged through the hole against the caliper & it popped right off.