Step 4 · Cut the Flange (Last Resort)
If the flange is still stuck or the crossbars break, you must resort to a more destructive method. This is the point of no return for the old flange. Put on your safety glasses and protective gloves. Using a Dremel-style rotary tool equipped with a reinforced metal cutting wheel, carefully make two vertical cuts on opposite sides of the flange's interior wall. Cut from the top lip down towards the threads, but be extremely careful not to cut all the way through into the drain pipe threads or the surface of the tub. The goal is to weaken the flange. Once the cuts are made, insert a flathead screwdriver into one of the cuts and pry the section inward, toward the center of the drain. This should break the flange's tension and allow you to remove it in pieces. If you don't have a rotary tool, you can wrap a mini hacksaw blade in a rag to use as a handle and slowly saw through the flange wall, though this is much more difficult and time-consuming.