Honda Car Forum

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
> I just had a flat tire. I get out, open the Civic trunk and find a spare tire, a
> jack and a lug wrench. Then I reach inside to grab the spare tire, it's stuck.
> Somehow the tire is bolted down with some kind of a rabbit ear nut. No
> matter how hard I try to twist it, the rabbit ears will not move.
>
> This was my scenario last night when I had to walk home two miles just
> to get a monkey wrench to twist the rabbit ears. If this were your car how
> would you do it differently?
>
> Thanks

-----------------------

That's why its important for a guy to make sure his spouse / s.o. knows
how to change a tire for themselves. You get out the manual and read
thru it together, then you see if you can do it. This exercise also
gives you the opportunity to find out whether your tire shop has been
using air tools to make sure your lugs nuts won't fall off "before the
end of the Universe", as was mentioned by another poster. I had to put a
7' bar on the lug wrench to get the wheels off my old Aerostar.

'Curly'

In article <lu2dnUBiOoNkCbDfRVn-pA@comcast.com>,
Nate Nagel <njnagel@flycast.net> wrote:
>Timothy J. Lee wrote:
>> During periodic inspections of the tires, would have had to remove the
>> spare tire to check its air pressure (assuming typical under the trunk
>> floor mounting). At that time, would have made sure that the spare
>> tire could have been removed without tools not normally carried in the
>> car.
>
>Does anyone actually do this? I'm assuming that the tire is mounted
>"face up" of course.

On many cars, the spare tire is in the well face down, so it must be
removed to check the pressure.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

In article <73aXd.5096$C47.404@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>, Z@UCBerkeley.edu
says...
>
>
>I just had a flat tire. I get out, open the Civic trunk and find a spare tire,
a
>jack and a lug wrench. Then I reach inside to grab the spare tire, it's stuck.
>Somehow the tire is bolted down with some kind of a rabbit ear nut. No
>matter how hard I try to twist it, the rabbit ears will not move.
>
>This was my scenario last night when I had to walk home two miles just
>to get a monkey wrench to twist the rabbit ears. If this were your car how
>would you do it differently?

Us the tire iron to persuade the nut loose. A few choice words would also
help. Just make sure no children are around.
---------------
Alex

"Alex Rodriguez" <adr5@columbia.edu> wrote in message
news:d0kq2g$56l$4@newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu...
>
> Us the tire iron to persuade the nut loose. A few
> choice words would also
> help. Just make sure no children are around.

Now-a-days the children can teach us new words {;^)

Brian

"Brian Smith" <Halifax@NovaScotia.Canada> wrote in message
news:f8mXd.9774$i6.2299@edtnps90...
>
> "Alex Rodriguez" <adr5@columbia.edu> wrote in message
> news:d0kq2g$56l$4@newsmaster.cc.columbia.edu...
>>
>> Us the tire iron to persuade the nut loose. A few choice words would
>> also
>> help. Just make sure no children are around.
>
> Now-a-days the children can teach us new words {;^)
>
> Brian
>
I use the German approach - I use the same old words but string them
together to make inventive 8, 12, or 16 letter words. Longer ones confuse
and make me gasp for breath.

Mike

"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote
in message news:eoGdnU-xzIwRbLDfRVn-hg@sedona.net...
>
> I use the German approach - I use the same old words
> but string them together to make inventive 8, 12, or
> 16 letter words. Longer ones confuse and make me gasp
> for breath.

LOL! That would work.

A little antisieze compound on the threads does wonders. Then find the water
leak that caused the rust of the bolt.

"Tim Zimmerman" <Z@UCBerkeley.edu> wrote in message
news:73aXd.5096$C47.404@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com ...
> I just had a flat tire. I get out, open the Civic trunk and find a spare
tire, a
> jack and a lug wrench. Then I reach inside to grab the spare tire, it's
stuck.
> Somehow the tire is bolted down with some kind of a rabbit ear nut. No
> matter how hard I try to twist it, the rabbit ears will not move.
>
> This was my scenario last night when I had to walk home two miles just
> to get a monkey wrench to twist the rabbit ears. If this were your car how
> would you do it differently?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
>
>

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 04:42:43 GMT, "Tim Zimmerman" <Z@UCBerkeley.edu> wrote:

>I just had a flat tire. I get out, open the Civic trunk and find a spare tire, a
>jack and a lug wrench. Then I reach inside to grab the spare tire, it's stuck.
>Somehow the tire is bolted down with some kind of a rabbit ear nut. No
>matter how hard I try to twist it, the rabbit ears will not move.
>
>This was my scenario last night when I had to walk home two miles just
>to get a monkey wrench to twist the rabbit ears. If this were your car how
>would you do it differently?
>
>Thanks
I would've called my road service. I can usually walk 5-10 miles before they
show up, but hey, flats always occur on my rides farther from home than even
that.
I guess I might have tried the lug wrench handle for some leverage, but maybe
you couldn't get it down there far enough.
I bet you though, somewhere deep in the "lubrication points" of your owner's
manual, it would've told you that every year or so (about the same time it
tells you to lube door hinges) to lightly coat the threads of the rod with the
nut with some motor oil to help thwart rusting.

On 8 Mar 2005 07:49:13 -0800, r2000swler@hotmail.com wrote:

>Larry:
>What are you doing out of the MS reservation?

The Night Nurse wasn't at her desk and I sneaked out of the ward for a
while.

>I try to avoid this by checking the spare tire preasure
>every oil change. And to chekc the preasure you have to
>remove the spare.

You only have to flip it over ONCE. And then, LEAVE IT FLIPPED OVER,
valve side up. What could be more simple?

>Terry

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 04:42:43 GMT, "Tim Zimmerman" <Z@UCBerkeley.edu>
wrote:

>I just had a flat tire. I get out, open the Civic trunk and find a spare tire, a
>jack and a lug wrench. Then I reach inside to grab the spare tire, it's stuck.
>Somehow the tire is bolted down with some kind of a rabbit ear nut. No
>matter how hard I try to twist it, the rabbit ears will not move.
>
>This was my scenario last night when I had to walk home two miles just
>to get a monkey wrench to twist the rabbit ears. If this were your car how
>would you do it differently?

I always keep a few basic tools, like channel-lock plyers, few
screwdrivers, and a DMM in each of my vehicles. Never know when you'll
need them. these few tools will pack nice and easily in a bag, and can
go wither inside the spare, or under one of the seats. "Be Prepaired"

>
>Thanks
>
>
>
>