[Bunny318]

Thankfully, I've never had a flat tire. My husband wanted to check a rattle/squeak on the front left suspension. His small floor jack is more designed for his MGB and Mini. So he went to use my jack to get the E up to put jack stands underneath. There was no lug wrench or jack handle.

I've owned the car since new, and never had cause to use or look for the tire tools. I know, should have checked before I drive off the dealer's lot.

Anyone selling these two items in good shape?

 

[ramblerdan]

Local junkyard?

 

[Spam16v]

just trying to think to myself if i've ever seen those items myself...

ebay?

 

[ElementFanatic]

look at the local pick and pull or craigslist for someone parting out would be the best bet, otherwise a generic jack and a 4 way lug wrench, If your worried about fitting get a collapsible lug

 

[paulj]

That pouch with jack handle and lug wrench should have been given to you by the dealer, or been in one of the bins in the cargo area. Another loose item is the pouch for holding the skylight.

It is easy to get a lug wrench of the correct size (3/4"??). Getting something similar to the hook that turns the jack might be harder. The Element's jack has a fairly high lift, so a generic jack might not work. Fortunately the lifting points on the Element aren't a special shape.

It's a little late to make this reminder - but familiarizing yourself with the jack and the spare tire shortly after buying a car is a good idea. Also check the pressure on the spare. I believe it should be 60 psi, quite a bit higher than the main tires.

 

[g2ichris]

When I was taking my belongings out of my recently wrecked E, I took out the jack handle and wrench for you. You can have it for free.

 

[f5000sl]

Do yourself a favor and ditch the factory jack!
I had to use ours already (we've owned it <30 days) and it's scary for such a heavy vehicle. The road barely had a slope and the jack was certainly tilting and popping and it was it's first use ever.

Luckily, I was able to back up to a more "desired" flat area, but come on, a jack should not have to be on a 100% flat grade at all time to function, no one breaks down under ideal conditions.

You can get a "better" scissor jack @ a local auto store for about $20-25.

Plus, while you're at it, get a nice lug wrench too. It'll save your back!

PS: The nice thing about E's is the large amount of space to store a new jack, electric tire inflater, patch kit, etc. Plenty-O-Room!

 

[paulj]

I haven't noticed any thing shaky about the stock jack, but I have use only used it on flat surfaces. But there are a couple of things that one can do with any jack to make it safer:
- chock the wheels. I hung on to a pair of wheel chocks that came with the jack of an old pickup that I once had. This reduces the chance of the car moving while still up on the jack.
- use a board or something under the jack if the ground surface is soft, such as dirt or gravel. I carry a couple of wood boards for this purpose. I've used them once myself, and once to help someone else.
- loosen the lugnuts a bit before lifting the car. Same for the final tightening.

 

[Chickenball]

I should've grabbed the one from my E when I totalled it on Wednesday!

 

[psschmied]

Anyone selling these two items in good shape?

Your Honda dealer.

 

[f5000sl]

@ paulj: No doubt, wheel chocks should be a must with a factory jack, just too bad the factory doesn't supply it with the jack.

IMO, the best way to avoid jack hazards is to simply repair when possible. It's real easy and barely costs more than having someone repair the tire for you.

 

[Bunny318]

Thank you all for responding.

The dealer replaced them for free, after five years!

 

[desinia]

Do yourself a favor and ditch the factory jack!
I had to use ours already (we've owned it <30 days) and it's scary for such a heavy vehicle. The road barely had a slope and the jack was certainly tilting and popping and it was it's first use ever.

Luckily, I was able to back up to a more "desired" flat area, but come on, a jack should not have to be on a 100% flat grade at all time to function, no one breaks down under ideal conditions.

You can get a "better" scissor jack @ a local auto store for about $20-25.

Plus, while you're at it, get a nice lug wrench too. It'll save your back!

PS: The nice thing about E's is the large amount of space to store a new jack, electric tire inflater, patch kit, etc. Plenty-O-Room!

I quoted your whole message since it's important. Agreeing to all of that. A good jack has a wide base to help make it stable. An elbow lug wrench "can" do the job, but a there's a reason the crossed style is so popular - Try one and see. I've always carried an inflator and a plug kit for punctures. It won't save every disaster but usually it's a lot easier to plug a tire than try to change one unless you're stupid enough to try and drive on it. I think it's been thirty years since I've actually had to put on a spare on the road, and that was a split rim on a truck (HEAVY) and in a blizzard to boot, so maybe I'm biased about it now? I still remember that day...

 

[paulj]

I haven't had to change a flat on my E either. Once when I picked up a screw I was able to top off the tire, and keep driving several days till I got home and to a dealer. Another time I picked up a 6" length of chain saw file, and stopped almost immediately. I plugged it (with one of the fancier plug kits), filled the tire (a good compressor is nice), and drove on it till I replaced all tires.

I've driven enough on backroads to be a bit paranoid about being prepared to flats.