I'm trying to get the original spare tire down on my '99. If I'm doing this right, it appears that the "hook end" of the tool fits into a cup-like device above the tire, and you crank the assembly counter-clockwise and it's supposed to drop the tire. As far as I can tell, the hook just spins inside the cup and is not actually turning the mechanism to drop the wheel. It's a metal rod on what feels like a plastic cup, and there isn't much if any grip in there to get it to turn. I can turn the plastic cup freely by hand, but it just isn't spinning when I use the tool.
I think I'm doing it all by the directions, but it also doesn't seem to be engineered well at all for the task. I'm thinking of adding some grippy rubber compound to the hook so that it has better friction against the cup. I hope I'm missing something really simple here, or else there's a much better way to to this than "by the book". I'm sure glad I'm finding this out in the driveway than on the freeway.
I think I'm doing it all by the directions, but it also doesn't seem to be engineered well at all for the task. I'm thinking of adding some grippy rubber compound to the hook so that it has better friction against the cup. I hope I'm missing something really simple here, or else there's a much better way to to this than "by the book". I'm sure glad I'm finding this out in the driveway than on the freeway.