I was installing a trailer hitch on a used Honda Pilot, and as I knew from previous experience, the provided holes were rusty. A thread chaser wouldn’t thread in because of the rust so I had to use a tap, but taps aren’t easy to use in tight areas like where these holes are.

Using a regular tap handle was out of the question, far too bulky, and tap sockets were too long. The muffler is what was in the way, but removing exhaust on New York cars older than a year or two becomes a hassle.

What I ended up using was my small Knipex pliers wrench. This is my favorite adjustable wrench already, and it’s so versatile. Not only did it fit in the tight space, it gave a firm grip on the tap and because of its design allows a bit of a ratcheting action to run the tap in faster.

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-Dan