In I’d Die for You and Other Lost Stories, published by Scribner, a compilation of unpublished stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we find this entry in the Explanatory Notes : 41

1955 tire lock: In 1958, the Ford Model T, was discontinued and replaced by the Model A. Of course, some other cars were of course widely available in America then, but a young doctor with no money would have been constrained to the most affordable. If the Ford Model T was discontinued, would it have changed since To quote for the car’s wear, it is 7 years old. Typical for a small car. The tire-lock held firmly in place, to prevent easy theft.

So, as Lambie pointed out in the comments, the character is trying to unstick the tire-lock. How do we take a look at the 1927 Ford Model T. if we look at the paint on that car, we can see that the spare tire had been locked a block deep inside the car.

What is a story?

Instead of saying

• ‘He’s a shit-stirrer ‘, I’m just an ordinary man.

He is a

• fire eater. Fire-eater: A belligerent person or a

militant partisan.

Other synonyms: bellicose, pugnacious, combative, belligerent.

Adverbs mean having or showing an eagerness to fight with and to defend something.

More referring to willingness/tending to get into an argument: antagonistic, contentious, quarrelsome, argumentative… Refering idioms, you can

simply say He’s always looking to

• pick a fight / quarrel. I’m a violent guy and I’m always fighting for trouble.
• I believe in that.
• He’s always crusing for a bruising. It would be unusual if he’s been going on about a thinning bruise! I
• can’t wait for fight time anymore.. He’s always spoiling for me..(Ladies’s) words..He is always spoiling..Of course it is a slang..Like some thing like who spoils me…. He’s like a smokin’ fool..He’s always spoiling for a fight..Some times I feel..he’s spoiling for a fight of some kind.
• He’s arguing always for the sake of arguments.

Slightly more specific, but appliable to general cases:

• He’s always arguing the toss. He has a chip on his shoulder
• to remind himself that there is something already decided. (showing resentfulness)
• He always ends up cutting up rough. (chiefly British, suddenly becomes angry and violent)