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Check you spare tire TODAY!!

jpkherd

jpkherd

Full Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
22
Location
western 'burbs of Chicago
I just had a completely miserable experience trying to replace a spare tire.  The spare tire would not lower and I spent an hour on the side of a busy highway trying to get the spare tire off.  I ended up having to get it towed and I am pissed.

Turns out it is a pretty common problem that the "secondary latch" feature of the spare tire hoist commonly fails due to the water dirt and grit that gets into the assembly and then corrodes.  When this happens, the latch will not release and the tire will not lower.

It will lower about 6 inches, but thats it.

When I got my avy home I fixed my tire and then got to figuring out how to get my spare tire off.  There are a couple of good youtube videos that describe the problem well.  I finally had to hack the crap out the hoist to get the tire off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdf_Osi4fBA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhZ2LP7nfLU

I ordered a new hoist on ebay for 1/3 the price the dealer wanted.

When I get it, I will be taking a dremel to the hook on the new secondary latch so I do not get stranded again.

I suggest you all check to see if you can get your spare tire off too!

JPK
 
My secondary has always worked fine for me ... I lower it every time I do anything with the tires just to keep it free moving
 
I usually do it once a year. Tomorrow is the day. Hitting the road on Friday, better on the driveway than highway.  :drive:
 
ms38w said:
That's likely illegal...I'm tellin'   >:D
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:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Good thing the 02s didnt come with it then.. Would hate to break the law..  :cool: :cool:
 
I lower mine once a year, check the pressure in the tire and clean it up. Usually in the spring after I do a good under body wash
 
I've had two of the factory spare holders seize on me.  My current one doesn't work at the moment.  I am thinking about doing a swing away tire carrier on the rear as I am tired of cutting off my spare and replacing the stupid little crank.  Good advice to crank it up and down at least once a year though.  I wish they had a better design for this thing, oh well.
 
Well you folks know you have to drop it once a year and lube it. If you cut the secondary latch and the steel cable breaks while you are driving. :dunno:

The cable has know to break, that's why the latch is there.

Expect a lawsuit or a charge of manslaughter.
 
I take my spare down every two years and spray the lifting parts with wd40...  never had a problem....  but the reason I do it is because of the number of seizures reported here...  probably good advice...  you dont want it to seize when you need it to work
 
I had this happen.  Fortunately I was trying to lower it out of the way to change rear differential fluid.  I slathered the entire latch in anti-sieze.
 
No something other than the wd40 I have actually been told not to use it on anything with exposure to a lot of dust as it will attract the dust which will gunk up the hoist
 
Nothing new to see here folks. Just move along.
 
This problem with where on how to mount a spare tire on pickup trucks has been a problem for years. I had a Furd Ranger where I had to cut the bolt off to lower the spare with a totally different setup for holding the tire. I had to leave the truck along side of the road and get a ride home when I had a flat. I have AAA but didn't want to hassle with it since I was about a mile from home. So the moral of the story is no matter how the spare tire is held in place regular maintenance is the key to having it work for years to come.
 
I had a '99 Ford van with a Cobra conversion.  Really nice van.  We were taking a weekend trip to Gatlinburg.  A semi blew a tire right ahead of me and I ran over the debris.  Slashed my tire.  I pulled over and emptied my wheelchair and luggage out from behind the rear seat to gain access to the jack and tire iron.  There is a bolt and catch under the carpet behind the back seat as well...and Ford didn't include a wrench to remove the bolt so you could lower the tire  :E:  I used the other end of the tire iron like a chisel and pried the s#!t out of the catch bracket so I could release the tire.  After I changed the tire we went to Wally World and bought a new tire and had the full sized spare put back under the van...I never repaired the safety bolt/catch, since it was the WORST idea Ford ever came up with.  I changed the tire with a broken leg (held together with screws and a rod) and crushed shoulder. 
 
FYI,

I installed a new hoist.  Bought a new one on ebay and modified the "hook" so I should not have a problem again.  I am glad to hear many of you have not had this problem, but based on the view count of those youtube videos a LOT of people have had it.

My notice was more for those who do not annually/regularly check their spare, as most people's only contact in dealing with a spare is when they really need it.

JPK
 
jpkherd said:
FYI,

I installed a new hoist.  Bought a new one on ebay and modified the "hook" so I should not have a problem again.  I am glad to hear many of you have not had this problem, but based on the view count of those youtube videos a LOT of people have had it.

My notice was more for those who do not annually/regularly check their spare, as most people's only contact in dealing with a spare is when they really need it.

JPK
Click to expand...
Guilty as charged.  Waiting on a new one to get here I bought online. Just how did you modify that secondary latch anyway? Got any pix or a link?
 
It's pretty easy to do.  Lower and remove the spare.  You can use a grinder/cut off wheel to remove the "hook" or you can use a hack saw, which is what I did.  That method sucks.  I discovered my last cut off wheel was cracked, so I had to go the hard way.  Once you remove the tire, you can see the hook pretty clearly.  Just cut straight and remove the hook part.  Can be done on the truck.
 
e6bill said:
It's pretty easy to do.  Lower and remove the spare.  You can use a grinder/cut off wheel to remove the "hook" or you can use a hack saw, which is what I did.  That method sucks.  I discovered my last cut off wheel was cracked, so I had to go the hard way.  Once you remove the tire, you can see the hook pretty clearly.  Just cut straight and remove the hook part.  Can be done on the truck.
Click to expand...

How the hell do you do that?  I can't make a straight cut to save my life  :E:
 
ohiobellboy said:
Guilty as charged.  Waiting on a new one to get here I bought online. Just how did you modify that secondary latch anyway? Got any pix or a link?
Click to expand...

I just put a little cutoff wheel on my dremel and cut off the "hook" part.  It took about 20 min.  When it cooled down, I installed it back on the truck  (just one bolt), and I was back in business!

I am really shocked at what a stupid set up this whole thing was.  There has to be a better mousetrap.  It seems like GM just "phones it in" on a lot of their design and engineering.

JPK
 
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