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Removing Spare Tire Lock

Trekerjohn

Full Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
20
Location
Sacramento, CA
Can anyone tell me how to remove the spare tire lock on my 04 cladded Av without destroying part of the rear bumper plastic and/or the retaining ring/clip that holds it on to the bumper ??  thanks. 
 
I have done it twice and never have been able to not destroy the retaining clip. Good luck :D
 
Why do you need to remove?
 
I was told by the body shop that swapped my back bumper that they weren't designed to be R/R and I'd need to buy a new one. However, there wasn't one available so they did manage to remove and transfer it. Unfortunately I wasn't watching them. :(
 
I need to remove because I tore my rear bumper plastic out at Prairie City yesterday and wanted to fix it.  So, I got the plastic almost all off, but the spare tire lock would not let it go.  So, I disfigured both of them and got the plastic off.  But now I have a loose & floppy spare tire lock tube/housing.  The bumper plastic fix came out fine, even for a good size tear.  I also bent up my trailer hitch plug bracket, but got that straightened out also.  That's why I needed to get it off.  I'm ready to put the plastic back on, but I'm thinking that maybe I should leave it off until the tire lock housing gets sorted out.  Thanks.
 
As for trailer wiring tingy... remove it from hitch and put it up above near license plate..

check towing section for thread on the how to.... I did it and well.. no more damage to it..

585873MVC-482F.JPG
 
Great idea.  I read a few posts on that issue earlier.  Did you do it yourself ?  If so, how did you get the right size hole plus the tab openings around the hole ?
 
Trekerjohn said:
Great idea. I read a few posts on that issue earlier. Did you do it yourself ? If so, how did you get the right size hole plus the tab openings around the hole ?
I forget...

The thread in towing has step by step...

basically a hole saw cuts hole through plastic into steel behind..

then trace pattern from below onto paper... and draw on plastic above..

then cut with knive... the notch in plastic is enough to hold it if memory is still working...

Easy mod... and a great one too!
 
Thanks for all the information.  I've been reading everything for a couple of hours now and will tackle the tire lock and move the trailer plug also.  the plastic bumper repair came out fine for free.  But I don't have much faith that it can take any more abuse, however slight.  All the mods start to get me dizzy.  So many mods; so little ______________.  Thanks again.  I am enjoying reading your stories and advice and seeing the photos of your sweethearts.  J
 

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just found this thread as i was trying to figure out how to remove the square plastic piece of "moulding" that is visible from the back of the vehicle with the plastic bumper guard still in place... i thought i would find something out after i popped off the square cover flap for the spare tire lock but there was no extra help for me under there... as it turns out the square piece of moulding is part of a longer "tube" type piece of plastic that protrudes into the plastic bumper and through the backside of the metal bumper... the only way this can be removed is by pulling it out of both the metal bumper and the plastic bumper guard from the BACK of the vehicle, not from underneath where everything i just mentioned is visible...

this brings me to the problem mentioned earlier in this thread, the metal retaining ring(s) that hold this piece of plastic in place... there is 3/8" wide piece of thin metal that is the first ring you will notice, after i gently pried this off i realized that maybe it didnt have to remove it at all in the first place but thats besides the point... i was able to salvage the "toothed" retaining ring that is actually reponsible for holding the plastic moulding in place by taking a this slotted screwdriver and carefully bending back about 10 - 12 of the teeth... it loosened the ring up enough tat i could pry it from underneath and remove it from it "locked" position... after that was removed the plastic moulding in question was able to be slid out from the back of the bumpers... hope this saves some of you from needing to make a trip to the chevy dealer and ordering a new retaining ring...

BTW - i am new to this site and felt compelled to write this response because i have learned so much from all of YOU during the few short days i have owned my first avalanche... a 2004 Z71... 
 
Thanks for the tip and :welcome: to the club ddr2467
 
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