If I loose my spare while pulling my boat...thanks for the warning.

Before I do I will bolt a safety chain with a hook under there. Once my spare was dangling loose about an INCH, and I could hear some thumping. Fixed that real quick. If my cable breaks and the tire falls on the safety chain I guess I will know it soon enough.

 

Take a good look at that cheesy OEM spring retainer clip that holds the actuating shaft onto the cable reel assy. The spring loops stick out rather far and I had mine catch on the body while lowering it. When it hung up it bent the heck out of that spring clip and it pulled out of the hole that secured the tubular shaft to the reel input shaft. I could not raise/nor lower the darned tire...
Fortunately, I was at a tireshop when I had this happen. Fortunate still, it had loosened the the tire JUST enough that I could crawl under there and pick teh tire up enough to disengage the cable hook to remove the tire...
If you get under there, pull that piece of spring junk off and put a REAL cotter pin in there and fold the ears completely back out of the way...
I realized it could have been at 11pm out in the boonies, in the rain and mud...

I will definitely reattach my spare tire lock after hearing about broken cables!

K.

 

I toke down my spare to put a new tire on it and where the cable goes into the hook piece it was just dangaling (sp) there by the very inside cables. so i cut the cable above this area and just welded the end of the cable to the hook.

 

I took my spare off to run wires, and fix the splice for the inbed 7-way. That pin snapped as well. Drove a while with a spare. replaced it with a cotter pin as well. Now I gotta go check that cable.

So where can you get a spare tire lock? So far havent found one for my truck. They list 2002+

 

That OEM spare tire locking rod on my '97 attaches onto the cable winch shaft extension that the cheesy spring clip keeps in place!!!
Cotter pins sound better all the time!

K.

 

When I first got my truck, i saw this wierd looking bar tucked up on the tire when I first lowered my spare. After seeing this thread I dug it out and sure nuff it was a spare lock that hung on the winch shaft. I had mine apart to replace the that pin, and took the lock off. The actual lock is MIA, so I guess I gotta get another.

 

Gentlemen,after having my winch mechanism replaced under warranty back in 2001, I've fretted ever since. I read a post on the "other" site which spoke of a product by Master Lock #8413XDPF to remedy the situation. This cable lock cinches up between the bed supports and the rim to supply a bullet proof support system. Just don't lose the key!

 

For anyone who thinks the cable on the spare tire holder only breaks due to rust/salt, don't be so sure. I live in the desert and every five years when it does snow here (1/4 ") we declare it a state disaster. But about a year ago when I was changing the oil in my truck I did a visual check of everything else under the truck and noticed a big, empty space under the bed. It took me a few seconds to realize the spare tire had fallen off somewhere. It happened sometime in between oil changes, and I only hope it happened on some dirt road somewhere and not on the freeway.

I do a lot of off road travel so I assume the extra bouncing and banging around stressed the cable and it broke. It doesn't require rust or road salt to make that happen. Around town I have AAA and they can tow me if I get a flat, and out of town I just put the new spare in the truck bed or trailer. Now I know I really have a spare that I can get to and it has air. Just a warning to the sunbelt people too.

 

I lost a spare while elk hunting in Colorado. I was climbing a hill with fresh snow and I started to spin my tires (in 4LO). I backed down a ways and started back up. At the exact same point I started spinning again. I did this a few times then decided to take a different course. I rolled forward over a large "bump" and continued up the hill. After hunting all day I was coming down the hill with about a foot of new snow on it. Right there in that spot I noticed a tire. We all thought that some unlucky guy had a wheel fall off there but that couldn't be, we were the only ones there! A quick investigation took place and I realized my spare had fallen off and hung up between a rock and my hitch. Because I do so much off road driving, I now check my spare and cable rigging every oil change..

 

I have a chain & lock on mine. I guess I will get a second chain to secure it, where it will stay there, regardless. This eliminates honest crooks and now, will secure your tire from a poor design.
A very good heads up!!

 

The new to me truck I'm in the process of buying must of had this happen. The cable is broken off and the spare is missing. Is there any way to fix this?

 

My hoist died and was replaced on my '99. I supplemented it with a Master Cable Lock. Six ft. of flexible cable laced up under the crossmember and through the slots in the stock spare and good to go. Available on Amazon.com

 

I found and purchased a good used 20ft goose neck trailer recently at a local trailer dealer. Had to put 2 new axles under it as the guy who traded it in had his spare fall out from under his truck also and it wasn't nice to the axles. No info on the make of truck but this kinda seems like a common problem from the looks of these posts. Think Ill just keep my spare in the bed of the truck like I always have

 

Mine Fell off on the 2001 while towing my 40foot car hauler no damage but what a sound.

 

took my spare off and stowed it,another truck working for use lost her's...totaled a spanking new trailer.

If you want to keep it just get a short chunk of chain and a binder,for safety...or count on that lil bitty cable holding (shudder)