Check your spare tire holder!!!

[BLACKJACK]

Got home last night, was in a hurry becasue I wanted to go pheasant hunting, changed clothes, hopped in the truck and noticed a list to the right - oh, oh, flat right front!! Change clothes quick, thinking I can get'er off and on in 20-30 minutes, find jack and handle, start to lower spare tire - it went down about 4 inches and started 'clicking', it won't go up or down!!! &*()^$#@$^ Spent 1/2 hour trying to lower it, even went so far as to go get my bolt cutter, but decided against that, I eventually just took off the flat and threw it into the car and will get the truck in next week to get that spare tire holder fixed.

The bolt cutter IS in the truck in case I need it this weekend!!!

Moral of the story - check your spare tire holder at least once a year, make sure it lowers like its supposed to. I could have been in the middle of nowhere - like Red Lake - at -15 degrees when it happened.

FYI, I have a 2004 Silverado, so its not that old. First flat tire though. Has anyone else had this problem with Chevy's????

[Shack]

Good advice Blackjack. I have sold many of the cable lift and lower spare tire holders over the years.

By running it up and down once a year, lubes the gear and cable mechanism inside of spare tire carrier.

Also when you lower it, I have heard spraying lube/silicon spray on cable and running it back and forth helps from the cable binding up. Also you can try to spray lube down throat of handle inlet. Sometimes this works, but most times it will need to be replaced.

Worst thing about this situation, is you find out about it at the worst times.

Good luck!

[lawdog]

Quote:

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Worst thing about this situation, is you find out about it at the worst times.

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BOY ISN'T THAT THE TRUTH!!! Had a flat in August on a gravel road in about 90 degree weather trying to take the kid to a sports meeting before practice started. Nothing like laying under your truck on a dirty gravel road and sweating like a butcher trying to get a stuck spare tire down, only so you can go to a meeting with about 400 people looking like you just came in from an old west cattle drive!

[Scott K]

Unfortunatly it happens alot, and not just to chevys, it is a good idea to lower them and lube them then raise it back up a couple times a year. At the shop I work at we started to do that as part of oil changes, but after finding a few that seized half way down and trying to sell the customer the carrier assy when they didnt have a problem with it before they came in, started costing the shop $$. So we stop doing it.

Although if you ask a shop to do it on your next oil change I am sure they will, for free or close to it, but be prepaired for replacement of $100 or more sometimes! But just think, if a flat tire happens out in the middle of nowhere when it is -10, or raining, or 95 and on a gravel road, you will wish you had it checked before hand!

[Scott K]

You just got me thinking, I havent ever checked, or lubed mine, and it is an 02

[Shack]

4wanderingeyes,

It kind of falls under the category with rules like "do not apply a customer’s emergency brake peddle or lever”.

This is another device that does not get used and has a tendency to seize or bind when used for the first time in 8 years.

[Shack]

I just had a flat in Aug. and had to lower it and shot some lube on cable and ran it up and down.

If bad things do not happen, one tends to foget it could happen to you.

[Scott K]

Yes you learn the, dont touch the emergency brake thing early on in a service dept. The we need to lower and lube all spare tire carriers idea came from a salesmen, because he sold a used car and they had a flat and couldnt get the spare down, then it was passed on to the owner, then it was a rule that all vehicles that came through the shop had to get it done, that only lasted a couple months though , that didnt break my heart at all! Us techs love when service writers, or sales people, or managers add free work to our regular jobs . I am sure you never hear about that stuff from your techs, right shack?

[BLACKJACK]

So what should a person lube the cable with, oil or silicon?? I'm afraid lubing it with oil is just going to attract a bunch more dust and dirt....

To me it sounded like the ratchet inside the lowerering unit was bad. Back to the engineers keeping their jobs by redesigning it to be better???! You'd think after all these years they'd have a carrier that was foolproof.

[Shack]

Hey, used car department or a customer. It was an up sale! I am sure once the used car manger started getting all those $100.00 service bills at the end of the month and Service Manger started have to internal a couple of $100.00 service repairs, its funny how policy changes quick. great Idea, but not thought out well.

I have been out of the dealership and service game now for 8 or 9 months. I now have 3 machinists, 3 welders, 1 grinder and 1 water jet operator under me now. I shifted gears and have a mixed bag of feelings. Working at dealers for 11 years and right out of high school, you kind of get a soft spot in your hart for the Service Isle. No matter how cruddy it was when you were doing it for all those years.

[Scott K]

I would use a lubricant with silicone it it, not your cheap wd-40, what we used was JB-80.

[Shack]

Sorry BlackJack, kind of got off track!

If you hear the snapping, most likely it is toast. You could work it enough to get it down and then back up, but in the end it will need to be replaced.

In your case, I would use Penetrate lube or what ever you have around!

What happens is over Minnesota’s climate and road conditions, the manufacture do not totally take this into prospective. The thing is behind all four of the wheels and a foot or so off of the ground. It sees all the road salt, sand, dirt and every thing from the bottom and down throat tube. Also when the thing is not used for many years, all the internal lube gravitates down and when someone goes to use it, metal on metal, combined with other material that is in there. You end up with a snap and click, click and no tire moving down.

All I can say, is your advise is the best way to prevent this. This is why dealers will lube it for free most times. Also it nice to check the air pressure in your spare at times. Again with tire right next to raod, funny things can happen!

[Jeremy airjer W]

You may or may not have noticed that most spare tires come from the factory mounted with the valve stem up. I have two theories on this.

1 it keeps more dirt and debris from getting trapped in the center of the wheel.

2. You have to lower it to check the air in it which you should be doing at least once a year!

Some of these spare tires have become incredible complicated as far as how they are accessed and lowered. Sometimes just finding them and/or the tools required to lower and change is half the battle. Figuring out how the whole thing works before there is an actual need for them will make things a lot smoother, easier, and less stressful when the time comes.

You would be absolutely amazed at how often vehicles come into the shop with a flat in the trunk/bed and a spare (full size and donuts) with less that 10psi in it!

Why not take a couple of minutes in the next couple of days and check the air in your spare as well as the rest of the tires. With the cooler temps tire pressures drop! You might just save yourself from having to change a flat tire!!

[MuskieJunkie]

Good advice, while we're on the subject how about check to make sure you have all the tools you need too. I checked my boat trailer lug nuts and they use the same wrench as my truck lugs, alright great, luckily I had enough sense to check the bolts on my trailer spare, different size. I'd like to slap the guy that did that.

[IFallsRon]

When mine went, I couldn't crank it back up. I was changing a tire that wasn't flat but had a mark like I had parked on a hot pipe. I couldn't get the tire off as the lugs had seized up. It took a heavy duty air wrench to get them loose. I don't have trouble with the lugs any more but occasionally the wheels will lock to the hubs and take a bit of pounding to free them up inspite of how much antilock spray I've used.

[Shack]

Quote:

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2. You have to lower it to check the air in it which you should be doing at least once a year!

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Good theory!

What is the name of the minivan that has the tire up under driver’s seat area, has to be lowered inside by driver’s seat and spare tire has a hard cover over it. I think it was the Free Style or Free Star, or was it a Chrysler product?

Anyways, I pity the fool that has to find that spare tire in the dark on a blowing snow night.

Always a good idea to do a mock run of a spare tire change. I have gone many years with out a flat and this summer I have had two and one was on a freeway.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Chrysler Town and Country w/ stow and go seating.

Mounted under the car between the two front seats. Absolute genious that cam up with that, They did however include a hook to pull the tire out from under the car!

[Shack]

Thanks Airjer!

I remember older snow bird customers that almost had a heart attach when they found out about the location of their spare tire.

At least it had a tire minder sensor to let them know if it was flat, but finding the tire and getting the tire was the kicker!

[BoxMN]

AAA

That works for my wife, and would for me if I wasn't in a hurry

But I will go and try my Chev spare, as I have only dropped it once in 10 years.... doh... But I do carry a floor jack nowadays instead of just that lousy jack they give you. I have learned that going loaded for bear is the ticket, not having just what will work. Also have 2x6's and 4x4 etc. to help level things, as you never know where that flat is going to happen. 3 flats on a boat trailer in one day last year taught me that lesson, heh. Oh yeah, if you even think a tire "might" be getting bad, it already is...

[BLACKJACK]

Yep, I had to go find some 2x6's and other blocks because the jack didn't go high enough. What would I have done in the middle of nowhere?

Thanks for the advice on the lube guys.

I still think the engineers of these cars are just keeping themselves in work. How about the bright guy that decided to take the old reliable fuel pump and put it into the gas tank? On my 1990 Ford truck I had to replace two since it had two tanks. And of course it was past warranty.

[hanson]

I'm just busting a gut reading this!

My 99 GMC Sierra had its 1st flat ever late last fall in the driveway. Lets see... 99 to 2006 is 7 years. I'm a fairly mechanically inclined guy and I had the instructions that are attached to the lug nut wrench storage bag laid all across the ground behind the truck.

First I didn't realize how hard you had to yank to get the "plug" out of the bumper with your key, thought I was going to break my key. Then I couldn't figure out which end of the tool to insert to drop the tire. Finally had to crawl under the truck and get a good look at what I was doing. Once I got that figured out, I figured out which direction I was supposed to crank to get things to work. Finally figured it out but you sure don't want to look like a goofball when this should be easy.

For crying out loud, I replaced a starter motor in the parking lot of Starbucks in Golden Valley (Twin Cities) but couldn't figure out how to change a flat on my truck in my own driveway. All the BMW and Mercedes drivers were really giving me odd looks outside Starbucks when that starter was going in. Even had a couple people offer me glasses of water as it was a hot summer day.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Talk about coincidence. We had a Tahoe come into the shop tonight. The owner put the spare on after he had a flat. We installed four new tires. Went to crank up the spare and sure enough click click click, The gears stripped out about two inches from being all the way up. Seriously this is the first time I have had this happen!!

[LovenLifeGuy]

Had a flat on the way up to canada two weeks ago and had that exact thing happen. we were in the middle of nowhere and it was 4am. We ended getting the tire down by having three guys pull on it while one guy lowered it. Thank God it worked. I also found that I had no jack in my truck. Its an 04 chev amd im first and only owner and have never used it. I made a call when I got back and was not happy with that. Good thing we were following the other truck and they had a jack. However, that is my first flat tire on the road ever. Hope it never happens again.

[Eckie]

Question on the spare tire holders....is it possible that some manufacturers have an electronic lower/lift system for the spares? I've never taken my spare out, but on my back bumper, there's a "key slot", which I guess I assumed is for the spare tire. Am I correct here?

Vehicle is an 04 F150 Supercrew...

[Jeremy airjer W]

Thats to "lock" the access for the spare tire carrier. It should pop out with a turn of the key.

[Shack]

Hanson,

My first encounter with frost bite was doing a starter in a 1978 f150 in the parking lot of SA in Elk River when I was in high school working at Tires Plus two blocks up the road. It happened after work and I needed it for school the next day and I forget what else! But it was so important I could not go 24 hours with out truck. Luckly I had a used on at home and a budy ran me home and back to SA!

[BLACKJACK]

airjer - yep, thats it - click click click click. *&^%$%^%$#!!!!

Does that mean that I'm going to to end up with a whole new tire holder?? If yes I might just go cut the cable that holds the tire so that tire isn't dangling underneath, it came down about 4 inches and now won't go up or down, its dangling around, and I'm worried that cable might break. And I have to use my truck for deer hunting this weekend.

[Scott K]

Cut it down, then call and order a new holder!

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have never replaced one but I would guess that they come as one complete assembly. I'd chop it so I didn't have to worry about the tire falling off or hanging up on something while driving down a trail.

Our local Chevy dealer has plenty of these on hand by the way!

[Shack]

That or you can heat up lead that holds stop on cable. If crimped, you would have to die grind or cut cable.

Yes you would need whole new mechanizium! It about a $100.00 bucks and is easy to install (Would pay .5 to 1.0 hours depending on model)

[theoilman]

I would recommend do NOT use oil, grease, anything else wet, or WD-40 (it leaves a fuzzy sticky surface that attracts dirt like mad). They are all going to attract dirt and make it worse the next time. AMSOIL has a Heavy Duty Metal Protector that is like a synthetic spray wax that should do a beautiful job of lubricating these spare tire 'elevators'. When the carrier evaporates it dries to a slick hard coat that will stay there to protect and not attract dirt. It dries to a tan/brown color, it is a slow dry - typically overnight. It does many other jobs, but I will not elaborate here to avoid commercialism. Questions or more info email me direct.

Definitely check all tire's air pressures. Just checked mine this week and even in Florida all tires have dropped 5psi.