So I needed the spare on my 05 TB and, of course, the lowering mechanism to FUBAR'd. The plastic housing on the winch is all broken and the cable is frayed and tangled. Turning the winch in either direction does not raise or lower the tire, which came down about an inch, or even let out any more cable. I am aware of the secondary latch but the winch will not let out any slack now anyway. Has anyone here just removed the whole carrier assembly with the tire attached to it? How many bolts are holding it on? What size? I saw the 2 right near the winch assembly. How many and where are the ones on the other side? I hope that there are not any under the spare as they will not be accessible. I am thinking that if I can get this off I am better off just putting the spare in the back hatch area inside the truck rather than going through this again, especially if it were on the side of the highway. Thanks for all responses.
Spare Tire Carrier Removal Questions
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Tiggerr
Member
Iirc there's 3 bolts maybe 4...
I was able to get a screwdriver in there and force in the secondary latch to get mine down tho...I didn't try to remove it with the tire on it...
Thinking there's a bolt above he tire... you may be able to get it loose enough to mutilate it by pulling it down with the tire after removing the bolts you can see... I ground the latch off the new on I replaced it with...
I was able to get a screwdriver in there and force in the secondary latch to get mine down tho...I didn't try to remove it with the tire on it...
Thinking there's a bolt above he tire... you may be able to get it loose enough to mutilate it by pulling it down with the tire after removing the bolts you can see... I ground the latch off the new on I replaced it with...
Thanks for the replies. I tried releasing the secondary latch with a screwdriver as well as channel locks. I understand how it works but there just is not enough room for me to get in and release it. The tire is in a position now that it has dropped only about an inch, but will not move in either direction so I have no choice but to get it off. Does anyone know for sure if I can remove the entire assembly with barely any slack on the cable? I have hand tools but really nothing else. If I had a sawzall I could probably cut through the steel plate on the end of the wire rope that retains the tire but unfortunately I do not. Any and all responses will be appreciated. I need to get this spare off asap. Thanks again.
jsheahawk
Member
I think it's three bolts. Just cut the wire holding up the tire. Can you lower it at all? If you can get your hand up there with a Dremel, you may be able to get at it. Otherwise you're going to have to cut the flange that goes through the hole in the wheel.
You can find a new winch at the pick and pull. I lube mine every oil change when I check the spare tire pressure.
You can find a new winch at the pick and pull. I lube mine every oil change when I check the spare tire pressure.
Thank you for replying. There is a secondary latch system besides the cable. Even if the cable is cut, it will not come down. Really hoping someone can tell me if it is possible to remove all the mounting hardware with the tire nearly all the way up. Thanks again for all responses.
I hear you budwich, but the truck in a place with no power near it and the tire is flat. I have regular handtools. I guess I could go buy a mini hacksaw and put in some work but I was hoping someone could tell me if they have gotten the carrier out with the tire in the way. That would be my best solution if it is possible.
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
I was able to get mine down without dropping the tire from the winch assembly. Mine originally was just as screwed up (bound up cable, totally seized latch) and with some effort got it off the truck. I forget how I got the tire off the unit once it was off, but got it off.
I'm a little confused on your scenario with the latch, can you raise and lower the tire only like an inch? If so what i did to get mine off the truck when the latch rusted solid was drop the tire down as far as it would go and then raise it up just above the point of where it can no longer go down. Take your finger and put it so your finger is between the little rubber dust seal and the hanging "t" that keeps your tire up in the air. You should feel that on the "t" there are 2 sides that are skinner than the other two. If you feel both sides you will feel one side is rounded where the other feels like it has a valley cut in the middle. The side with the valley is the side you need to pry at with the screw driver. You want to pry the side with the valley over to the side that is rounded. If you beat on it enough you will be able to free up the secondary latch and then drop down the tire the rest of the way or hopefully get it past the little lip that the secondary latch locks onto and then just cut the cable and drop the tire down. Be very careful that you don't crush yourself! Since you said your cable is frayed i'd strongly recommend using a jack or two jack stands to hold up your tire while you work on it so it doesn't suddenly fall down and crush your head.
well, just because its flat doesn't mean you can't move it "gently" a short distance to a better spot (the tire is maybe dead anyway...
). Anyways, hope you are successful. The other thing is get a cordless drill and a couple of good bits and drill a few hole in the "t" at / near the "arch of the t".... then take a pair of pliers and bent the "wing" (or break it off). Again, watch out for the tire on the head issue.Thanks again to everyone that answered. The answer to my question, for anyone in the future searching this forum, is yes. The entire carrier can be dropped with the spare still hanging on the secondary latch. The best way is to take out the 2 easy and accessible bolts (all 3 are 15mm heads) at the winch itself as they are not holding up the tire anyways. The last bolt is a bastard as it is above the tire. If you put together the right amount of extensions you can land the ratchet handle between the frame and the end of the spare tire. Once the last bolt is removed there is a tab that is in a slot on the part above the tire. You slide the whole assembly and it releases from the slot and drops out still attached to the tire. This is why the tire needs to be supported beforehand as has been said here many times before. If it isn't, it is coming down and it WILL hurt you. You can then squeeze the secondary latch tabs inward with a pair of channel locks and drop it through the retaining hole and take the tire off the carrier. Mine was frozen completely and I don't think I ever would have been able to work it enough from underneath to get the tabs to clear. Spray the 3 retaining bolts very well beforehand because they use those speed nut style clips, not regular hex nuts and 1 or 2 of them are inside the boxed frame so if it breaks and the "nut" portion starts spinning...you're in a ball game. Thanks again for all of the replies and advice.
So what is the consensus on replacement carrier assemblies for our trucks? I know that Dorman sells a replacement but some people here did not like it. What are the other options? I used one from a junkyard or the factory part? Opinions? Thanks
Tiggerr
Member
I think the dorman has a plain steel cable IIRC...as opposed to the OE unit which is stainless cable...I got an OE one when I replaced mine and ground off the secondary latch...
the doorman one I bought doesn't have the secondary latching in the design. I suspect that it will outlive the truck... maybe.
Mooseman
Moderator
Here's my review of the Dorman part:
Dorman now has spare tire hoists
I wouldn't trust it unless you live in the desert or maintain it religiously by greasing the cable to prevent corrosion. I would rather find a good used one in a pick-a-part and disable the secondary latch, which is not necessary because the OEM cable is stainless steel.
Dorman now has spare tire hoists
I wouldn't trust it unless you live in the desert or maintain it religiously by greasing the cable to prevent corrosion. I would rather find a good used one in a pick-a-part and disable the secondary latch, which is not necessary because the OEM cable is stainless steel.
Thanks for the replies and information guys. I read that the Dorman, although not stainless, has a coating on the cable to prevent rusting. Wonder why they didn't just spend the extra little bit on the stainless cable so nobody would have any issue with it. Does anyone here have a factory spare or an extra that they took off and are looking to sell? I'd rather give money to a forum member than a company. If you do please PM me directly. Thanks again.