My part that holds the tire in is as rusty as yours but not`the underside of the truck.I will have to look into getting a new one..BTW cheap stainless will rust.

 

Stainless can rust, especially when in contact with a non stainless part, as the end of this cable apparently was.
I would assume that for automotive use like this, the cable would have to meet certain standards, and hence not "cheap" ,,, But you never know.

In any case, its rare for any stainless to rust through and through, beyond surface rust - And from my observations of the parts, the cable did not fail, and in fact does not even have surface rust.

 

Then what heck did fail if not the cable?

 

The cable terminates, and ties into a metal plug, surrounded by bushings.
This plug goes through the metal tongue that hold the tire in place.
Look at the pic at bottom of page 2, the retainer is not stainless and is rusted to hell.
You can see the cable, not a speck of rust on it - Where it met that retaining plug is what failed.

I suppose there must be a good reason for not making this part stainless ,,, Exactly what is is, I can't think of.

 

God damn that rust is horrible. I just moved up to Montana from Texas. There are some old cars here covered in rust, especially the back end. My truck has a little bit on various pieces underneath. My tire retainer has a couple of rust spots on it, but nothing like those pics.

 

Sorry to jack your thread, but my spare is loose and swinging around under the bed. How do I tighten that thing up?

 

There should be a tool with a hex shaped end with your jack (usually in the back of the cab). Insert this tool into a hole just above your rear license plate and rotate it to raise/lower your spare tire.

 

s10's and blazers have a similar setup maybe you can find one at a junkyard to use

 

My cables fine but the reel is stripped so I have 2 rachet straps holding it up.

 

CSX - Like Oren said, look for the tool, its under the rear seat, you might have to fold the seat up to access it if you never used it before, its tied down with velcro straps right in the middle.

wayfast - Sounds good in a pinch, but not a permanent solution, those straps can give at any time if they are the only things holding the tire in place.

rollin - I was ruling out a junkyard, as any I find are likely to be trashed also, but I am now thinking about it, don't really feel like blowing a C note on this thing ,, And they really are a breeze to get out, I thought it was going to give me hell.
I could probably even drill out the rivets holding my old one together, put in a new cable, and bolt it back up - My problem would come finding something secure enough to put on the end of the cable to hold the tire.
In fact, I probably don't even need to get it apart, there should be enough cable to operate just fine, its a matter of securing the end of the severed cable to the metal tongue with ,,,, Something.

Anyone know if stainless can be welded ?

You guys complaining about rust, man if you think mine is bad, you have never seen a rusty vehicle.
Mine is damm near pristine compared to many I have seen.
Just a fact of life living in these parts, never think that much about it.