Use an open ended wrench to tighten up those nuts.

I just realized that your spare doesn't have a lock holding it in place? I haven't taken my spare down in a couple of years but I recall there was a lock and a rod I had to remove, then I cranked it down. So they later added a secondary system to secure the tire in place, and prevent theft.

 

Don't have a wrench that small off hand, else I would have.
These are some seriously dinky nuts.

Well, if it had a factory secondary restraining system, it is sure missing on mine and, it would seem, the majority of people in this thread.
Throw up a pic if you get the chance, I'd be interested to see what this rod ties into.

If you got your truck used, could be that someone, like me, lost a spare on the road, and rigged that up to prevent it from happening again.

 

Nah, I'm the original owner. I remember when I bought the truck the dealer giving me these two little master lock keys and I didn't know what they were for. They told me they were for the spare. I dunno if this lock was standard in 97 or part of the Laramie SLT package. The set up is really simple. The winch is the same as yours. Next to the winch there is a rod attached (not removable) to the bed. It slides down 7 or 8 inches and you slip that through one of the holes in the spare tires rim. When you have the wheel all the way up you slip the lock through the rod. The rod has notches in it for the lock to lock into. The lock is covered in plastic to protect it from road crap. It's a simple yet elegant design. I would get a pic but my camera is dead.

 

Well, I got a Laramie SLT, 96 though.
I'll have a look tomorrow, and see if it looks like anything was once there, sounds like a good setup.

 

I have a 97 and don't have that.
But I have seen similar systems on my dad's old 97 GMC and my mom's old 2000something Ford.
My dad's had a pad lock, and my mom's had a large socket kinda like those for security lugnuts.

 

Update - After closer examination of my improvised work last night, am not satisfied with it.

The loop is not slim enough to entirely clear the hole, and allow the shackle to take the weight of the tire, as intended.
So the cable loop itself would be taking the weight, and I don't think it would be too many months before the metal hole of the tongue starts corroding & cutting the strands of stainless.

Back to the drawing board, I have a mental picture of the perfect metal object I need, but I doubt if I'll find it.

I may just enlarge the hole, allowing the loop to clear and put the weight on the shackle, and put a grommet in the hole to prevent contact between the metal parts.

 

Thinking back I did lose a tire when i was about 20 or so.The only thing diffrent was it wasent a spair it was my back tire on my 69cuda.I put rims on with little money and i got 2 turns on the stock nuts and I thought it would be ok.I had to borrow money from pops to get mag lugs.I was taking my mom to the store when it fell off.

 

OK, I borrowed a camera and got you these pics. Hoprefully they can clear things up and I think you can fab something up like this yourself. I even too a pic of the manufacturer so if they still exist you can contact them and get the parts if you like. If not I think you could create a rod like this hanging from the bottom of the bed, cut a few holes in it and run a pad lock through it.

BTW on your improvised winch, why dont you create something similar to the end part that was there by using a strong washer and a bushing of some kind at the end and hooking up the cable to it. Instead of using the clip with the nuts why not use a pressure clamp where you just crimp it shut. I have made many cables with loops on the end and I just use a crimp clamp (I forget what they are called). Those crimp ends are pretty strong too. I once had my Honda die a few blocks from my house and didn't feel like paying $100 to be towed 3 blocks so I got one of my home made cables and towed my Honda home behind my truck. Before you ask, no I did not have a tow cable or I would have used it. Had to do it at night so no cop would catch me, hehehe.

 

I know you guys must be jonsin' for the latest installment of my tire winch saga, I've kept you waiting long enough !

I enlarged the hole from the size of a dime to the size of a nickel, put a grommet in, and now the weight of the tire will be on the shackle, as originally intended - And no metal to metal contact between the cable & tongue.
The weak point of this setup were the nuts, even heavy duty locktite may not have kept them from spinning off, so I slobbered them with JB weld ,,, And of course now, they'll never come off, even if I want them to.

Not a bad idea about the crimping Ram, don't have one handy, and I wanted to keep cost down on this, I spent maybe $5 for the clamps and grommet.
I don't mind buying specialty tools if I think I may use them in the future, but I don't see much cable crimping coming up for me.

Rod looks like a nice piece of work, maybe I'll rig up something along those lines.

 

Well, its not over.

I briefly considered this before I started, but dismissed it as being improbable.
The tire is about 2 inches from stop position - The same 2 inches that I used for the loop.
The cable is pulled up right to the the 1st clamp, and thats as far as she goes.
The tire is safely over the rear axle, to be sure ,,, But I don't like the idea of it floating around, that is bound to weaken the cable.

So it looks as though I'm going to have to cut off those clamps in place and start again.

Found something in my garage that looks perfect.
Its a hood pin for classic cars. It is pretty thick, has a hole in it at top big enough to fit the cable through and, best yet, it is threaded for about 3 inches on the bottom.
I could stick it through the tongue, pass the cable through and loop it again, then put on the nut, which would hold it in place in the tongue.
It would be about 2 inches or more above where it is right now - Perfect.
Am already having reservations due to the fact that it is likely just chromed cheap steel, and might not be up to a job like this.

I did see some holes in the frame there that would pretty much line up with a hole in the tire.