spare tire
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 348
Likes: 10
From: Canada West
Whatever the correct name is for the part that is attached to the end of the cable. Let's say it is a widget.
The widget has a safety catch, a cog, that snaps into the frame of the truck. The widget prevents the tire from falling out if ever this is a problem with the cable or the winch. When the cable is tight, the cog is retracted and clears the frame, so the tire can lower. If the cable is slack, the cog on the widget extends and latch ears hook onto the frame just under the winch. May not be exactly correct in describing how it works, but the message is that there is a safety mechanism on the end of the cable and that is what is preventing the tire from lowering.
The widget, over time, get dirty and rusty. Clogs up with sand, rust, salt, and whatever else you've been trenching through. The pivot hinge needs to be cleaned and the cog needs to be freed and lightly lubricated. It is good practice to lower the spare and service the widget a few times each year. As it really sucks being on the side of the road in the dark in the rain or the blowing snow and laying under your truck not being able to get your spare tire down when you do actually need it.
To get your tire down. Lower the winch until the tire stops moving. It should come down about 4 to 6 inches then stop. Put on some safety glasses and a pair of good gloves. Lay on the ground under the truck, lean the tire aside, reach up over the top of the tire to the centre and grab hold of the widget. Feel for the bar in slot on the side of the widget. Lift the tire up about 1.5 inches. Squeeze that bar into the widget to retract the cog and clear the frame. The tire can then be lowered all the way down by the winch. Take the tire off. Thoroughly clean the widget and cog assembly so the bar retracts and extends smoothly.
If you drive back roads, salt roads, muck, etc regularly. Then the cog becomes a very real recurring maintenance and usage problem. In these cases, it may be best to just cut the latch ears off of it so it cannot hook on the frame. This removes the safety function from the spare tire. Cutting these off does not reduce the need to check the tire and winch function a few times each year. Makes check and service more frequently important to ensure the cable and winch are in good condition and will not be dropping your spare on the highway in front of fellow motorists.
Hope that helps!
The widget has a safety catch, a cog, that snaps into the frame of the truck. The widget prevents the tire from falling out if ever this is a problem with the cable or the winch. When the cable is tight, the cog is retracted and clears the frame, so the tire can lower. If the cable is slack, the cog on the widget extends and latch ears hook onto the frame just under the winch. May not be exactly correct in describing how it works, but the message is that there is a safety mechanism on the end of the cable and that is what is preventing the tire from lowering.
The widget, over time, get dirty and rusty. Clogs up with sand, rust, salt, and whatever else you've been trenching through. The pivot hinge needs to be cleaned and the cog needs to be freed and lightly lubricated. It is good practice to lower the spare and service the widget a few times each year. As it really sucks being on the side of the road in the dark in the rain or the blowing snow and laying under your truck not being able to get your spare tire down when you do actually need it.
To get your tire down. Lower the winch until the tire stops moving. It should come down about 4 to 6 inches then stop. Put on some safety glasses and a pair of good gloves. Lay on the ground under the truck, lean the tire aside, reach up over the top of the tire to the centre and grab hold of the widget. Feel for the bar in slot on the side of the widget. Lift the tire up about 1.5 inches. Squeeze that bar into the widget to retract the cog and clear the frame. The tire can then be lowered all the way down by the winch. Take the tire off. Thoroughly clean the widget and cog assembly so the bar retracts and extends smoothly.
If you drive back roads, salt roads, muck, etc regularly. Then the cog becomes a very real recurring maintenance and usage problem. In these cases, it may be best to just cut the latch ears off of it so it cannot hook on the frame. This removes the safety function from the spare tire. Cutting these off does not reduce the need to check the tire and winch function a few times each year. Makes check and service more frequently important to ensure the cable and winch are in good condition and will not be dropping your spare on the highway in front of fellow motorists.
Hope that helps!
Last edited by FaceDeAce; Mar 2, 2018 at 12:06 PM.