Yeah, I spun it like 25 times counter clockwise (yes, I counted) and got under there and banged on the spare and tried to get it loose, nothing. Guess I'm gonna go play stupid at the dealership.

 

Osteodoc:

As you have found (and remind us of), it is always a good idea to test these things in advance. My spare "lowerer" works just like the manual said, once I remembered to unlock and remove the anti-theft cable I'd put on it.

As for the lugnuts, I always make sure I can get them loose after ANYONE else has screwed with them. 135#? Crazy. I've yet to have a wheel come off after putting them on by hand "to feel," and i've gone over 220mph this way just fine. The only ones I torque to a spec are aluminum wheels on vehicles still under warranty.

 

how bout this? anyone had their spare tire melted by their exhaust pipe? I did...that sure sucks

[sm=WTFsgign.gif]

 

Hey, Hedley:

My "spare tire" could use a little melting. But, I'm not sure I want anyone to do it with their "exhaust pipe!"

 

What brand exhaust was it?

 

Flowmaster....it was just a softball-sized section in the tread...not melted all the way through, but enough to where I had to switch it out when I got new tires a few months ago

 

Now I'm wondering if maybe having a look at that setup in the daylight isn't such a bad idea. It never occurred to me that lowering a spare might give this many problems......Thanks for pointing this one out Doc

 

Doc,
Please let us know how this turns out.

 

I will as soon as I can make it over there. I will have some time about the middle of the month. I'll be sure to keep you guys updated

 

OK, I know it's an old thread, but **--bump--**

I'm having the same problem that osteodoc08 was having. The "tool" (3 bars plus the lug wrench) just does not fit down into the winch tube (or whatever the hell it's called). My real problem is that I NEED the spare tire.

I have a huge bolt in my front right tire now and cannot get my spare off to be able to at least get my truck to town. Luckily I decided to just drive it home last night and work in my garage rather than stopping on the side of the road in the dark, while it was snowing and 15 degrees outside -- I would have been royally screwed. I've searched all over for help on this and worked for three hours last night to try to get the spare off, but I can't come up with anything. The dodge 1-800 contact line was useless and no one from dodge has replied to my e-mail yet.

The service guy at my local place didn't know how to help me when I called him and said he can't really do anything unless he looks at it. I guess I'll have to pump the punctured tire back up w/air and try to drive into town this weekend to get the service guys to look at it.

I was so pissed last night that if I had gotten ahold of whoever designed this setup, I would have lowered my truck onto their head under the jack it's sitting on right now in my garage. I cannot believe they'd give you a tool of such importance to an emergency situation and it end up not being the proper tool.

If I was driving further from town right now in AK and had this problem, it could seriously turn into a life or death situation based on the winter tempuratures up here in the interior.I'm sure I could have survived on my winter kit in my truck - but it truely pisses me off to have this problem. Plus, I'm getting ready to leave for a TDY in a week and can only imagine if this happened to my wife when it's -10 outside and she was driving the truck.