Yup, my cable broke. Back end of truck was lifted for a moment from the impact of the tire bouncing back up into the bottom of the back bumper. Totaled the bumper and spare tire heat sheild. Tire went through an electric livestock fence. Glad no life was hurt. Just mine was in shock. 2011 Ram 3500 Cummings with 58000 miles. I had never dropped the spare nor inspected the cable (I will for now on). Dodge dealer won't do anything to help and Chrysler Corp. will not either stating that it was because I did not buy any extra warranty.

 

Happens occasionally, on every pickup to ever use that type of system.

 

Yep. Best to add another cable and loop it through your hitch loops. It may drag a bit if it falls off but it won't go through anyone's windshield....Plus mine is padlocked so no one will steal my spare.

 

Thanks Ramulak, I sometimes have to learn the hard way. Could of been worse fer sure. I will put a safety cable in as you do, that sounds wise.

 

What ever you use to lock it, pack the lock with grease. Nothing like a frozen rusted up lock along side the road and no way to get it off.

 

LOL....So true and also keep the key someplace in the truck so you aren't searching around for it. Although you don't have to lock it at all if you don't want. Just latch a carabiner to it. Anyway, yeah I bet that sucked having that tire fall out. Up in NH we just had a truck lose a tire off a manufactured home (Half a double wide) trailer. Bounced off an off duty cops car and through the windshield of a woman's car. Killed her. I sure don't want that to be this guys fault.
If you google "Tire kills" you'll get a few stories. So it does happen more often than you'd like. Sad.

http://www.texas-wrongful-death-lawy...ident-i-93.htm