1996 dodge caravan...i cranked the cable down but the wheel & tire barely budges. it's a little loose but i 2 feet of cable on the floor. what am i missing? the plastic piece in the center of the hub was tight in place????

 

Piggybacking in here: I've got a similar vehicle (1999 Voyager, base) which had no tire carrier or spare when I bought it. What do I need to obtain in order to carry a spare, and does anyone have recommendations as to where to purchase a jack / tools?

 

Check your local junk yards. Or eBay.

 

I don’t know if Dodge had the same problem, but older GM tire hoists had a safety catch on them that would eventually rust solid and wouldn’t allow the tire to come down even though the cable had slack. The only fix was to remove the mounting bolts for the hoist and torch it off, then install a new one. It’s a royal PITA even with the car on a lift, so you might want to consider a shop to at least remove it for you if you have no way of lifting the van.

Are you having trouble finding aftermarket replacements?

 

I'm not exactly sure what to shop for (as far as the carrier). There doesn't seem to be anything left under the van where the spare tire should go.

 

If the supporting framework is still there, you’ll just need a replacement hoist and mounting bolts. I haven’t looked for anything on your van, but aftermarket manufacturers like Dorman have several replacement hoists available. You can start by checking their website- dormanproducts.com - or just do a google search for your van plus spare tire hoist.

 

There's a Dorman tire hoist available for the 2000-03 Caravan, but the manufacturer says it won't work on the 1999 model. Can anyone speak to the differences and advise me as to what I should be looking for?

 

Found this -
https://www.factorychryslerparts.com...4860662AA.html

This website lists the same hoist for a 99 voyager or a 2000 grand caravan. I don’t know if that’s accurate but if you give them your VIN they should be able to verify what you need.