Far from normal conversations but.... Has anyone come up with a way to raise and lower your spare tire without killin yourself? The tires on the truck are pretty heavy and I an't gettin any younger.

I was thinkin of a crank of some kind or modifying a later model system to the first gens.

thanks

 

I wish I had pics but a friend of mine did one on his fathers truck...I will try and describe it.

He built a under bed mechanism that holds the tire via a cable that runs on a pulley. He has a latch pin that sticks out just under the bumper he pulls and den inserts a crank handle hooked to said pulley and lowers tire and then you can use hand;e for jack to drag tire from under the truck... re installation is just about as easy. Took him all of 2 hours to build maybe.
'

 

Toyota trucks from the 80s (at least) had crank systems. It was a chain on a notched pulley. There was a plate on the end of the chain that engaged the tire. There was a rod you stuck in from the rear pump that interfaced with the pully. You put a crank on the end of rod. Worked really slick. Maybe you could grab one from a junk yard and make it work?

Edit - Sorry, "rear bumper" not "rear pump"

 

These are the kinda things I am lookin for. If anyone has picts that would be even better. I realize you don't use it often but we are on the road a lot and sooner or later it would be real nice to have. I started loosing air in on of the tire the other day. I think the valve wasn't tight but anyway is stopped. I sure was glad I didn't have to mess with the stock system of removeing the tire. I suppose I could use the small floor jack I carry to lower and raise but if someone has a pict of one of these cable systems that may be the ticket.

 

Just about all vans, trucks, and SUVs, built in the last twenty years have a cable-hoist to lift/hold the spare underneath, requiring a shaft that is poked through a hole in the rear-bumper that engages the winch mechanism and is turned with a crank-handle.

These work real slick, providing they are used a few times each year and lubricated occassionally.


That being said, at our tire-shop, on neglected vehicles, where the spare has not been messed with in a couple years, we have had to cut loose several spares, on account of the winch mechanism being all salted and corroded.

As the mechanism resides above and inside the spare-wheel, there is no way to access the winch, in the event that it refuses to function, thus requiring it be cut down.



Properly cared for and lubricated, they will function flawlessly and take all the work out of spare-tire storage and removal.


Why they choose the winches from a Windstar is unknown to me; but, a lot of the guys over on the Ford site have robbed the spare-tire winch from Windstar vans and have had good success installing them.


Whichever vehicle you get the winch-mechanism from, be sure to also get the shaft and handle that operates it, or you will have to make one.

 

Yeah, I got tired of the idea of crawling under my truck with the pavement at 150 degrees. Thats why I built the rack to mount it to my rear bumper...Alot easier that way.

 

Gary, Why not use a 2nd gen cable lift, don't think it would be to hard to mount, i got at least 1 at the shop if ya wanna try and see if it works, i even have the spare outa my 92 so we can use mine as a mock up. if nothing else ill see if it's feasable this weekend and let ya know.
Scott

 

Thanks again guys. It's gotta go under the truck I pull a fifth wheel and I use the front hitch for something else. Just no where else to put it.

Scott
That sounds great. Let me know whatcha find out. I'll PM ya.

 

have you ever tested your small floor jack on the truck? I had a flat one time, and a guy noticed and offered his jack, a small one ton floor jack in a case. It didnt even think about lifting the front end of my truck off the ground.

 

Yeah it works great. I only use it while on the road, mostly for greasing the front end but it does fine. Now I only lift one side at a time. It may lift the front end but I never tried. This wasn't one of the 20 dollar ones. It was about 40 bucks if I remember correctly. I think it's a 2 or 2.5 ton. I can look if ya want me to. I really can't remember where I got it but I have had it for about 5 or 6 years.

 

just throw the tire in the back of the bed

 

If that were an option you really don't think I wouldn't have thought of that did ya?

With the 90gal transfer tank, tool box, fifth wheel hitch, ramps for the dirt bike and other stuff there just isn't any room. Unless I put it on the hood it has to go under the truck. Oh before you say the roof I carry a canoe there.

 

Hey Scott

Did ya get a chance to see about the spare tire hook up and if it would work?

 

Forgive me guys if someone said this already... BEWARE OF YOUR SPARE!!! Mine was under the truck for most of the trucks life, the "wingnut" was held in place so that the tire was held snug. When changing some tires around I decided that I should start rotating this perfectly good tire. Less than 5,000 miles I had a catastrophic blowout while towing my 32ft 5th wheel! (tire was on the front). just beware...

 

you shouldnt use a tire over the age of 10 yrs, i dont use any tire over the age of 5