Original Junior

I have a flat (obviously). I was working in my garage and heard a pop. The darn front valve stem blew. 03 dually w/ stock badyears. Well, I need new tires so I thought no problem until...I went to lower the spare. It seems the winch for the spare takes a almost lugnut type key in the tube to turn it. I tried to insert my jack extensions but they are square and the tube is round. I changed my 2nd gen numerious times, no prob. 1st time for 3rd gen & I need help bad. Did my truck come with the wrong extension set? Please help. Thanks.

Original Junior

I have this on the help forum too. Please, anybody, give me a little love. I can't believe this but I need help lowering a spare.

MedicShawn

There should be and extension set that came with all your jack hardware that will go up in there. How about a 3/8 or 1/2 inch socket extension?

Original Junior

The extension set is a square type tube where each extension snaps together. The extension won't go in far enough to turn the hoist/winch mechanism. Additionally, I put a flashlight to the tube and at the end it looks like one of those security keyed lugnuts. Meaning I would need some sort of special fitting to turn the mechanism. Make any sense? This is killing me. This is the 2nd dodge diesel I've owned. I do all my own work. And a darn spare has been my demise!

jtb51b

Did you buy it new? Sometimes people add locks to the wheels and get one for the spare as well. Nissan puts them on theirs as standard equipment (on an exterra). Might have to have one of those lock remover deals to get it off.

Just a thought.

Jason

P.J

My spare came with a "lock" courtesy of my local dealer they added it for a cool $45.00 before I bought the truck new.
It is an 8-10" long goldish color thingy (looks like a piece of 3/8 pipe or something). It is inserted through the hole in the back first, then the jack handle. It is supposed to keep people from dropping your spare on you.
Sounds like that's what you have too, looks like a soda machine lock end, right?
When I first bought my 01 I had to torch off the stupid cable that secured that one because of a special dealer suppled lock WITHOUT A KEY!

Original Junior

Bingo! That's it. Now where do they put the special key? Can I buy one from the dealer? I rememeber the same thing on my 2nd gen. Just like a soda machine lock. Yep, I bought this new and now I guess that dealer stuck it to me in the end.
Thanks for the help.

P.J

I got all ticked off once I got home with my truck, after a search, I couldn;t find this supposed lock they charged me for (that I didn't want in the first place)
When I went in for a re-flash I told them they owed me a lock, they were like, "it isn't on there?"

The tech reached under my passenger seat (where the jack now is?) and pulled out the magic "key" then proceded to show me where to stick it.......

(no, literally)

oktire

just a not is the valve stem all rubber to the cap or is there brass between the cap thread and the rubber base if it's all rubber them stems are only 45psi stems and i have seen them blow out good luck with your spair

Original Junior

Thanks guys. You are great. I found an old magic key thingy from my 2nd gen. I got it to work around 11:30 last night. I rode my bike into work today. Thank God the storms are not suppose to be hear until later. I went to Tires Plus and they are getting me some Toyo Open Country AT's in the stock size. I'm a little concerned since I can't find them on the Toyo website but they told me the tires are E rated. Maybe something new and I just lucked out. $181 for each tire. I'm sure if I looked hard I could find them cheaper but I'm in a pinch. As for the valve stems, yes they are all rubber from the factory . I made sure to tell the tire shop guy that I need heavy duty valve stems. They agreed totally and said that is all they put on the HD trucks. They should them to me and they are the rubber with the brass stem. Sound right to you all? Any experience wit the Toyo Open COuntry AT's? They had the Firestone Transforce but I need something a little more aggressive than those. I hate getting stuck in wet grass and looking like a moron. Thanks again for the help. And like someone else here warned us a week ago, check your valve stems. Heed the warning. I didn't and payed for it with stress and a long night. On the plus side, I may have lost 10 lbs in sweat last night.

Festus

I have no expirience with the Open Country A/T's, but I do have experience with the Toyo M-55's. When the sizes are available, we put them on all our company trucks for replacement of the OEM crap.

I'm no dealer, get kickbacks, or anything else for that matter. But what I do, do, is have the opportunity to test trucks and tires in the most god awful places the world has - hiway, gravel, dirt, rocks, snow, mud, grass, and any combination of the set at slow speeds, moderate, towing, and even emergencies as I'm on the emergency response team.

All I have to say, is that the Toyo M-55's get the best wear, longevity, and traction in all cases hands down over any tire I've run on personal, farm, or work vehicles - period. There is a diamond in the ruff, but few for some reason are trying them out. Maybe it's because they're rated as a commercial tire. Who knows, but they're not real popular on personal vehicles I've noticed and maybe tire dealers don't tell folks about 'em.

fsixrider

I have had two of those to fail, one was on a trip from Florida to Colorado, just after I stopped for fuel in Texas. Luckily I was stopped at the time. I had a spare with me and replaced it in the parking lot after changing the left inside dually.
When I got home I changed them ALL out to brass truck stems with about a 30 degree bend approx 1 1/4" long.

MR. GADGET

I keep valve stems in the tool bag I have had to change them on the road and trail in the past. Its good to have them with a patch and plug kit.
Only take a few mins to change a stem out.
Jon

Original Junior

Do you just press the stem into the wheel while the tire is on it? I thought about this for future reference but thought the stem only fit from inside the rim to the outside. That would require taking the tire off the rim. Either way, I got 6 new Toyo Open COuntry AT's. They track great and the ride is much better. It's early but I thing my fuel economy is up over the worn out badyears. One thing I noticed, and so did the wife, these Toyo's seem thinner than the badyears? I think they are listed as 9.1 inches wide. It looks like I might of been able to go to 285's but they are listed 2 inches wider I thought. That would be TIGHT! Anyway, these are great tires so far. Thanks for the help.

fsixrider

You have to break the bead and insert it from the inside. I did it in the parking lot by driving the truck on the tire real easy like. Good to keep a spare.