How to lower/remove the spare tire?

[2003lx470]

Today (09/15/2015) went to Discount Tires to get wheels balance and rotated. Once on the lift, they ask me, how do you lower the spare? I had no clue and felt like an idiot. I told him let me check the Youtube. No luck.

My question: how to lower the spare on a 100?

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

In the bumper there is a square piece of plastic. Remove this and put the jack crank through the hole, and into the rear wheel pulley. Unwind it, and the tire will descend.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

If your spare has a lock on it, gfl. It's all in the owner's manual.

 

[n55luvr]

Some trucks have an optional spare tire lock that prevents the spare from being lowered unless you have the right key.

When you do try to lower the spare you are supposed to use the end with the hook (found in driver side compartment tool bag)

 

[LEX]

If you have a lock, the key should also be in that same tool bag.

 

[duggy]

Which Discount Tire in Houston was this so I know to avoid them?

 

[2003lx470]

Which Discount Tire in Houston was this so I know to avoid them?

This is in San Antonio, TX (used to live in Houston). I have been going to Discount Tires for years and this is the first time they wanted to check the air pressure in the spare.

 

[r3run33]

I have the best story with this; I got a flat a few years back going to buddies house for football game! Could not figure it out either lol I can laugh now cause many of us go thru this. So all my friends came to the parking lot where I pulled over with chairs! No lie it took us 2 hours to figure out one of the points on the stick thing is a lock to lower the tire. I have to say some of them were drinking But I was not lol. took 10 minutes to change tire but 2 hours to get the tire out from under car lol e all still laugh at it. The owners man could have done a better job describing what to do

 

[vilasman]

This may seem funny or stupid... I had a flat 2 summers ago at 3am on the side of I77 and didnt know. Thankfully AAA did

 

[bctlex]

Bought my LC a few months ago. Once we got the car home, I noticed the spare tire was swinging under the car instead of tucked-in tightly. Took me a while to figure out how to do it. I didn't see the little plastic that covers the opening in the bumper, so I was trying to figure out how to lower the spare from under the car. While trying different things from under the car, I kept thinking for the top vehicle in Toyota's line up, I cant believe it is this difficult to just lower the spare haha...

I should have post a question here... lesson learned!
Chris

 

[r3run33]

We still laugh about my experience with my friends! They laugh at my great Toyota but get this none of them still have same car from back then! So I'll keep my quirky spare till I can afford a Slee bumper

 

[crimsonaudio]

Shocking to me that any tire shop wouldn't be able to figure this out...

 

[Manhattan]

Shocking to me that any tire shop wouldn't be able to figure this out...

^THIS!^

I get that it's not intuitive. But for $&#* sake - ya'd think a team of "professionals" who spend 8 hours/day removing and replacing wheels could handle this. It's a Toyota - you know, the #1 selling brand in the US - not a Bricklin.

Granted, that's the 1st ding against Discount Tire I've heard or experienced. I've gotten three sets of tires and countless rotations there - all without a hiccup. Oh, and they were able to remove/replace my spare too.