Shop equivalent of the in the truck pin head spare tire tool (1 Viewer)

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Update: just cutting each pin 5.5mm shorter made it work for my truck. No need to bother with grinding the welds.

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Hi guys,

This is the tool used to rise/lower the spare wheel under the truck.
I played a bit with the OEM supplied tool and it is Ok for a flat change.
But for when I do tire rotations I would rather use a shop type tool (I do 5 wheels rotations).

I looked around and found this one listed as working for Japanese trucks.
Steelman Pin Head Spare Tire Tool for Accessing Cradle-Mount
I bought it from amazon for $25 and it is close to the LX tool but not quite. Here is a pic with the Steelman in the left and the OEM in the right.
1637725650324.png


Now I'm thinking if I should cut the pins/file the welds or keep searching.

Have you found something similar that works for our trucks?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Hi guys,

This is the tool used to rise/lower the spare wheel under the truck.
I played a bit with the OEM supplied tool and it is Ok for a flat change.
But for when I do tire rotations I would rather use a shop type tool (I do 5 wheels rotations).

I looked around and found this one listed as working for Japanese trucks.
Steelman Pin Head Spare Tire Tool for Accessing Cradle-Mount
I bought it from amazon for $25 and it is close to the LX tool but not quite. Here is a pic with the Steelman in the left and the OEM in the right.
View attachment 2846787

Now I'm thinking if I should cut the pins/file the welds or keep searching.

Have you found something similar that works for our trucks?

Thanks

I was thinking about the same thing a few weeks back. I rotate my own tires and do a five tire rotation as well. It would be nice to have an assembled tool hanging in the garage next to my tire iron.

From the looks of it, filing down the two posts should work. Let me know if you have any luck doing this; thanks for the Amazon link.
 
I put the snow tires on last month and realized I still have not made another shop tool that has been on the list for a while.

Thank you for reminding me.
 
Are you chucking it in a tool, or using it with a hand crank?

Seems like it'd be easy to fab up a tool to chuck in a cordless drill - some scrap tube, drill a hole crossways, then drive in a pin of suitable length in an interference fit. A cut off junk drill bit would make a fine pin.
 
Hi guys,

This is the tool used to rise/lower the spare wheel under the truck.
I played a bit with the OEM supplied tool and it is Ok for a flat change.
But for when I do tire rotations I would rather use a shop type tool (I do 5 wheels rotations).

I looked around and found this one listed as working for Japanese trucks.
Steelman Pin Head Spare Tire Tool for Accessing Cradle-Mount
I bought it from amazon for $25 and it is close to the LX tool but not quite. Here is a pic with the Steelman in the left and the OEM in the right.
View attachment 2846787

Now I'm thinking if I should cut the pins/file the welds or keep searching.

Have you found something similar that works for our trucks?

Thanks
Cut the pins to length. A hacksaw would work, but a Dremel cutoff wheel or air saw would make quick work of it.
 
Are you chucking it in a tool, or using it with a hand crank?

Seems like it'd be easy to fab up a tool to chuck in a cordless drill - some scrap tube, drill a hole crossways, then drive in a pin of suitable length in an interference fit. A cut off junk drill bit would make a fine pin.
The other end is a hex nut so I can use a socket with an electrical wrench to quickly lower the wheel.
Yes, you can make a tool, but I'm already over my ears in much larger projects fixing my house so I looked for just buying a tool.
 
Update: just cutting each pin 5.5mm shorter made it work. No need to bother with the welds.
I also updated the original post.
 

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