Spare Tire Winch

[45Kevin]

So I decided to take off the spare tire today and lube the little winch that hoists it up under the rear of the box. I do this periodically.

Well it is alway a bitch of a time to get the rod in to the winch to crank it down. The tire seems to be up to high for the rod to go in properly and I need to yank down on the tire as I insert it.

Does everyone with that type of spare tire holder have the same problem?

My spare is a 235/85/16, about a 31x9.5".

 

[Bear]

Hi Kevin,

I can't speak for anyone else, but I have the same problem and the same size spare tire.
If the tire isn't cranked up tight against the underside of the bed, it will wobble.
I did mark my crank/rod with some tape to denote how far in to shove it past the opening in the rear valence. Mine seems to be mounted at an angle.

Anyhow, I rarely ever get flat tires. It's just that when I do get a flat, my temper is already bad, and hassling under the truck doesn't help any.
I say, just go with the flow, run good tires. There's too much else to fret over.
My two cents !

 

[DanS HJ-45]

It's just that when I do get a flat, my temper is already bad, and hassling under the truck doesn't help any.

LOL! Possibly more true than anything ever posted on this forum.

Dan

 

[Bear]

To be more honest, guys, I just hate changing tires out on the road:

I remember a night many years ago, during a heavy snowstorm up here in the mountains, my friend the local Forest Ranger pulled up in front of the house with a flat she got rolling over a rock hidden on the road covered in thick snow. She had an old International station-wagon thing, covered in grease and mud and dirty snow.

She nonchanantly handed me some kind of crank and pointed to a spare tire somewhere under the bowels of the Tank she was driving. Now, even though my masculinity was at stake, I meekly asked her if she had an Automobile club card, and let's go inside by the wood stove.

I made the phone call, and a half-hour later up rolls the tow truck-- driver gets out in his overalls and slicker and with a huge dose of machismo, starts playing with the tire roll-down release mechanism. Pretty soon he's on his back under her heap in the dark fiddling with something. Yep, it was rusted, and frozen, as he informed me while lying there in the slushy muck under her car. The box wouldn't release worth beans, and here he was the professional.

Sos, he hooks it up to his tow truck and drove soaking wet and filthy down the mountain to work on it in his--heated and dry shop. Yep, I was smug and felt vindicated for my whimpiness.

The lesson here for me: chivalry is great--when the weather is fine, the vehicle new, the spare's in the trunk, and the driver's a helpless, luscious blonde. Alas, none of these criteria applied in this case !!

I know, I know, there are words that apply to me--just ask my ex-wives !!

 

[45Kevin]

Yeah, I hear ya. I have never had to change the tire on the road or trail.....but it needs to there, just in case.

My winch was also on an angle and I took it off and remounted it with some washers on the rear two bolts to make it more level with the hole in the valance under the tailgate.

I'm sure that Toyota didn't mean for us owners to have so much hassle getting the spare tire off, but even with the original skinnies on it, I think the same problem would exist.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

I find that it's a little easier to get the crank in if you kick the tire as far forward as possible....