Spare Tire Stuck (Need Help)

Solarplex

Solarplex

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Sep 15, 2014
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Okay so I'm trying to get the spare tire to drop down. I get the tire iron and everything in place and loosen the spare from the rear as stated in the manual. Only thing is when I loosen it all the way it stays dropped about 2 inches and doesn't drop any further. The mileage on the car is 120K. I don't believe the spare has ever been removed so it's been up there at least 8 years.

exactly the same placement and mechanics as the envoys / blazers. Hoping someone has some advice.
 
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BlazingTrails said:
Have you tried wiggling the tire or pulling down on it? Tighten it back up and drop it again? I have heard of a lot of problems from these but mine has never stuck on me.
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Yeah I tried forcing a number of ways & tightening it back up and dropped it. Nothing worked.


Grimor said:
sounds like the secondary latch is catching.

[youtube video]
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Thank You Grimor this is certainly the case. Shits rusty as all hell



appreciate the feedback guys
 
I had to completely destroy mine to get the tire down. Wasn't too happy but fortunately had a few tools on board. No way will I be replacing it with the unreliable OEM design that's for sure!
 
BlazingTrails said:
I've heard of a couple of people that removed the Jack and used a ratchet strap. Lol
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well I'm certainly glad I decided to attempt to take this off at home & not when i have a flat. I will be putting it on my roof with straps 100%
 
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I've been told the dorman replacement doesn't use the secondary latch system. For now, I have mine strapped down in the cargo area. Dry and easily accessible... it will probably stay there until I need that space for something else :yes:
 
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I had to take the spare hoist assembly off, used a floor jack to support weight of wheel. 3 bolts I believe that came off easy. Cut it free once on the ground. Sits in the back now.
 
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stickypoop said:
I had to completely destroy mine to get the tire down. Wasn't too happy but fortunately had a few tools on board. No way will I be replacing it with the unreliable OEM design that's for sure!
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Solarplex said:
well I'm certainly glad I decided to attempt to take this off at home & not when i have a flat. I will be putting it on my roof with straps 100%
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:rotfl:
 

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I had posted a review of the Dorman tire hoist and can't recommend it because the cable is made of regular steel:

http://gmtnation.com/forums/topic/9454-dorman-now-has-spare-tire-hoists/?hl=%2Bdorman+%2Btire

Go to post #33.


You may be able to save your existing hoist. Don't keep trying to turn the crank as that is what will destroy it. Maybe getting a pry bar in there to get the latch to let go might work. Some have kicked the shit out of the spare to get it to drop. After you do get it down, pull the entire cable out and inspect it for fraying from trying to get it down. If all's good, grease it up and put the tire on it upside down (valve down) and no longer worry about it.
 
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Mooseman said:
I had posted a review of the Dorman tire hoist and can't recommend it because the cable is made of regular steel:

http://gmtnation.com/forums/topic/9454-dorman-now-has-spare-tire-hoists/?hl=%2Bdorman+%2Btire

Go to post #33.


You may be able to save your existing hoist. Don't keep trying to turn the crank as that is what will destroy it. Maybe getting a pry bar in there to get the latch to let go might work. Some have kicked the shit out of the spare to get it to drop. After you do get it down, pull the entire cable out and inspect it for fraying from trying to get it down. If all's good, grease it up and put the tire on it upside down (valve down) and no longer worry about it.
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Is that secondary latch supposed to be a safety device or something? I don't recall hearing a lot of stories of spare wheels flying out from under trucks?

I have always kept my spare wheels stored valve down so I could regularly check the air pressure without dropping it. :thumbsup:
 
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BlazingTrails said:
Is that secondary latch supposed to be a safety device or something? I don't recall hearing a lot of stories of spare wheels flying out from under trucks?

I have always kept my spare wheels stored valve down so I could regularly check the air pressure without dropping it. :thumbsup:
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the latch is a safety feature. It is supposed to catch the tire in the event that the cable breaks or otherwise fails. Having taken out an oil pan hitting a tire in the road before, I don't mind a little extra safety there. Would really suck to be following a truck and take a full size tire to the windshield if it came off.
 
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Lots of good info in this thread.

Mooseman said:
I'll just keep my old one made with stainless steel cable and keep putting the spare upside down to prevent the secondary latch from jamming. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this product :no:
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I haven't yet braved dropping my space since I got my truck in August. The hoist and spare tire look pretty gnarly so I think I'll buy the GM part (25911640) and just replace it and keep the spare upside down.
 
200,000+ miles and 11 years of salted NY highways, I'd be surprised if it worked in any way. I need the confidence of this part to work perfectly. Strangely, most of my flat tires happen when it's raining and the last thing I need is a questionable spare hoist.
 
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When spares were first put in with cables and hoists, there were lots of reports (and resulting lawsuits) of spares falling due to cable breakage. All were from rusted cables. Shortly after, car makers started using stainless cables to replace those as well as using them in all vehicles after that. I do believe recalls were issued for this. Haven't heard anything since then (late 80's early 90's) about falling spares. My 08 Montana has an under mounted spare and doesn't have a secondary latch, just the hoist cable. Our trucks also use stainless cables. I think GM was being (surprisingly) over cautious because it's a full sized spare. Only reason for replacing them is people continuously turning it while the secondary latch keeps holding the spare, destroying the cable. I have absolute confidence with having the tire upside down with no secondary latch.

Dorman decided to use regular rust prone steel cables in their replacement hoists, which was the reason for me to not recommend them, especially since they removed the secondary latch. I can see lawsuits for them in a few years.

Toyota are recalling 04-11 Siennas because they tried to go cheap with steel cables and is now rearing its ugly head. They first tried to use some sort of splash shield and rust inhibitor for the cable but that didn't work. So much for Japanese quality :biggrin:
 
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It seems silly not to use a stainless cable. It's not like it's a huge cost savings. 250 foot of 1/8 gal cable is $80.00, stainless is $160.00.
 
A cable is no different than any other machine. It has multiple parts (wires) and as with any machine needs regular maintenance.

Anytime I change oil I rotate my tires this gives me a chance to check each wheel, tire strut, etc... At the same time I drop the spare and check it out. When lowering the spare I crank the cable out as far as it will go then I apply lube to the cable (usually WD-40) and lube up the mechanism.
 
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WD40, contrary to popular belief, is a poor long term lube as it evaporates fairly quickly and leaves the metal bare. Grease would be a better choice.
 
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This is one spot where lithium spray grease might work well. As the cable spools up, it'll get smooshed around.

I don't use lithium on door hinges, it just seems to sit there never soaking in. Spray oil gets in better.
 
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Has anybody tried graphite spray? We use it on our forks on our donkeys ( truck carried forklift) and various other parts on em.. We use graphite because we travel a lot of gravel and wd40 n grease collect dust like crazy.. Just my $.02..
 
Midnyteryder196 said:
Has anybody tried graphite spray? We use it on our forks on our donkeys ( truck carried forklift) and various other parts on em.. We use graphite because we travel a lot of gravel and wd40 n grease collect dust like crazy.. Just my $.02..
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I would think the grease on the cable would collect dirt and therefore moisture leading to rust/deterioration and eventually failure...?
 
Gotcha.. Lol. I was a lil confused as to why you quoted me as I was talking about the graphite and you was talking about grease.. Lol. But it's all good haha
 
GM recommends putting the jack under the center of the tire and using the jack to push up on the release mechanism. Still takes a bunch of your best curse words. Details are in the owners manual.
 
The problem is the secondary latch. Cable is stainless steel and won't rust but the latch is garbage and rusts solid in the snow belt. Flip the spare upside down (valve down) or grind off the latch, problem solved.

Dry graphite might be a good choice for some applications but what about it washing off? Will it protect from rusting?
 
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The latch doesn't catch if its in valve down, I'd just as soon drop it every 6 months/year and grease the cable and latch mechanism when I grease my hinges and latches.
 
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Interestingly my Silverado does not have that safety latch. So I'm planning on flipping the Envoy's spare.
 
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Neither does my Montana. With stainless cables it's not needed.
 
friends, dry graphite is for locks, not a cable.
I've worked in construction for only 38 years, and one thing you learn early is that any cable has to be lubed "internally" as well as externally.
Cables need lubrication internally so they can move easily against one another.
 
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I used synthetic marine grease that I used to lube the wheel bearings on my boat trailer.
 
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