I put a hitch and 7 pin connector on the other day that required to remove the spare while installing the hitch.

I used the special key to lower and raise the spare but it was a pain getting the spare back up. I had to constantly push in really hard on the rod to keep the key from skipping, otherwise it would just sit there and spin and catch.

Is this common? I would think they could do better with those keys. There's hardly anything on that key to make a good grab onto its counter part.

THANX

jpn

 

sometimes it takes a little effort to get the key to match up to the other end, but once it does it has worked fine for me. Is it the original key that came with the truck, there are several different versions of that key.

 

I'd hope its ther original key.!!! It'll work fine going down, but winding it back up is when the problem of having to push in really hard occurs to keep it from skipping. Visually the key's OK. I haven't looked down the tube yet..

Something I've noticed too is the spring on the key makes it sit at an angle when I put it on the crank rod. Is that spring supposed to come off? From what I can tell I see only one way to get the rod onto the key.

THANX

 

Don't take that spring off or the key will come off the rod and then you'll have to dig it out of the tube.

 

What is this key? My rod doesn't have anything special...

 

It's the key, comes in a plastic envelope, that allows you to remove the spare. It's usually in the glove box. It's an anti theft inverted socket looking thing that has a specific pattern on it that matches the pattern on the spare tire winch. It attatches to the crank rod thats under the hood to lower & raise the spare.

jpn

 

I dropped my spare last week when changing shocks. I just used the rod from under the hood, no 'key'. It worked fine.

 

I've seen a lot of people remove the lock and key and use a chain with a padlock instead. The stock key gets lost easily, gets junk in it so it doesn't work right etc.
To get the piece out that the key goes into you have to remove the winch but it's not all that hard to do.

 

hhmm... I guess mine didn't come with this key...

 

I agree with racerguy. Lower the spare if you can, lol, remove the plastic tube that guides the rod into the winch than you can pry the "lock" out of the winch, put the tube back on than throw the key and lock away and just use the rod from now on.