I am in New Orleans and moving my daughters furniture from her bedroom to Jackson MS using my F150Ltd. I got a low out on a country road and could not lower the spare. I never used it before about 37,000 miles on truck. A pagger by helped, a Deputy Sheriff Helped, so I called a wrecker who took off the blown tire drove me to get a new one and put it back on. Took beteen 3-4 hours to do all that. I stopped in a Ford Dealer in Clinton MS but they were tooo busy to help so I kept on driving. On the return trip I stopped in a Ford Dealer in Purvis MS who was nice but needed me to return the next day for any repair work. So I moved on, asked a tire shop who said get new rim and tire, over $200.00 and arry in bed until I could get to dealer. I am now in Metairie La and called the dealer who wants me to make an appointment next week leave truck a day for him to see about the spare tire problem. I need to head back to jackson MS again and do not have the time to make appointments and wait days to get the spare tire down. Is there another way to ge that tire off except to cut it down with a torch?? That is what another tire dealer suggested.

 

I am in New Orleans and moving my daughters furniture from her bedroom to Jackson MS using my F150Ltd. I got a lbow out on a country road and could not lower the spare. I never used it before about 37,000 miles on truck. A passer by helped, a Deputy Sheriff Helped, so I called a wrecker who took off the blown tire drove me to get a new one and put it back on. Took beteen 3-4 hours to do all that. I stopped in a Ford Dealer in Clinton MS but they were tooo busy to help so I kept on driving. On the return trip I stopped in a Ford Dealer in Purvis MS who was nice but needed me to return the next day for any repair work. So I moved on, asked a tire shop who said get new rim and tire, over $200.00 and arry in bed until I could get to dealer. I am now in Metairie La and called the dealer who wants me to make an appointment next week leave truck a day for him to see about the spare tire problem. I need to head back to jackson MS again and do not have the time to make appointments and wait days to get the spare tire down. Is there another way to ge that tire off except to cut it down with a torch?? That is what another tire dealer suggested.

 

What year is the truck?

 

I have been under it most of today looking to see and only managed a deep gash in my right hand. I will bring it to a Welding Shop tomorrow AM and have them cut the tire down as I cannot wait the time the dealers are saying it will take to just get a spare tire off.

 

Just a guess but don't they use the handle from the emergency jack through the spare tire crank hole (under tailgate)?

If a 2002 or higher, there might also be a spare tire lock, which requires a key (don't know, have a ranger).

 

I got the key out of the glove box followed directions nothing happened. The passer by who helped did the same, the Deputy Sheriff said he had a similiar model and it has a key too. He tried. The wrecher service showed up in another Ford with key in glove box we tried his key too to no avail. The service rep in Purvis MS said he thought the mechanism was broken and needed to be replaced but could only take me the next day. I couldn't sleep in the truck though, and now all the dealers want days before they can see the truck and make any repairs. I ain't got days to wait on stuff like that, I'll either get it cut off or take my chances again. Seems silly to make a mechanism that when you need the spare it takes all this time to find things out. It is a new tire sitting under my truck with no way to get it off.

 

So are you saying that you took the spare handle out from underneath the hood of the truck and inserted the spare handle into the rear bumper opening and turned it counterclockwise to lower the spare tire , but this did not work?

 

I also called the Ford Help line and they suggested I make the appointment with the dealer and have the dealer make the necessary repairs. I explained if it were not for a disaster,not that I had to get my stuff from the storm, that I had only one truck and needed to get things done so I and my daughter could get back to our jobs I would not mind waiting a few days BUT the thing is broken when I need it most and there seems to be little else to do but cut the tire off so I can use it without having to buy a new rim and tire to carry in the truck bed in case I get a flat again. I think Ford has made a faulty devise that was in effect a hidden defect. Oh I was also informed of the recall on my truck too and urged to get that repair done ASAP so it does not catch on fire.

 

ok i 'll give it a shot. when you insert the key does it turn the lock? if it does turn it to unlock and pull straight out the entire lock will come out. next take the long jack crank under the hood of the truck an place it through the hole where the key was removed push it it until you feel it engage then turn the crank. it will lower the tire.

 

No long handle under hood. Only a 2 piece with jack under seat. The key just turns and nothing happens. The key attaches to the jack handle per the instructions with the jack, but the thing turns and no tire comes down. If it were as easy as that I would have expected the 2 dealers I spoke to would have offered to show mw. I have other jack handles but they do not activate withou a key I assume? The key just turns in the hole.

 

There is no long handle under hood but I do see the retaining clips where it was supposed to be. The only people to work on my truck has been the dealer, so the dealer removed that long handle and never put it back in. I did have the dealer put on a trailer hitch when it was new and I remember the spare tire had to be removed but I never asked questions or looked to see if the dealer put things back. So I think what happened is the dealer messed up my truck when they did the trailer hitch and never put the long handle back under the hood. So I now know who but they are flooded out and closed now. And I wonder why the dealers I topped in to ask for help were not as helpful as a stranger on a web forum?

 

As you see I have tried and tried to get the spare down, stopped at 2 dealers, called 2 others. Read the instuctions, and find out that my original dealer did not put things back where they belong. I am thinking GM right now and I may just take this thing and trade it in on anything that does not cause a problem that takes so much time to get information on, and still un resolved. And today I was sitting close to my neighbors house to resolve a few issues before I get back on the road. What a mess and Ford was no help when I called the help line 2 times.

 

> I did have the dealer put on a trailer hitch when it was new

Okay, NOW we have the information needed. What has happened is when the person put the spare tire back up they probably used an air tool, which is -okay- except some idiots will use an impact gun instead of a 1/4 inch air ratchet (which has a max of 20 ft pounds) and they probably snapped the cable or destroyed the assembly.

Which explains why the handle was not put under the hood, it was not forgotten, but, destroyed and twisted by the impact gun.

I have never worked on the newer (2001->) F-series, but, if it is anything like the older models and Explorers you will need to grind the disc off in the center where the cable is held or slip a sawzall in there with a 12" metal blade and cut the cable.

What you might do is using a 3/8 drive air tool is get a jack handle and try spinning it off while someone prys down on the tire. Once you get it low enough then you can cut the cable with a sawz-all.

 

I will go to the 3 rd today, just trucks and beg them to help me get the spare off. If they do not help next week I will take whatever action necessary to get it off. I assume you are right the dealer when they put on the trailer hitch messed things up and there was no way for me to find out until I got a flat. Nice guys! They were caught in the storm too and are closed right now. When yhey open I will try to get to the Service Manager and let him know what a problem they caused by very poor workmanship.

 

GOOD NEWS! Went to Cresent Ford Trucks, Jefferson Highway near New Orleans. The Service Man was excellent after telling him the situation he took truck in and tried to get spare down but finally said the mechanism was jamed and had to cut the spare off. Said when things settle down come back and they can replace cut parts, etc. He never charged me for anything and said the other dealers should have been able to help too. That is why they call it Ford Service. So I have my unused spare in the truck bed chained up and can get back on the road to moving my daughter to jackson, MS. Apparently the dealer who added on the trailer hitch messed up the spare mechanism and never told me or attempted to fix it. This dealer said it would have been easier to fix the problem then rather than have all this mess now. I agreed with him after taking hours of my time to correct the problem.