I am the original owner. I thought of the hardware route. I also have the original lock.

 

BG has the slip hanger. Autozone has the spring clips for both sides. Tractor supply has the bolt you will need for the other side, they even have it in grade 8 steel. I am assuming that you either have the steel crosspiece and hardware to mount the tire to the crosspiece "carrier" and that you have actually used one of these carriers in the wild. It is designed to be dropped on one side by loosening the slip hanger, dropping one side of the carrier off of the slip hanger collar to the ground, removing mounting hardware to release tire from crosspiece, remove spare tire, rehang crosspiece onto slip hanger and securing the safety cable. Safety must be secured because now there is no tire in the hanger to apply force and the hanger could loosen and fall while moving.

https://shop.broncograveyard.com/mob...uctinfo/35370/

 

Thanks for the info guys! I found the retainer nut at Green Sales Co. online, Part no. 384581s100.