Had my first blow out today. Never saw a thing, didn't feel a bump or anything. I heard a noise like my load in the bed had shifted, so I stopped to check it out. Rear driver's tire was on the rim with a 3" tear from edge of tread to the middle of the sidewall. Took out the jack and lifted her up. Got to the spare tire access lock and was surprised to find that my ignition key wasn't working in the lock. After many attempts, and a little WD40, she unwillingly turned. I was very bummed to find that after 3 years (04 bought as 05 trucks came out) how much the lock has deteriorated. The key part under the flip-up cap was like new. However, the back (exposed side) was rusted and packed with dirt, not wanting to turn and allow access to the spare tire crank. Thank god it wasn't raining, snowing, or bitterly cold today. It would have made for a real bad time. Just a FYI guys, periodically check the lock for function. You don't want to be on the side of the road with a flat tire at night, only to find the spare can't be accessed due to a frozen/seized lock cylinder....

 

Good advice.

 

I just realized what that was the other day. It is a good idea that it is locked to prevent theft, but I can see that it could be a pain. Mine however still works nice and smooth. What part of the world you live in? Maybe it is the salted roads in the winter that caused the corrosion.

 

I drop and check my spare every month, and I use GDL lube on the lock assembly. If I had a flat, I could swap it out in like 5 minutes or less, because I've got a floor jack, bottle jack, 2 jack stands, and the scissor jack, along with a regular torque wrench, plus the fact that I drop it 12 times a year. Ain't no flat gonna scare me off!

I pay much more attention to detail than any service center would.

Oh and AAA is for sissies...

 

That's just half the problem with this design. Just wait till the day the cable rots thru and your spare falls out from under your truck. If your lucky it will happen at a slow speed on an empty road, but then again, it might be the highspeed lane when your doing 80. Ever see a 80 pound spare tire bounce off a car at speed? (I haven't, mine fell off on that empty country road)

 

That's scarry info! Thanks!........

 

I ran over a spare because someone lost theirs like that with my '88 T-bird. I was going about 50 on a dark road right off the air base. All of a sudden this black blob pops up and I know what it is but I couldn't stop in time. I nailed that tire dead center and shattered my air dam. Lucky it got caught there and slid with me. Would of been a bitch had I got on top of it. Would of done hell worse had it not been in the center of the lane. Talk about pissed that night.

 

Now if you think flyin' tires are bad... try flyin' tool boxes.

About 3 years ago an empty medium sized tool chest came flying off the back of a F150 on the highway doing 60 mph. Hit that sucker dead on and got it wedged under my Escape. Messed up the bottom of the bumper pretty badly. But I couldn't get the dude's plate number. I just pulled over to the side of the road got out and assessed the damage... and I said screw it. I just put the thing in reverse, until it came out. I then got back out and I looked at it, and I took it for my scrap metal collection.

Ticked me off though...

 

I had a to swap a flat on a company F350 one time and there was a very small rock stuck next to key piece on the truck for the spare lock(the kind that you get the tool for it in the glove box) Luckily I was in the shop, I cut the cable. Those spare tire carriers are useless. I'm gonna get a chain and a lock, my spare can ride in the bed of my truck chained to a tie down, can't risk not being able to get it off my truck when I need it.

 

I was thinking of taking mine off during the winter months.. only because it can get nasty under there and if I get a flat, I want to go to school/work looking like I didn't dive into a mud pit from messing around with a filthy spare.

The best thing to do with a spare is to get a bike cable lock and put an end if through a tie down... because it won't scratch up the spare and it won't make any annoying rattles.

 

Can I call a one-upper???

Good advice though OP...I found the same thing out after my first flat, my next 5 were much much easier(I will never own general tires again in my life)

 

NE Ohio. Definately added by the salted roads. Just thought I'd post a heads up. And my tire was the Hankook 235/70/17R, no idea what caused the flat.

 

Keep a set of gloves and something clean to kneel on at all times in the vehicle for when you may need to change a flat. Some no water hand cleaner will help too, but not a replacement for gloves.

It doesnt matter how clean you stay here. If its hot in the summer, you'll be soaked before you walk to the rear of the truck. You'll smell like wet dog once you get back into the a/c.

Thanks for the heads up. I am going to check the airpressure and the function of my spare today.

 

I've only dropped mine once, and no doubt it was after a long drive in the rain, luckily my truck is new enough that it works just fine. Don't think my truck will see much if any driving this winter, so I should be okay, but I'll be throwing the spare in the box just the same while I can take it off with ease.