I decided to check my '05 spare to see if it had any air in it. My lock was stuck also. I managed to get it off after wd-40 treatment to the front and rear. I've never removed it, so after 7 years, I guess I got really lucky. Oh, and the spare had all of 15 psi. Good thing I never needed it.

I found that a 35mm film canister fit perfectly over the lock, a little snug, and way too long. I cut it in half on a band saw to make it just right. Can you still buy 35mm film? The canister was probably worth more than the stupid lock... Oh well.






Next, I filled it with CV joint grease, which is fairly waterproof. Then I jammed it on. Had to remove it and put a little more in before it squirted out.



Then I rubbed the excess grease into the rust. Might as well use all of it. Oh, and I always keep a roll of paper towels under the seat. The outside of the lock has a nice foam washer, so I don't think it will seep through and get on the CPS bumper cover. Maybe someday the wd-40 will probably wash off. Or not. (A friend's dad worked at Ford in the CPS department. According to him, CPS stands for cheap plastic s**t.)

Thinking back to my 97 F150, I think I used a round garbage can lid to make a "roof" for the spare tire. It was a solid steel wheel, with no holes or anything. Probably had 10 pounds of dried mud caked on top of it when I bothered to check it. I had to cut a slot in the lid for the cable, then just winched it up tight to keep it in place. Don't know if it did any good, I never took the spare off before I got rid of the truck. My current spare wheel is pretty bad, and I don't have a spare lid lying around, so I probably won't bother. Plus it has holes in it to let most of the mud out, and let more mud in.