Hi all,
I am writing this only for the next person who, like me spent 20 minutes trying to spin the flared metal thing keeping the spare tire on wondering how to get the spare tire off.
The manual that came with the car as well as the detailed one I bought didn't explain how to get the spare tire off.

So:
1- Open the hood and remove the long metal rod clipped on top of the radiator.
2- Go the the back license plate and insert it into the hole on the left side of the license plate.
3- Start cranking CCW and watch the spare tire lower.
4-Lift the tire up and off of the flared metal piece inserted into the center of the tire rim.



~

~

~

 

After beating on that thing for 10 minutes i decided to use the internet and the first thing i found was this post. I don't know if you're still around, but thank you.

 

Something to look for is a spring on the lower end of the cable that the one in the photo does not have. Lots of those cables broke and dropped the spare tire on the road. It happened to my truck and I have no idea when it fell off. I hope no vehicle behind me hit it. The NHTSA tried to get Ford to recall the trucks that did not have the spring on the end of the cable and replace the cable but Ford refused saying that the cable would not break if it wasn't tightened too tight. Anyhoo, I bought a new cable from Ford and it did have the spring on the end which allows the cable to be tightened and still have some spring action that reduced the stress on the cable hopefully preventing its breaking. The total cost of the new spring, used spare tire wheel and used spare tire cost me about $200. Thank you FMC and if someone hit that tire that fell off, they probably want to thank FMC too.