GM Spare Tire

I have a 2007 GMC Yukon. Got a flat tire up deer hunting this past weekend. I was a mile off the main fire lane back on the driveway to our hunting property (10 miles off blacktop and 15 miles from the nearest town – Minong). It was 3:30 in the afternoon when I came out of the woods and notices the flat. I figured I could have the tire changed in about 20 minutes. I had to read the manual to figure out how to drop the spare. Problem was with the secondary ^%^&^*&^& safety latch. It would not let loose. I tried repeating the steps for over 2 hours before determining there was no way my spare was coming off (with no tools and dark). I had to take the flat tire off and catch a ride back to my cabin (over 60 miles away) and fixed the tire and catch another ride back to my truck in the woods the next morning. Luckily my cousin and uncle hadn’t left the woods yet and have a cabin close to mine. I’ve read several threads on other forums about this problem. Kind of funny because those forums didn’t have anti profanity filtering. It is a known problem that the safety latch corrodes and causes this problem. I have an appointment tomorrow morning to fix it. I can’t describe how pizzed off I am about the design of this safety latch. If you have a GM vehicle around this same year, I would highly recommend you try and make sure the spare tire will allow you to get it down to use it if needed. Make sure it lowers all the way to the ground. It is easier to try in your garage than in the middle of the woods or out on a frozen lake.

Happened to me in 2011 on my 2004 Suburban, on the interstate, while trailering my boat up to Sturgeon Bay. Luckily, was only 10 miles from home, so after two hours of beating on the thing, called my son-in-law, who came over with a spare for the truck, and towed my boat home for me. Next morning, had to get the thing torched off. Greased up the new release, and swore to myself that I would lower the thing and re-grease at least once a year. Well, haven’t done it yet.

AAA, worth every penny Getting them to come back off the road may be the hard part…

I have a 1997, so apparently they didn’t have a safety latch.I dropped my tire to check it recently and realized the wheel was so rusted that it was leaking air like crazy, so if I got a flat, it wouldnt do me any good anyway. I know I have heard people say not to store them under the truck because of the rusting issue. Obviously you shouldnt have this issue for a few years, but just another thing to consider.

When I lived in Wisconsin, I would drop the spare and make sure everything worked each year when doing the fall storage on the boat/trailer. That way the truck spare was available all winter and the boat was ready to go come spring.

I raise and lower mine at least once a year and lub. up mech.

I cut mine down and keep it in the box of the truck high and dry

I have a 2007 Duramax NBS. Safety latch on the spare did the same thing, dealer was no help with a fix other than put on a new one which he admitted would probably do the same thing. I cut the safety latch off & put a “safety chain” with padlock around the tire. Basically it would hold the tire up should the raising/lowering cable fail.

Spare Tire Rant

If you want a good laugh and don’t mind colorful language check out Haeders post. He pretty much sums up my feeling about the safety latch design.

Alrighty then…He didn’t sound too pleased

Just picked up my truck from the Chevy Dealer in Hudson and they were able to lube the secondary safety latch and didn’t need to replace the hoist mechanism. They charged me 63.00 for a half hour labor. I guess it could be worse, but I’d still like to meet the genius that designed this contraption. I did get a free car wash from the dealer (or should I say a 63.00 car wash).

Your dang right it could be worse.

Had to replace the whole mechanisim on my Olds Bravada last summer. Went to check if the spare needed air and couldn’t lower it more than 2 inches.

No choice but to fix it. I can’t be running around in the middle of nowhere in Canada and going way off road on hunting trips without knowing I can get to the spare if needed.

I’d say for $63, you should feel dang good.

Grouse

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I cut mine down and keep it in the box of the truck high and dry

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Thats a much easier solution than worrying about a safety latch…

Of coarse you might need to lock it up somehow, because some xxxhole will steal it. They should make a sealed storage box under the truck or in the bed to store them.

Hey Guys- GM isn’t the only Company that has the dreaded crank down tire.I have to tell you this story about my trip going down last Monday morning for opening day of PA Deer Season.I have a 2002 Ford F-350 Super Duty that I just had paint work done on.I was in sight of my friends house at 4 AM in a small little town.Going about 30 miles per hour, felt a slight shake from my truck and then a loud booink that sounded like something had hit the rear fender or box. I stopped and got out and what I saw was pretty wild.A small racked 8 point Buck had run full bore into the side of my truck or so I thought! The deer was still alive but died very quickly.A truck that was following me on his way hunting said he could not beleive what he had seen in his headlites. While we were looking for a phone number to calls the PA Game Wardens or Cops to report this dead deer, he said he heard a hissing noise from my right rear tire. I got out a lite and here was 2 of this bucks antler tips embedded deeply into the sidewall of my new Goodyear Wrangler tire.This deer had run full bore into my tire and wheel!! I called my friend and seeing he was only a block away got it to his garage before the tire went completely flat. We had put the deer into the back of his truck to deal with later. Upon looking at the truck in his garage found that the deer had embedded his 1 antler ( 2 tips) so far into the sidewall of the tire, as I was driving, the deer was going round and round with the rotation of my tire! The banging I heard was his body hitting the box and the Cab corner and door as the tire flopped him around!The lower quarter panel had a hugh body dent in it, the hooves had gouged and scratched the heck out of the side of the door and corner cab! His one antler was completely gone, probably snapped off when he was going around and around.His other antler was still on but minus the 2 antlers that were still embedded in my Sidewall.I told my Friend that lucky I have a spare under the box, just crank it down and change it and good to go, yeah right!! Well Guys, I don’t know about GM tire locks but my Ford has a tiny little locking nut that fits inside the crankdown rachet.I got the handle out, put it in the ratchet winch and nothing! Seems when I bought this truck a few years ago, the previous owner either lost the locking socket that fits this little locking nut!! I called the closest Ford dealer and was told that there are like 40 different variations of this locking nut and the only dealer that had a master set of them was 90 miles away! So under the bed we go, Sawzall in hand and cut the metal yoke that is at the end of the cable and down comes the tire! Got it changed, and headed out to hunt.Saw a few deer and decided to head back home.Brought a nice sized deer home and never fired a shot!Today I got a new tire ( $275) got an estimate to fix the side of the truck ( $ 485) and called the dealer to see how much a new crank down winch kit was.He told me over $200 as you had to buy the entire assembly! Got home, cut the remaining part of the yoke off, cut a piece of 1/2 flat stock steel and drilled a hole in it.I looped the cable end thru the hole and fastened it with a cable clamp.Put it thru the wheel and cranked it back up to the frame!! So GM guys, your day wasn’t so bad I guess!

Some things I do to keep from getting caught in a bad situation, When you get a Vehicle,first,I have a breaker bar with a 6 sided socket to fit my lug nuts (2) I crack all the nuts lose and re tighten. Yes,most are toked to 100ft. lb.that is good but them guys use air gun with tork bar and a lot of them do not know how to use it.
I even will take off each nut and grease the lug nut stud,and replace the lug nut.
Drop the spare tire down and grease the cable.
This sounds like a lot of work but when the time comes you will be ready.
Buy the way I carry my breaker bar with me all the time.Or buy A big 4 way. And you might even want to take you wheels off,I have seen wheels I had to beat to get off after the lug nuts were removed. Sounds real bad but what can go wrong will go wrong.
Fat Fish

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Some things I do to keep from getting caught in a bad situation, When you get a Vehicle,first,I have a breaker bar with a 6 sided socket to fit my lug nuts (2) I crack all the nuts lose and re tighten. Yes,most are toked to 100ft. lb.that is good but them guys use air gun with tork bar and a lot of them do not know how to use it.
I even will take off each nut and grease the lug nut stud,and replace the lug nut.
Drop the spare tire down and grease the cable.
This sounds like a lot of work but when the time comes you will be ready.
Buy the way I carry my breaker bar with me all the time.Or buy A big 4 way. And you might even want to take you wheels off,I have seen wheels I had to beat to get off after the lug nuts were removed. Sounds real bad but what can go wrong will go wrong.
Fat Fish

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Fat Fish,
Up until last week, I would have said this sounds pretty anal to me. I can say I plan to do everything you suggested at least once per year. I hadn’t mentioned in my previous posts that when I went to take off the flat tire and had all the lugs off (some of them were a beech to get off), the wheel would not come off the hub. I’m not sure if it was rusted on or froze on. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything to give it some persuasion with. I ended up having to use my trailer hitch receiver.