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Spare tire release?????

46K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  lyonkster 
#1 ·
I can't get my spare tire to release all of the cable is wound OUT and the little T bracket will not release at all and the cable will not go up or down???
 
#2 ·
Search the archives for a better description of the issues. Then go out and give the tire a good solid kick or ten (upward) and it should drop down for you.
 
#3 ·
Hey uaw136. Are you a St. Louis Assembly line worker?? Retired from Local 136, myself.

Chad is correct. It is probably STUCK on the underside of the van, the rubber acting like a BONDING AGENT with the metal underside.
 
#4 ·
I wasn't referring to the rubber being stuck. There's a latch mechanism that is supposed to automatically release when you start cranking down the cable. It doesn't work very well, so kicking the tire (normally) momentarily pushes the tire up slightly and the latch will release. I think that's how it works anyway :nut:

Chad
 
#6 · (Edited)
uaw136

There tend to be two problems; one is that the spare tire sticks to the underbody and a few swift kicks solve that; the other is that the safety catch does not release and the tire lowers several inches and then gets hung up on the safety catch and the cable gets slack. As mentioned previously a few swift kicks may free it. If it does not, then raise the spare tire with the winch about a half inch and stick a thin long screwdriver up the center hole in the wheel and push out the safety catch with the screwdriver and while keeping the screwdriver in place have another person lower the winch until the plastic mushroom gets past the safety catch. Attached pictures show the safety catch.

It is almost impossible to push the safety catch back if the weight of the spare tire is on it so it is necessary to raise the tire up a little and then the screwdriver will slide up behind the safety latch and hold it out. At this point one can get out from under the spare tire and reach under the van and hold the screwdriver up in place as someone else lowers the winch past the safety catch.


Frank
99 DGC Sport
07 T&C SWB
 
#7 ·
Caution...

Given that this is a Gen 3 related question, I feel the need to add that the above pictures are most likely from a Gen 4 van (based upon my quick look at them), or are at the very least from a newer van than our 1998. I say this because the upper release mechanism on the vans with the style of hanger plate like our 1998 has is a bit more fragile and can come apart if you aren't careful with that screwdriver when you are trying to release the safety catch.

The good news is that if it does come apart, it isn't all that difficult to put back together, errr, once you figure out the proper orientation of the upper clip that snaps around the crank shaft and actuates the rod that in turn actuates the safety catch.
 
#8 ·
Given that this is a Gen 3 related question, I feel the need to add that the above pictures are most likely from a Gen 4 van (based upon my quick look at them), or are at the very least from a newer van than our 1998. I say this because the upper release mechanism on the vans with the style of hanger plate like our 1998 has is a bit more fragile and can come apart if you aren't careful with that screwdriver when you are trying to release the safety catch.

The good news is that if it does come apart, it isn't all that difficult to put back together, errr, once you figure out the proper orientation of the upper clip that snaps around the crank shaft and actuates the rod that in turn actuates the safety catch.
Pictures are of my 1999 DGC Gen 3 with a build date of of 2/11/99.

Frank
 
#10 ·
You would think in this day and age they could come up with something that would not stick or corrode instead of the cheap _ss way they do it now . I had the same issue on our 2004 which is only 3 years old and I had to fool around with it to get down earlier this year.
 
#11 ·
Mine's been sticking for years. I recently forced it down and almost didn't get my hand out of the way when the tire fell down. It did hit my hand a little bit, not enough to injure it but enough to realize that if it had hit my hand square and on the ground, I would have been dragging the spare tire behind me all the way to the emergency room...be careful. Gotta be fun changing a flat in the snow!
 
#12 ·
All of you saved me a big headache. I had a stuck spare tire due to a safety latch being stuck/broken and a few good kicks released the tire. I will put a cord on the latch til I get the plastic piece that is broken. I am thinking dealers won't have the little flat gizmo since I have a 97 but I will look around. I still have the metal wire part. Again, many thanks to all of you who contributed. :ThumbsUp:
 
#13 ·
In case no one mentioned it, the 99 had the same release mechanism but the mounting bracket was changed for 99 and 2000. I encountered this when I went to get a replacement for my 97. I had to cut the spare off when I did rear brake lines, it was so rusted that nothing was coming free
 
#14 ·
This is something everyone of us should check. I'm glad that I did years ago and disables the catch mechanism as I needed to change a tire this past august and it would have been a pain to sit under kicking the tire as I was dressed nicely for a meeting. Now the tire lowers smoothly with just the cable.
 
#15 ·
Well,
Kicking, beating, lifting, shoving, prodding, poking and cussing all failed. :beerchug:

Does anyone have any pics of the upper mechanisms of this thing so I can see what I'm up against?

When I loosen it as much as it will go, the tire is still against the frame. I'm about to go let the air out of it and try again hoping that will give it some slack and working room, this "might" work at home, but having to let the air out, in an emergency roadside situation might negate the purpose of having a spare.:ask_wsign
 
#16 ·
Letting the air out yielded no additional room to work with.

The tire is not stuck to the frame at all. I can spin the tire and wiggle it about 1/4 inch, but that's it. It is definitely NOT rubber bonded to the frame.

I tried sticking a screwdriver up into the hole in the middle but there really is no room for that and I can't see up there to know what I'm looking for anyway.

What a FUBAR

It appears that cutting the white plastic bar that holds it in is the ONLY possible way to get the spare tire out / down.
 
#17 ·
No worries....I got it.

I just torqued the braided steel cable till that puppy broke :headbange

Just need to go to the junk yard and get a replacement spare tire mount plate complete with unbroken retaining cable. I want the OEM spare back on because sometimes waiting for a wrecker can be excruciatingly long wait....if you've ever had to wait long, you know what I mean.

Took pics to help the next person with Spare Tire woes. Will post soon.
 
#18 ·
Interesting, I have never had any problem with my GEN1 tire winch. 'course, I don't have any "safety latch" either. However, in all these years, I've never had any problems with it dropping, or coming loose, or anything, though.
Shame they changed the design and made it "better" ......
:blink: :lol: :nut:
 
#20 ·
ok,

the pics are on my cell phone camera but it usually takes very decent photos.
I'm in Linux most of the time (right now) but I have a dual boot machine so when I boot back into windows and run the cell phone PC desktop and off load the pics (I guess I could use the Bluetooth in Linux but I'm lazy) I'll post them.

There's a trick I found that just might save you some aggravation.
 
#21 ·
There's a trick I found that just might save you some aggravation.
GReat, looking forward to hearing more!

I just took apart my winch, and it is really FUBAR. I'll post some pictures later, but I've got broken spot welds where the cable guide is attached to the main body of the winch, broken rivets holding the the plastic spool pieces together, etc... I am going to have to assess if it's worth trying to rebuilt this one, or if I should go to the junk yard and try to hunt down a better unit - but I hate wasting time at the junk yards and coming back empty handed. But I am also not ready to plunk $150 for a new one...
 
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