Can't lower Spare Tire

[Drivenvoy]

We got a flat tire and cannot lower the spare. The AAA Roadside Assistance driver wasn't successful either so he towed the 2002 Envoy SLT to the tire shop. Has anyone had trouble with the secondary latch discussed in the manual? What problems have you had and what solutions did you come up with?

The GMC Service Tech showed me how to lower it. It helps to keep tension on the cable as the tire is lowered; otherwise, it hangs up there and doesn't move down. So one person cranks the spare down while another pulls on the tire to get it down. It worked. Not user friendly if you are alone on the road, but it works.

[maxwedge]

Originally Posted by Drivenvoy

We got a flat tire and cannot lower the spare. The AAA Roadside Assistance driver wasn't successful either so he towed the 2002 Envoy SLT to the tire shop. Has anyone had trouble with the secondary latch discussed in the manual? What problems have you had and what solutions did you come up with?

The GMC Service Tech showed me how to lower it. It helps to keep tension on the cable as the tire is lowered; otherwise, it hangs up there and doesn't move down. So one person cranks the spare down while another pulls on the tire to get it down. It worked. Not user friendly if you are alone on the road, but it works.

Very common problem, the internal crank mechanism is rusted and the cable/reel assy binds, 120.00 for a new one.

[Tom1999d]

I lower my spare to clean the sand off the top, check the air pressure, and clean the underside of the chassis about twice a year. Like any mechanism it will begin to rust and take a 'set' if it is never used. The better question is how do I oil or grease the spool? If oil is not recommended for the spare tire cable spool, how about mountain bike chain lube?

Tom