08 Spare tire crank

So I had a flat, well almost and I went to use the nifty spare tire crank system for only the 3rd time in my 8 years of owning the truck.

The past two times it was used found that the threads that hold it all together just stripped out. What can we expect from pot metal.

Well anyways this time the five sided end just broke off and obviously there is no way to put the pieces together to fit in in the hole.

Has anyone found another solution for the crank. If I thought I could weld the key to a 1/4 socket that would solve all the problems but I don't think it will hold up to being welded.

 

Subbed. I hate the way those spare tire cable hoists are arranged under the bed. Anyone ever try to work it in the dark on the side of the road? Good grief.
You'd think by now the manufacturers would have a better way to unwind and wind the spare besides that lame rod/hook tool.

 

Jb weld?

 

Put a Wilco Hitchgate on.

 

Pita to drop the tailgate?

 

Nope tire swings right out of the way. Under 10 seconds to either open it or close it.

 

Nope.

The Hitchgate swings out to allow the tailgate to drop down

 

how does this work with the backup camera?

 

The way it is you lose some but I have a relocate bracket from Pelfreybilt to move it. Problem solved

 

Nice Rick. My only problem with this solution is I sometimes have a hard time in parking lots with the length of the bclb as it is. This only makes it longer.

 

Me too and got used to it real quick

 

Preventive Maintenance.

Drop it, clean it and grease it are your friends here. Being a Coastie I would think you know better.

 

I built an extension from the crank out through the rear bumper to avoid that whole fiasco. It really seems like a lot of these non-critical items were engineered by high school interns

 

Not to mention it raises the center of gravity! What about lean angles? And what good is my Tacoma if .97g of lateral acceleration is no longer possible? LOL

But seriously...

Agreed about the interns.
How did you attach the extension to the crank mechanism? (I'm thinking a U-joint is included somewhere in your setup.)
And the extension out the rear might increase the potential for spare tire thievery... plus anyone noticing the extension. Guess I'm just thinking out loud.

 

Not sure why the sarcasm. Sorry, but in plenty of narrow aisle lots it's a pita. Also finding a long enough spot when I have to parallel park. I'd really rather not deal with the hassle of damaging someones' car. I have gs' and acceleration covered by another vehicle, not a concern.

 

I'm just playin around having fun apparently didn't come across as fun. No sarcasm, offense or bad juju intended.
We all have struggles with driving/parking in our areas. Your narrow lots sounds like a real pain, and thank you for being careful about other people's cars.
Around here, nobody knows where they are going (or are relying on GPS all the time) and making radical moves at the very last second. It's really nerve wracking.
Not to mention that half the drivers aren't paying any attention to the road signs... and of those that are paying attention, half of them can't read English anyway.

 

The extension is barely noticeable. I made it from a spare crank extension, and just put a small bolt through it to secure it. I used a piece of rubber hose around it where it exits the bumper to kill any rattle. It works great.

 

There's a thread here somewhere about a mod where you put a collar of pvc tubing around the winch crank slot. Iirc you cut about a 3 or 4" section of tubing but I forget how it's held in place. It helps guide the rod in and keeps it in the winch slot.

Edit, found it; https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cheap-free-mods.4838/page-51

Cheap mods thread, pg51, post #1013.

 

I have several long 1/4 extension so I'm trying the JB Weld idea with the key.

If it doesn't hold, I'll tery welding it.

Either way I'm doing that PVC mod as soon as I can actually get the tire out.

 

Just had to drop my spare yesterday. It really is a pain in the ass. Even with a flashlight I had a hard time getting the hook in the slot.