Spare tire lock removal question

First post. Search did not help. Recently purchased a 03 Prerunner xtracab. Previous owner lost the lock that fits on the end of the tool that lowers the spare. Is there any way to remove the lock portion that is attached to the spare tire winch? I don't want to buy a new key. I have found a lock that uses the stud hole to keep it locked to the frame of the truck. http://motivelocks.tripod.com/index.html Any help is appreciated.

 

Try the key to your truck. As in the one you use to unlock the doors to your truck. That should work. At least that's how the ones on my 4Runner and Yukon are. If not go to your local locksmith and have him make you a new one. I had to do that with a camper I bought for my Tacoma. The previous owner lost them and so I had no way of locking or unlocking my camper. I took it to his shop and in about 15 minutes I had a new key that worked with my old locks and it only cost me about $20.00. Not too bad in my opinion.

 

No go, the key for this lock looks like some of the keys for lugnuts. Mine is star shaped. Its not a conventional type of key. Thanks for your input tho.

 

Same thing happened to me. I went to the dealership and bought a new key. IIRC it wasn't much more to replace the key than the one you suggested.

Also, if you were to remove the lock, you have to replace the unit which toyodiy.com says is $230 brand new. So if you want to lock the way you suggested go to a dealership, use their master key set to get your tire out, find a junkyard and replace the unit, then get your lock.

It'll end up being cheaper just to purchase the key tool from the dealership.

 

Are you talking about a lock that was installed over the slot where you lower the tire. Like when looking through the hole in the bumper where you lower the tire there's a lock on it.

If so about a week ago I was able to get one off it was a Toyota factory
lock with a long pry bar went up through the spare tire rim and was
able to pry it off after a few try's. Hope this helps!

 

Sorry about that. Hope you get it working for ya!

 

Thanks for everybodies input.

The key and lock (the part that attaches to the hook end of the tool that raises and lowers the spare tire) are sold as a kit to retrofit your truck. I understand a lot of Toyota dealers add these at the dealership on new trucks. I am thinking that the part that slips over the area where you would use the spare tire tool could be pried off. Then again I could be wrong. Would not be the first time.

Clear as mud?

http://toyotapartspeople.com/search...594446158&year=07&productdesc=Spare+Tire+Lock

 

What would the name of the device that fits over the S hook? My manual says I just need to use the S hook but when I feel under the vehicle it feels like I need another part that is shown in your attached photo. My local tire store confirms this but my local Toyota dealer is clueless even when I provide your photo.

 

You can take the wheel lock like device off of the lowering mechanism by prying it off with one or two long pry bars like BeefTaco said. It is easier if you can raise the truck in the air so you can work the pry bars through the spare tire.

The local dealer here will lower your spare with their master set and pry it off if you take it to them. Your dealer may do that also. Once that lock is off, you can raise and lower your spare with the regular jack tools.

 

Thx Tacoma 04- Today I have a date with my local Toyota dealer an hour away just to deal with this issue. After I supplied him with a photo I found in the forums of what I had under there he went to his parts guy who said he had to order a kit that had something like 14 different "keys" they would use to find my "key" then they could order it so I would what was missing when it was sold to me. Sure am glad I didn't need this d**m spare out on the road somewhere.

 

I've had mine "04 TRD SRS for just over an year now and this is the first I've heard of a key for the spare tire lock. Is this something I need to have checked out. The best I can tell the spare is the original.

 

Here is a pic of the lock. Two pieces. One slides onto the jack tools and the other is on the lowering mechanism for the spare tire. The female piece on the mechanism is the one you can pry off or buy one. The male key looks like a lug nut lock key. If you don't have it in your glove box or center console then you either don't have a locking spare or the key is just gone.

Best to check it so you don't get caught without access to your spare when you need it. Look between the bumper and tailgate where you put the jack tools to lower the spare. Do you see the female piece of the lock? If no lock it will be round with a slot in it for the flat jack tool hook to slide into. At least this is how mine worked. HTH

 

w/chunter, tacoma04 said it best as to what to look for. Either you have the lock or you don't, and either you have the special "key" for the lock or you don't. You can look in the hole he describes or you can feel the top middle of the spare tire for what is in there. The "key" supposedly should be "with the tools, or in the tool compartment or in the glove box" in a child's pencil like school case with instructions. I never saw it. The dealer implied I was full of it. I reminded him that if I was smart enough to have bought a 4-Runner, a Land Cruiser, a Tacoma, a Camry(two of them) a van, a . . . well you get the pt. and all new(that could have been the only dumb thing) - then I was smart enough to see a unique looking part and save it for future use. The internet forum chatter suggest they not only do not include the part they do not mention it in the manual. Once the part is off it can be thrown away if you wish and you will forever after have easy access to the female part described in the manual.

 

Thanks guys, I will take a look later when the temps goes down.

OK. I'm good as my doesn't have a lock. whew.

 

Okay, so I've run into this issue on my 2003 4x4 regular cab. Spare tire has never been removed, I purchased it from the original owner, and the tool is nowhere in the car, I have checked everything. Any idea if this can be purchased or if I am going to have to take it to the dealership? The female end of mine looks like almost a star shape.

Edit: I should also add I don't care if I have to destroy it/don't have it again. Wondering how you guys that pried it off went about doing so? Just a pry bar and it will pop off the end or something??

 

OK so I just got rid of my 1995 4runner with 364,000 or so miles. Got a 2003 regular cab tacoma (used) with 68,000 on it. Come to find out after 3 months later that the previous owner lost the key. Dealer says what??? and wants to charge me an arm and a leg to take it off. Read here where you can use a pry bar to (hopefully) pry the stupid thing off. I assume you use a pry bar on both sides of the cone shape spinner cone to just force it off but then what about the piece that looks like a lug type tire lock? Does that just comes off then?

 

Yes, I should have posted after my last one that it was stupid easy to get off. I literally pulled it off by hand by wiggling it back and forth while pulling on it. It looks like it was applied with elmers glue...

 

I got the dealer to lower it with his master set of keys and I pried off the lock (adapter over regular slot, it pops off easily) so all I need from now on is the regular lowering pole that's in the kit.

 

So being always out of luck I tried the pry bar trick, the screwdriver trick, the wiggle it trick and just spit at it trick. Being that the tire is up, there's no room for much of anything. After 3/4 hour of cussing at a piece of metal I'm thinking maybe the dealer's price of $70.00 could be worth it and if can wait. No - I'm cheap. Finally I thought about using a screwdriver to just fit between the space of lug teeth of the lock and try to turn it. It works. Once the tire is down and off the chain, I clamped on my chain wrench vise grip and just wacked it off with 1 hammer blow. Now I have a spare tire though it's a 205x75x15 compared to my 215x70x15 on the truck. Not much difference so it'll get me by in a pinch. Heavy chain and lock off of my 4runner and I'm covered for my Vancouver trip.

 

A flathead screwdriver inserted into the star part!! Or two uhh chizzles?? In the holes on the side then turn it. Took me about 3 turns before I was able to hand turn..