PSA: Spare tire factory lock

I have this option from factory and did not order it. Just how my truck showed up. Went with a bigger tire and changed the spare out yesterday. You use the jack bar to attach the "key" to lower the spare. The key will not stay attached to the bar with the torque needed to break the tire free. We all know the factory tires, spare included, and jack are junk. Don't get stranded just because you're unable to lower the spare. My tip..... Spot weld the key to the bar and you won't regret it later. Go to a wrecking yard and get the section you welded if you plan on using the jack.

 

A couple wraps of duct tape has worked for me. i drop the spare every year when i swap to winter wheels/tires. Never had a problem with the key coming off the bar in last 5 years...

 

That was my first thing to try and no joy. I have a 14 and this was the first time dropping the spare.

 

hmmm...interesting. i might need to reconsider and look at it again. Up till today, i had a completly favorable opinion of that lock. it seems to actually 'bite' better with the lock on versus no lock at the winch crank point. Beats me.

 

It's very possible you have a different design than mine. Where the bar slipped into the key, it was round and oversized. A flimsy clip was the only thing to hold it on and the push in button was taking 100% of the torque. The button would just push in and the clip would not hold even with duct tape. Hopefully I just got a bad key but I know what it's like to hike for miles hence the warning. Pre cell a buddy borrowed my lug wrench without telling me and sure enough I got a flat wheeling by myself.

 

There does indeed appear to be two different styles. i looked it up on Amazon and the later models need

$50 pt276-34071 spare tire lock for select tacoma and tundra models, silver

pt276-34071. mine doesnt look like that, so maybe you have a mismatched early design lock for your '14? i strongly suspect this changed when they went from the cable winch to the chain winch for dropping the spare. i have a cable winch with a jan. 2010 build date, and everything is just ducky.

 

I have a '15 with June '15 build date and have no problem with my lock. I don't have a "button" on mine.

 

My '11 did not come with a lock. I left the OEM tire as a spare after I changed out the tires. In my opinion it is not worth stealing, or spending the money to protect. Since I keep tire plug kit and compressor behind the rear seat I have little chance of needing it anyway.