dkyleb

So you're realizing you're behind is pretty loaded up after removing that stock bumper, huh? You decide to remove the spare, but either don't have the original jack stuff or it's built up 20 years of rust (because Toyota's don't even get flats, ever.).

Well, let's get that spare out of there!

Things you will need:

- Basic PPE** (gloves, safety glasses, common sense)
- 1x or 2x 12"-18" clamps
- A small piece of plate steel
- 2x jackstands
- OxyAcetylene or Plasma cutter
- Hammer
- Advanced leverage manipulator (a.k.a prybar)

Step 1:

Let's take a look at what's going on here.



So, here we can see the mechanism that is holding the tire up there. Incase you've never taken one of these down before, that' piece of steel channel is attached to a chain, and using a tool, you lower the spare down. Since ours is rusted and seized, we're going to have to cut it out...

Step 2:




Get your piece of plate steel and your clamp, and clamp the piece of plate to the inside of the rim (as shown above). This is going to protect the rim from being damaged during the extraction. If you don't care about the rim, don't bother.

Place two jackstands under the wheel, as shown above. This will keep the wheel from falling on you after you cut the piece out. This is a MUST, as that piece is the ONLY thing holding that wheel in place and it WILL fall under it's own weight.

Step 3:


(MS Paint professional at work here.)

This is a pretty crappy place to be cutting. Make sure you're not under this while you're cutting it, as that spring drops some pretty serious slag. Please, if you're not familiar with cutting, have someone else do it.

If you do not have an acetylene or plasma torch, using an angle grinder may be possible. If I had to do it this way, I would first use a grinding disk to create a groove in the spring, that way you can get to the rod that is in the center. Once you get to the rod, switch to a thick cutoff wheel and pray for the best. If you're going to do this, WEAR FACE PROTECTION because you will most likely break a couple disks! In that small of an area, that can be VERY dangerous, because they will bounce right off that rim and will puncture your skin.

It took a few tries. Cutting a little bit, then letting it cool for a few. Then cutting at it some more, but finally I got through the spring and cut right through the rod and ended up with this:





That's the crap you should have cut out. Now light a smoke with your torch and move on.

Step 4:

Now get your high-tech leverage device (I used a winch bar/strap tightener, no pry bar was handy) and stick it between the channel and the opening of the rim. It may take some manipulation, because if the lowering mechanism is rusted, it is likely that the bracket holding the wheel in place has rusted to the wheel too.

You should be left with this:



Step 5:

Pull those jackstands out from under the tire and let her drop!




Unfortunately, I do not have before and after pics of the back end after removing the spare and rear bumper. But as you can imagine, it certainly frees up a lot of space back there for those steep hill climbs, rocks, etc.


Good Luck!


-Kyle


edit:
** PPE: Personal Protective Equipment. A must for ANY time you're working on a vehicle. PPE consists of anything that protects yourself from injuries in the workplace or in the bush. Safety glasses, hardhat, steel toes, ear plugs, face shield, gloves, etc are all examples of PPE. Sick of getting dirt/mud in your eyes when you're under your truck, wear safety glasses! Always use a face shield when doing any kind of grinding. I took a wire-wheel to the face and nearly lost my sight. If it wasn't for the safety glasses I was wearing, my eye would have been done. I could have saved myself a good face scrape had I been wearing a face shield. Glad it wasn't a grinding disk or a cutoff wheel, because if it had been, they'd probably have to call me Scarface.

Really, if you think you look dumb wearing any kind of PPE, you shouldn't be doing what you're doing. If people give you ˟˟˟˟, just wait until an accident happens and you were wishing you were wearing safety glasses or gloves.

abecedarian

You said "PPE".

Seems no one in the USA seems to know what "PPE" is.

Anyhow, carry on!
I want to know what to do when you realize the spare is out of air....

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

It must be people in California that never heard of PPE

I have never been able to ever get one of those down.

Using a torch no doubt I would have slag falling on me.

I just use a 4 1/2" in grinder with a zip disc just cut the bottom off the retainer a few taps with a hammer down it comes.

if your breaking discs your doing something wrong.

Utah4Runner86

iTrader: (1)

What's wrong with a sawzall? Breaking out the torch seems like overkill to me.

habanero

We used my bolt cutters to get a 1st gen's spare off during a trail fix and then.....

my bicycle pump to air it up.

Resto-noob

iTrader: (3)

Here in NH we use a combination of road salt and frost heaves. Magically, one day you hit a frost heave and out comes the spare.

Seriously, nice writeup.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Always wear your PPE and be down with OPP

Never have this issue down here

:wabbit2:

vanduzerwilliam

Im in cali, and I know what PPE is LOL nice writeup, just took a spare off a runner yesterday, was easy enough, came right out the way it was supposed to

combatcarl

I spent a whole day coercing mine out, slowly, with much hammering, and back and forth cranking, it had probably never been down. Took the winch all apart, cleaned it up, packed it with grease, and now it works great. So every summer, I climb underneath, drop spare, remove winch, clean and re-pack. Never a flat since!

Kingjerd

Bought mine with a dangling chain.......zip ties to the rescue!!! Bought rims and tires within a week of buying the truck. Put one of the stockers in the cargo area. I have three kids and dont want them stuck on the side of the road any longer han nessecary.

dkyleb

** PPE: Personal Protective Equipment. A must for ANY time you're working on a vehicle. PPE consists of anything that protects yourself from injuries in the workplace or in the bush. Safety glasses, hardhat, steel toes, ear plugs, face shield, gloves, etc are all examples of PPE. Sick of getting dirt/mud in your eyes when you're under your truck, wear safety glasses! Always use a face shield when doing any kind of grinding. I took a wire-wheel to the face and nearly lost my sight. If it wasn't for the safety glasses I was wearing, my eye would have been done. I could have saved myself a good face scrape had I been wearing a face shield. Glad it wasn't a grinding disk or a cutoff wheel, because if it had been, they'd probably have to call me Scarface.

Really, if you think you look dumb wearing any kind of PPE, you shouldn't be doing what you're doing. If people give you ˟˟˟˟, just wait until an accident happens and you were wishing you were wearing safety glasses or gloves.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

I just look dumb all the time so it makes no difference!!

93Xtra-Cab

I used a cutoff wheel. Much faster than a torch IMO. All you need is the cutoff wheel, PPE and the jackstands.

Cut there and it should fall right out.

black_flag

PPE- Personal Protective Equipment....its military jargon. In the US, heard of it.

vanduzerwilliam

Its just SOP. We wont go as far as calling is common sense

cman1

iTrader: (1)

alright,what if you ust dont have a jack? and its not rusted to death,how do you get it down???

combatcarl

The Force, young Skywalker, with the Force.

kid-honda

I took the 3 12mm bolts off the top hanger unit and dropped the whole thing. But do to clearance and most people dealing with this issue also would have locked up frame to box bolts due to said rust issues.

93Xtra-Cab

You mean if the hoist mechanism and everything were working properly?

cman1

iTrader: (1)

yep, just got my 80 longbed a few months ago and no jack,id like to get it out from under the truck...i know,it sounds really stupid.