besides hitting it with some PB blaster, you might want to crank out the cable and inspect it for rust.. otherwise this might happen to you like it did to me while i was driving down the road...

 

happened to me too

 

so i was just thinking about lubbing up mine, but thought i would search on here first, and of course there is a thread about it!!
But i gotta question. are all you guys doing is spraying some wd-40 or PB on it? is that enough? i saw someone "rattel canning" the chain and rim, but what about everything else down there?
my tire goes up and down fairly easy but there is a lot of rust down there on everything (thank you salt)
I kinda like to go overboard on things. I was thinkin maybe spraying some rust stopper on everything, then spraying a semi-decent paint on it all and lube it with ??? something ? does this sound like an ok plan ?

 

bump. . . .

 

Good topic and a must for the PM on your yota. I did mine about a year and a half ago. Luckily I did not have a flat. But in my case I could not even roll the tire down. I ended up using a crowbar to compress the spring that holds the wheel in place and carefully slip it past the center hole in the wheel (it was no easy task). After several broken parts I was able to "rebuild" the assembly and reinstall.

 

ok, i am sorry for not posting before and after pictures... but i just did a rattle can spray job of rust-oleum on my entire spare tire holder assembly or whatever you call it.

i sprayed an entired can of gloss black rust-oleum on basically the whole thing that has to do with having a spare tire, and my hitch.

see ya rust!! ... for now

the spare tire goes up and down like nobody's business!! only problem is that it is kind of "scrapping" off the paint i sprayed one whenever i raise/lower the wheel.

 

It's about that time of year again. I lubed mine today. It was still running smoothly from last year's lube job. It's definitely worth your while to crawl under there and lube it once a year.

 

I have NEVER lubed mine. I am not even sure if the cranking device is still in the truck... I think I need to pick up a full size spare and mount it in the back of the 4runner, screw the underbody mount.

 

The under body mount isn't too bad, if it's maintained properly. When I first got my truck, the lowering mechanism was rusted up pretty bad. I got a flat while I was out on the trail. It was almost impossible to lower the spare. I finally managed to get it down, but it wasn't fun. After that experience, I make sure to keep the thing in good working order.

 

spare what spare?

 

I think I'm missing some parts of the spare tire lowering tool. I have the jack, two pieces of metal that I thought was for the tire lowering & a little joke of a tire iron. I checked before I bought the vehicle that it had a jack & the tools but the two pieces of metal pipe? rod? whatever you would call it, can't be for lowering the tire because it's not shaped right. Now I have to search for the stock jacking tools that came with these 1995 4Runners...what a p.i.t.a. whay can't people keep that stuff together while they own a vehicle? lol

 

I just need to pull mine off, can't fit a 33" spare under there anyway.

 

I'm missing the "tool" to lower my spare (insert much cussing here) I'm guessing it's probably about three feet long with a pin through a round dowel on one end & a square end on the other for the little crank to fit on.

All I have is the tire tool, an L - shaped crank handle with a square female socket, a foot long piece of hollow tubing that fits the L - shaped crank on one end with a spring loaded male square end & the other end is a female square end with a phillips head bolt in it. I'm assuming that fits on a piece about two feet long to reach the lowering mechanism.

My problem is I can't find an image of what should be there so I know what I'm missing. Anyone have any pictures of the lowering tool they could post up for me?

 

Your missing the small pieced that looks like a hook, thats what you need. There is no name AFAIK, go to a yard or dealer (YARG $$$) and ask them for a tire kit from the car.

 

I need a picture so I know what I'm looking for/at when I do go look & also to give me some idea of what I need to fab up right now. I'm going to have to rig something to work because I'm leaving out of town tomorrow morning, no time to go looking for the proper tool...I'm in a bit of a tight.

 

I think you have the right piece; insert the female square end into the lowering screw & crank counterclockwise.

 

LOL, I wish. A one foot long piece of tubing isn't going to reach from the bumper to the lowering mechanism. I'm missing a piece at least two feet long with a "T" on the end or an "L" at least.

It's no big deal now; I fabbed a tool out of a fireplace poker stand. The rod that holds the top to the bottom of the stand was just the right length; after a few minutes with a grinder & a vice I made a tool to connect to the pieces I do have & I lowered the tire just fine. Took about ten minutes.

I'd still like to see a picture of a stock tool if anyone could post one.

 

mine was rusted beyond recognition, but I replaced it with new. It wasn't too bad and they still stock them even for 1st gens.

 

The whole winch or just the tools? Also if it was the winch, how much did that run you?.....or the tool too I suppose because I'd rather have the stock piece over a fireplace poker stand I ground & bent.

 

BUMP!!

Just lubed mine this weekend. I was surpised that it cranked down like a champ having never been lowered in it's life. Lubed it up anyway and wnet on my merry way replacing my trailer light converter.