went back to my truck that had been parked in a little strip mall for two hours. saw something hanging down under the bed.

it was the cable for my spare tire, with the end still on it, only thing that wasnt was the spare.

i now have to go through the hassle of getting another rim, and the cheapest tire i can find to replace it, just hope i dont get a flat in the meantime.

does anyone know of a good device or way to lock the spare in place.?i searched the topic here and saw mention of a ford issue lock that fits in the hole where the crank arm goes to lower the tire down. from what i read though many people who had them said they were gone after a few weeks (bad install, bad design?)

is there anybody out here who has theirs locked up with another after market device, or something that they have done on their own?

never thought i would have to worry about something like this. maybe i should be happy that the truck was still there, and no real damage was done to it, but god, the older i get, the more reclusive i become and i attribute that to people like the folks that do this kind of crap.

if you want a tire, or a truck or any damn thing, get a freakin job, work for you dough, and spend it wisely.

any info from you 'good guys' would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance guys... (and girls)

 

How about a cable and padlock? You can loop the cable around the frame and the rim's spokes.

 

I hope karma catches up with them. I have the Ford factory lock that you mentioned. It's stayed in place and worked perfectly for 2 years now (bumpy roads and State Park off-roading). If they're smart, they can still find a way to cut the lowering cable.

 

All locks do is keep honest people from stealing your spare.

I tried one of the Ford (McGard) locks and it wouldn't stay in the crank tube. I'm not sure if it was the wrong part or if I didn't install it properly.

I have in the past used the cable and padlock method and ended up having to cut the cable to get the spare down. The padlock had filled with salt and other road dirt even though it was one of the plastic cased numbers that is supposed to prevent that from happening.

This is one area where the bowtie boys have Ford beat. The Silverado's have a spare lock that uses the door key to remove as standard equipment. I sure wish Ford would catch on!

 

My spare is the original General so I don't have to worry about anyone stealing it.

 

People do steal regular spares so watch out! Some a**hole needs to do this only 4 times and he has new tires for one vehicle.

There must be some sort of a cable lock that can survive down there without corrosion. How about injecting the key hole and cylinder of the lock with marine grease? That should do it eh?

Don't have mine locked, should maybe do that.

Sorry to hear of your theft.

 

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This would work, but with my luck I would get a flat at night in the middle of a blizzard or heavy rain storm. I'm pretty good at changing a flat in the dark, but if I had to crawl underneath the truck and unlock a rusty padlock, I wouldn't be too happy. The only thing worse would be crawling under there and finding out that my spare is gone.

 

i was hoping to hear from more folks who have the mc guard lock installed to hear their experiences with them.

i think i may go with a fat bicycle lock and just wrap the key mechanism with electrical tape to 'keep out' the elements.

how bad would it suck to get stuck with a flat and not be able to unchain my own spare?

the spare i did have was the cheapest tire i could find once i changed tire sizes to what i have now.

i was able to find a local used rim place from someone i work with. am getting the rim for 59.99, they also have new tires and used in good shape. going to look into getting a tire from them also if they have my size.

i cant believe a dealerhip (i know they are way over priced) wanted almost 90 bucks for a standard steel rim. my aluminum ar's were not much more than that same price.

i would now lock my tire no matter what the value of it is, i am just glad that they left the holder on the ground so i saw that it was gone right away.

thanks to those who responded with info. appreciate the feedback.

 

I saw a lock in JC Whitney for 20 bux.

 

My '97 F150 and '99 Ranger BOTH came with the specialized lock for that hole, did Ford cheapen **** up and not include that with newer models?

Oh well, when my lease goes back, they're not getting the lock.

 

corpsie,

i have a question for you. i am assuming that those locks you had were the mc guard locks.

did you ever have any problems with them, they ever pop out or anything.

i was going to go with a fat bicycle lock, grease up the cylinder, and cover the lock with electrical tape to keep the elements out.

if i hear from others though that had good luck with the mc guard, i will go with that. max responded before and seemed to like his. you are the only other 'user' that has responded with a potential 'two thumbs up'.

did also find a new tire at pep-boys, i think its a snow tire for around 65 bucks. its round, and the right size, so i am gong to get it.

thanks for your response.

 

I have a cable and padlock - MasterLock makes a coated padlock that has a cover that goes over the keyhole - you can get it at Home Depot.

 

That is horrid! I need to get some sort of locking device on mine, too! Now I am paranoid about my spare!

 

I had the same thing happen to me. Went to Palm Springs with my wife. The next morning we're walking to the hotel parking area and there I saw the dangling cable. Pissed me off to no end!

I bought a 6 or 7 foot cable from Pep Boys with a heavy duty padlock. I thought about the rusting issue so I spayed the inside of the padlock with WD40 then I put a strip of duct tape over the keyhole. Every so often, usually after I wash the truck, I peel the tape off, check to see that I can still unlock the lock, spray it down again, and put a new strip of tape on it. I've had this setup for about 3 years now and no trouble at all.

Good luck.

 

i am currently using a bicycle lock that i loaded up with grease (isn't wd40 actually a de-greaser?). i also did the tape thing.

i purchased the mcguard lock from a local dealership as well.

the directions for installation are pathetic. in fact just thinking about the directions now is firing me up. **** poor verbage (actually i dont think there is verbage) shows a series of drawings.

i can understand how people would have a tendency to loose these locks after the install, it looks like there is a retention clip at the end that needs to catch something inside the crank housing.

will give it a go again when i get a nice warm sunny day & some 'quiet time' to myself.