2004 Chevy 1500 4x4, spare tire would not come down in 2008, got a flat, tightened the crank up and then it lowered the cable correctly. Today I went lower the tire, no problem, cranked the cable up, then could not lower the portion with the T type bar. cable and spring came down, but no support bar. Will check on the secondary lock.

 

Wow! I forgot about this thread! I gave up on this issue because when I went to address the problem, my spare was gone. It looked as if it had snapped clean off and I worried that it dropped on the highway on my way home. My fear was that I had caused an accident, but I didn't have a clue that it was gone in the first place.

 

Yanno,

There are bed designs where the wheel sits in a well built into the bed.

Wish I could bolt one of those puppies on my frame...