Lowered the spare on my 2010 f150 so I could sand and paint underneath. When I rolled the truck out of the garage, this was laying on the ground. I have no idea where it came from. Anyone recognize this adjuster or where it might have fallen from?

 

Do you have issues with your parking brake? it looks like the adjuster (or part of) the parking brake.

 

That's what I thought too. But the parking brake adjuster is right where it's supposed to be.

 

Is it plastic or metal? hard to tell from the picture

 

It's metal

 

looks like it could be a tensioner for a tonneau cover

 

Spent some time today looking thru Ford adjuster screws, and nothing even remotely like it showed up.
Besides, it looks too new (no rust or dirt) to be from a 2010. My best guess is that it's road debris that somehow managed to find it's way into the spare tire, possibly kick up by a tire and bullseyed one of the holes in the spare tire wheel.