Tail gate lock sorted by some WD40 in overnight.

The spare tyres access lock actually worked anyway. However, I have no rod thingymabob to put through it to lower the tyre and even if I did it looks like it would foul on the tyre itself.

Having crawled underneath there there is a sort of giant wingnut holding the spare tyre into its cradle, is that normal on a 2011 XLT?

Thanks

 

yes, that wing nut thingy has a steel cable attached to the center of it that is wound around a spool that allows the tire to be lowered/raised. Your normal tire tool pack should have long extension rods and a crank handle to stick in the lock hole to lower.

i haven't tried it but I read somewhere that a standard 3/8" square drive extension will also work, but has to be long enough to reach.

while you're at it, it's also good to lower the tire, clean the tire and wheel, and check the tire pressure. I then install mine flipped over, tire stem down, for future tire psi checks.

try this link

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=teNxbfS_3nQ

 

Yep, it's a 3/8 square drive in there. A 20" extension will just get out of the hole in the bumper. Add a few more inches and you can easily spin a ratchet without hitting anything.

Frankly, if you have an original spare under there, it is 10 years old. That tire is crap and you should replace it. Life of a tire is generally 6-7 years, without being used.

Also, some people miss the jack kit. Are you sure you don't have one? It's stored hidden away, depending on the cab you have.

 

I'll go and have a look again to see if I can see the jack kit....there was nothing under the rear seats but I haven't investigated underneath the front ones so may have missed it.

I've no idea if it's the original tyres or not.....

 

^ just curious, how long have you had this truck. Maybe it's just me, but whenever I get a vehicle, new and/or used, I go through it bumper to bumper, inside/out. Mainly to see what I've got, and maybe like in this case, what I don't got. I hate surprises, especially avoidable ones, like having a flat tire and not being able to change it for whatever reason.

just last week I returned from a week and a half week of 3300 miles, and 50 hours of road driving, most of it on I-40 through New Mexico, Arizona and western California, where they're aren't many services for long stretches.

 

If a crew cab, on the drivers side rear there is a removable cubby. Then on passenger side. There are two big black *****. Unscrew *****. Remove carpeted cubby piece, then jack kit is under the passenger seat under the metal. Weird spot to get to.

 

A couple of weeks....

It's unregistered and can't be used....timeline for that is months not weeks.

I've a gazillion other things to do....sometimes life gets in the way of playing with your new toys

 

So................read the instruction manual and found the jack / tools....definetly helpful reading that as that were under the floor, under a tray under the seats so I'd never have spotted them.

Dropped the spare and its a General Grabber LT225 75 17.

The ones actually fitted to the treck are LT285 70 17's.

Does anyone know if the 285 ones will actually fit in the spare wheel space? Not sure if the smaller one is still fitted to the spare because there wasn't enough space or because they were too miserable to buy five tyres.

Thanks

 

Very likely the latter on the tyres - do you mean the spare was a 275? (not a 225)

I didn't say anything about where the jack was because the video that was posted contained the entire location and how to get it out, i'm guessing no one in the replies even looked at the video either?!


The dealer (major Ford dealer) didn't know where it was either, as i mentioned no jack/handles when i looked under the rear seat and they got me one in a bag, used, but complete truck-rated jack etc. Then found the real un-used one when i was going through the truck after getting it home So as crap as they are, i have a spare set now.

 

The two tires are significantly different in size, nearly 3".

The tire on the truck looks like 265? If so -by the math the truck tire is only 1.5" taller than the spare.

What size tire came with the truck? The factory tire size is identified on the driver door sticker (jamb).