Not able to lower spare tire

[RADuck77]

2024 Sport Base, i don't think that makes a difference, but just in case.
I got a screw in my tire and was going to just throw the spare on until I could get home and plug the tire, but can't for the life of me get the square end of the lowering rod to engage. I ended up just airing the tire up and made it 35 miles to home with 12lbs in it. I plugged it and it is holding fine now. Decided today I better figure it out in case of blowout or a hole I can't plug... Still can't figure out what is going on.
I read a few posts on similar scenarios and the best option I seen was someone had AAA come out to help and they just basically hammered the end until it went in. I tried that and only succeeded in messing up all the detents, so now I have a one-piece lowering rod...

I can't really see the mechanism that it is supposed to engage with, it appears to be just a round hole up in there beyond the guide tube. Does anyone know what it is actually shaped like? I also tried long 3/8" and 1/2" drive extensions, with no luck. My next option is to just cut the cable off, but I don't really want to. If I do cut it off, is the little winch a replaceable part?

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[Bandit’s Lair]

Can you get a star socket down that far with some extensions? That may be something you can do for now just to see what’s what and if the whole thing is jacked. Barring that you’ll have to figure out how to uninstall the whole thing and check the fitment once you get it out. Be a lot easier if you can get that spare out of there first though.

 

[RADuck77]

Ok, so I'm a pretty mechanically inclined person, but right now I feel like an idiot...
Searching through Mopar parts website for the spare tire winch, I seen a spare tire security lock and key... I've had the Jeep just over a year and have never seen the key that would fit it, plus my window sticker doesn't say anything about a spare tire security lock. Decided, what the heck might as well go dig through everything and low and behold there it was still in its bag in the glove box. Put it on the now one-piece lowering rod and slide it in. Instantly engaged and was able to lower the spare, just as it was designed.

 

[DylanM]

Funny enough, I was typing a response to look to see if a spare tire lock was installed when you posted the resolution.

For anybody else curious, see the kit here: https://store.mopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-spare-tire-lock-82216081aa

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I didn’t know they had one either. I didn’t unlock anything when I dropped mine for a new track bar. Good you found it. Saves a shyte ton of unnecessary wrenching.

 

[Conrad101st]

Slightly off topic but that winch mechanism is uber weak. Mine stripped the one time I used it. I was like WTF. They need a better system. Other than that I love my 20 rubicon.

 

[heretic]

Also slightly off topic....
There were some older car back in the say 50-60 ish that had a short tube that connected the spare tire value stem tire to a place inside the trunk so you could make sure the tire was not flat and had the correct psi. I may try this you would just need to remember this when you lower the tire down.

 

[handyman98]

Is this lock on the bottom of the tire when you look up at the lowering mechanism? Or is this in the hole where you put the tool to lower it?

I found pictures that do it both ways and I didn't see it from the bottom of the spare on mine.

 

[DylanM]

@handyman98
It's down the tube as shown in your first picture.

 

[handyman98]

@handyman98
It's down the tube as shown in your first picture.

Thank you!

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