Installed tow hitch this week, spare tire issue

[fast99snake]

Word to the wise, not sure if this was a dealer add on or all Rangers come from the factory like this but,


To install the tow hitch this week it is required to drop the spare to have enough room to get the hitch in position and when I went to remove the cable lock that goes around the spare tire to the frame the lock was frozen/neither of the two keys I was given worked.

Took this back to the dealer and they said it was a common issue and recommended just cutting it off and not ordering a new one so we went with this.


Glad I found this out in my driveway instead of being stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the night with a flat and having to call a flatbed.

If anyone else has this cable lock I'd recommend checking your key works, better safe than sorry. I bought the Ranger new last year, only 8,000 miles and the thing was already frozen.

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[Big Blue]

Word to the wise, not sure if this was a dealer add on or all Rangers come from the factory like this but,


To install the tow hitch this week it is required to drop the spare to have enough room to get the hitch in position and when I went to remove the cable lock that goes around the spare tire to the frame the lock was frozen/neither of the two keys I was given worked.

Took this back to the dealer and they said it was a common issue and recommended just cutting it off and not ordering a new one so we went with this.


Glad I found this out in my driveway instead of being stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the night with a flat and having to call a flatbed.

If anyone else has this cable lock I'd recommend checking your key works, better safe than sorry. I bought the Ranger new last year, only 8,000 miles and the thing was already frozen.

Your spare came with a cable lock on it? Must be a Lariat thing. Only lock my 2019 XLT came with was the cover in the bumper to allow access to crank the spare down, use ignition key for that. Did you buy new or used?

 

[Danager]

I had a similar issue on my first F-150. And like you, I was happy I found the issue when I could do something about it as opposed to while in an emergency. Never put another cable/lock on that or any other vehicle since. I think it is like the cat converter theft. It happens, it sucks, lowlifes are going to continue to do it. Your best bet is to take common precautions.

 

[fast99snake]

Bought new

Seems like overdoing it since we have the key lock on the bumper to access the spare to begin with.
Would be a pretty big hassle for someone to steal it for just a measly steel wheel so glad I left it off

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Your spare came with a cable lock on it? Must be a Lariat thing. Only lock my 2019 XLT came with was the cover in the bumper to allow access to crank the spare down, use ignition key for that. Did you buy new or used?

My 2020 Lariat (built 11/19) didn't come with a cable lock on the spare, just the bumper lock. Might be something that they put on the 2019's and stopped later, or is something that dealership does.

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