If you’re an avid off-road driver, you know how important it is to stay safe when venturing into the woods. If you find yourself stranded on a trail with a flat tire and no spare, things can get pretty scary quickly. This article will help you understand your Toyota 4Runner spare tire carrier and what might go wrong to avoid getting stuck in the wild, so if you’re ready to venture back into nature with confidence, you won’t get stuck again.
Understand How Your Spare Tire Carrier Works
The spare tire carrier is mounted on your 4Runner and holds the spare tire in place. It’s made up of three different parts: the hook, the shaft, and the bracket. The hook is mounted on the back of the vehicle, and the frame is mounted to the wheel well. The post is connected to the wheel well, and the spare tire is attached to the hook. Once you’ve placed your spare tire on the carrier, you can close the wheel well and lock the spare tire carrier in place with the locking mechanism.
Potential Problems With the 4Runner’s Spare Tire Carrier
While the spare tire carrier seems like a pretty essential piece in the off-roading puzzle, some issues could arise. No matter what type of vehicle you drive, it’s necessary to understand the functions of all the different pieces and parts. If you know how everything works, you’ll be able to recognize any problems that may arise and learn how to fix them. The most common issues with your 4Runner’s spare tire carrier are broken hooks, bent shafts, and broken spare mounts. Let’s take a look at how to fix each of these problems. Broken hooks, bent shafts, and broken spare mounts can happen for several reasons, so it’s essential to investigate the cause before fixing the problem.
Fixing a Broken Hook on Your Spare Tire Carrier
The first problem we’re going to discuss is a broken hook. A broken turn can happen if another vehicle runs into the back of your 4Runner while it’s carrying a spare tire. The force of the impact may break the hook and make it unusable. If your hook is broken, you won’t be able to secure your spare tire to the spare tire carrier.
If this happens while you’re driving down a dirt road somewhere in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be in significant trouble. Your first instinct might be to try and fix the broken hook by tying it together with a piece of rope or a portion of the wire, but that would be a terrible idea. If you connect the hook with something else, it won’t be as strong as when it was new. If you tie the hook together, you’ll have a much harder time securing your spare tire. You’ll need to replace the hook.
Fixing a Bent Shaft on Your Spare Tire Carrier
A bent shaft happens when a rock or something else gets caught between your vehicle and the spare tire carrier and pushes it in, bending the rod. If your shaft is bent, your spare tire won’t be adequately secured to the spare tire carrier. This can be dangerous because your spare tire could fall off the carrier if you hit a bump in the road or go over a speed bump. This can be a huge safety hazard for you and everyone else on the road. To fix a bent shaft, you’ll need to unbend it so that it can hold the spare tire in place again. You can do this by pressing out the bend or replacing the bent shaft with a new one.
Fixing a Broken Spare Mount on Your Spare Tire Carrier
A broken spare mount is a problem you’ll notice while driving. If a rock gets stuck in the wheel well and damages the mounting area where the spare tire is attached, your spare tire won’t be secured properly to the spare tire carrier. This can be a pretty scary situation because your spare tire can fall off. If this happens while you’re driving down the freeway, you could get into a pretty serious crash. It’s important to fix a broken spare mount as soon as you notice it. You don’t want to drive down the freeway with no spare tire or just one that isn’t properly secured. To fix the problem, you can replace the mounting area where your spare tire is attached or remove the rock stuck in the wheel well and damage the mounting area.
Wrapping Up
If you’re an avid off-roader, you know how important it is to stay safe when venturing into the woods. When you have a flat tire, you can call for help and will be safe with a spare tire. But what happens when the spare tire carrier breaks and you’re miles away from civilization with no spare tire? This article will help you understand your Toyota 4Runner’s spare tire carrier and what might go wrong with it to avoid getting stuck in the wild, so if you’re ready to venture back into nature with confidence, you won’t get stuck again.