Spare tire holder

[gmhowe]

Had a flat and went to get the spare and while turning the nut that holds everything up, it was a little hard but then a pop from above and a small piece of metal about 1/4" by 3" fell out. it looks like it was welded to sumthin above. Now the spare tire bolt hangs down about 3 inches lover from where it should be. Does anyone know if it can be fixed or should I just drop the whole spare tire holder out and not worry about it. 1985 black coupe

 

[c4cruiser]

I wouldn't toss the whole spare tire carrier and tire as that assembly is designed to absorb impact from a rear-end collision. When Chevy added run-flat tires towards the end of the C4 run, they designed an aluminum H-shaped brace that bolted to the frame rails and rear crossmember to help in energy absorbing.

The part that broke sound like the nut for the carrier bolt. If you remove the rear license plate you can see all of the hardware for the setup.

The spare tire on Vettes is probably the most neglected part of the car. It's hard to get to and it seems like very few people have flat tires and if they do, they usually call AAA or a towing company. The bolt that holds the carrier in place is really unprotected from the elements and it can rust up and be very difficult to release. I apply a coating of anti-sieze lubricant to the bolt threads where they go into the nut. I added one of those extender hoses for the spare tire that you can get from Griot's Garage for $10. http://www.griotsgarage.com/search.jsp?searchtext=spare+tire This hose makes it easy to check the air pressure without having to drop the spare.

 

[B17Crew]

gmhowe,
I believe what you heard “pop” is GM part number10089668. If you remove your license plate holder, you will see a seven inch long black cylinder that looks like the letter “T”. This is the piece that has the threading for the spare carrier bolt,

On this cylinder there is a 3 1/4” flat piece of metal that is welded to the T cylinder. The 3 1/4 piece weld is weak. If your spare has not been removed for some time, it can seize. When you went to unbolt the spare carrier, I bet the pop you heard was that flat 3 1/4 inch pieces weld breaking.

If this was the case, I have the part number listed above. When you go to replace it with the new part, spray a little WD40 into the cylinder before tightening up the bolt to help prevent seizing. Another word of caution, if you over tighten the bolt, you can snap that same piece all over again.

B17Crew

 

[gmhowe]

Thanks for the info, I cleaned up the top of the "T" and and J/B Welded the heck out of it, now waiting for it to dry, and then were on the road again.

Thanx again guys

 

[B17Crew]

The best kind of fix... one you do yourself.

B17Crew

 

[oldace84]

Not really!
tony