Same question you had towards the end. which way to return spare to chain holder? Filler valve up or down, mine was filler valve up from the factory/dealer. Most u-tube videos are filler valve up, but it's easier to check and fill air pressure with the filler valve down. I filed mine today and returned to the stowed position with the filler valve down for easier air checks later, tire was 15 psi low before filling - it's been a while.
If you can get your phone or a small light up and into the spare tire underneath, it will light everything up and you can easily see the round insert. 👍
and that's the cheapest one I could find, the kits are $70-$130 EVERYWHERE else short of going to my local junkyard or Lowe's and making one myself Lol
That does seem backwards not surprised ordinary non mechanical people usually get things like that wrong. It probably would have prevented a lot of that rust on the wheel. The painted side was facing up
You'd have a lot better luck finding that lowering assembly if you shine the light up from the bottom down by the spare tire and shine the light up then you don't get the reflected glare coming back in your eyes
Thanks for the video Nathan, very helpful . . . how likely is it that that wheel could fall off while driving? It seems very unlikely the way it is attached. Is that what the chain is for, so if ever something does go wrong, the chain will prevent the tire from getting too far before the driver notices? I'm just trying to figure out what safety features are built into this so I can trust that the tire can't come off while I'm driving. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.
At least it isn't like my trailblazer. On my trailblazer, to drop the tire down, you have to crank it up as tight as you can to drop the tire. It has a safety catch that you have to crank it up as tight as you can to release the safety and then can drop it. When I first got the Trailblazer, I went to get the spare tire out when it got a flat and was unable to get the safety to release. I had to get up under the vehicle with a angle grinder and cut the part you crank off and then go under the tire and cut off the piece that supports the tire on the cable. I ended up running around with the spare tire inside the vehicle for 2 years and just recently replaced the spare tire carrier. I turned the cable all the way out and sprayed it with white lithium grease and turned it back and and out a couple to times and then mounted the carrier under the vehicle and put the spare tire back on it and cranked it up.
Good video. I have already figured it out but good confirmation. Just got my 2002 XTERRA and fixing all the little things. Got anything on the lights and electrical?
