My spare tire carrier is very hard to swing open lately. It started getting harder to open during the winter and I have greased it and everything but now its almost impossible to swing it open. The question is, can these carriers be taken apart at the hinge side to recondition? Thanks in advance.

 

What grease did you use and did you grease it until it came out of the top and bottom? I used Mobile 1 full synthetic grease on mine and initially it took alot! Just a thought...

Oh and to answer your question it can be taken apart. Good luck!

 

if they are dry it will take an unusual amount of grease. Soon after I bought mine I went through and greased the entire chassis and anything else I could find. My carrier must have been dry because I just kept pumping grease into it.

The strange thing was the shaft that inserts into the bumper portion actually raised a bit before the grease started coming out. It does swing easier now though!

 

I did grease with marine grease that I use on my boat trailer. Not sure if its the exact grease it would call for but I did shoot it in till it started pumping out of the bottom. I could not get it to come out the top though.

 

I'm trying to remember off the top of my head but H2's call for pretty thick stuff. I believe lucas makes a version that the manual states it calls for. The tube shows it being for Tractors and something else...can't remember.

 

OK, My next question is how do you take it apart? Im thinking maybe removing the grease fitting and sliding it up and out of hinge but Im not sure.

 

I pumped grease in mine and worked it back and forth for 30 minutes or so and it finally let up and nastiness came out the top. I worked well the next day with more grease and now it's swings like a dream.

 

I had the same problem '03 with the SMA tire carrier. I took mine to the dealership and they basically just told me they could drill here and there and replace it with an updated model. So I went to pep boys and got the highest psi grease gun they sold. I then pumped it until greese came out opened it pumped it more. Then I worked it through several open close cycles on a warm day until when I pumped it, grease would easily ooze from the top and bottom. I then pushed more grease in until no more dark grease came out. Worked it some more and then just let it rest a bit before coming back for one more hit. It worked for quite a while before starting to get tough to open again. This past weekend I spent about 10 minutes doing the same thing, it's working smooth again now. I too thought about opening it up and starting from scratch but this method was a pretty good upper body workout and produced acceptable results without the potential of me not getting it back together properly again.

I should add I had to get an updated rubber nozzle too, I believe it was 4500 PSI as the original one I used formed a bubble in the line and burst on my first attempt. The tire carrier had been neglected and likely never maintenanced when I got it.

 

I just finished pumping new grease in it and working it too. It now swings a little easier, but I still have no grease coming out the top yet. Back to the drawing board.

 

I have to wonder if maybe the grease you are using isn't the right kind. Or maybe you have a different tire carrier? Can you post pictures of the carrier? The way mine seemed to work is until the grease came out the top there was still considerable resistance to movement. Once it came out the top there was initial resistance then past like 10-15 degrees it swung pretty easily.