"You only have one job to do..."

I can see it now. Training a Detroit auto worker: "You only have one job to do. You need to assemble this smaller tube into the larger tube. That's all you have to do to collect your union pay and benefits. Make sure the smaller tube gozinta the bigger tube."

And s/he couldn't even do that. That has got to be the easiest job on the planet.

I needed to take the spare tire off of my Silverado in order to access the underside of the bed to install a 5th wheel hitch. In order to lower the spare tire you need to assemble two pieces of the jack handle and stick it into a hole in the bumper and engage it with the spare tire raising/lowering mechanism. There are two pieces of tubing that guide the jack handle directly to where it needs to be to engage the mechanism. Unless the jack handle is guided through the tube it won't work. The tube consists of two pieces...a smaller one and a larger one. Naturally the dumbass who's supposed to put the smaller piece inside the larger piece, didn't. Now I can't remove my spare tire. Which means I can't install the hitch. Which means all the tools and other items I got out to do the job, I didn't need. Which means I have a 250 pound hitch assembly that's essentially a paperweight. Which means I now have to drive to a Chevy dealer and leave my truck for a day while it's repaired and then drive back to pick it up.

Son of a bitch.

That sucks!

Yep bad. Did you ever removed the spare on this car before or had the spare replaced / serviced by somebody at the dealership?
I have a car with the same kind of "spare wheel winch". There is a sticker next to the winch hub that shows not to use an impact wrench... Dealer did it anyway, broke the winch (spinning freely) and wanted to charge me for it.

"Me: nope. Not paying, your guy use an impact wrench.
Them- how do you know?
Me - he still has the wrench on the floor next to my tire and by looking at it the socket is NOT for the wheel nut..."

1/10
No swearing, no emotion, like reading a technical manual.
Poor rant.







[Coffee]






And shouldn't it be "Son of a Hitch"?????

Why don't you just borrow someone else's jack handle... or (if I'm reading it wrong) cut out the tubing and guide it in by hand if the tubing is the problem?

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Originally Posted by spyder

Why don't you just borrow someone else's jack handle... or (if I'm reading it wrong) cut out the tubing and guide it in by hand if the tubing is the problem?

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Can't get to the plastic tubing because it's above the spare tire and inside the bumper cavity.

Though I was tempted to pry it out and make Chevy cover the repair under warranty.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ruthabagah

Yep bad. Did you ever removed the spare on this car before or had the spare replaced / serviced by somebody at the dealership?

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Nope...first time. As far as I know the dealer has never removed it. And removing the tire shouldn't cause the issue I'm looking at. These two tubes overlap each other about 4"...there's not way it just slipped apart. It had to have never been assembled properly in the first place.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bailey Guns

Can't get to the plastic tubing because it's above the spare tire and inside the bumper cavity.

Though I was tempted to pry it out and make Chevy cover the repair under warranty.

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Ah gocha... more complicated than I thought...

"Like a Rock"



[Peep]


all kinds of smileys but not one stirring the pot

Went out and looked at my Avy... it's got the old wing nut system lol.

So is the hole too small?

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Originally Posted by spyder

So is the hole too small?

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No...it's just not accessible. I can take the license plate off and bend the smaller tube to the side in order to fit the jack extension into it and bypass the hole in the bumper that it's supposed to go through. But then it won't allow the extension to engage what it needs to engage on the lower mechanism because it's not properly aligned.

if you can get to the tubing... cut that shit out with a leatherman! lol

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Originally Posted by henpecked

"Like a Rock"

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Yeah...and the auto worker was obviously about as smart as a rock, too.

I'd make sure you spend enough time at the service desk complaining about it that there glad you leave.

My son's 2009 silverado had a similar sounding issue. The stupid plastic pieces that are supposed to guide the bar into the winch weren't snapped in properly. I ended up under the truck with a flashlight guiding him until we managed to get the bar into the winch assembly. Once we had the tire out of the way, it was just a matter of snapping the guide tube back in place. But I was glad we discovered it while in the driveway, not out on the road trying to fix a flat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DenverGP

My son's 2009 silverado had a similar sounding issue. The stupid plastic pieces that are supposed to guide the bar into the winch weren't snapped in properly. I ended up under the truck with a flashlight guiding him until we managed to get the bar into the winch assembly. Once we had the tire out of the way, it was just a matter of snapping the guide tube back in place. But I was glad we discovered it while in the driveway, not out on the road trying to fix a flat.

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Chevy must've "improved" it since then. Cuz now it's impossible to get those pieces together.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by henpecked

I'd make sure you spend enough time at the service desk complaining about it that there glad you leave.

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I wrote the book about bitching to service writers. As a matter of fact...

I went in last fall for LOF, tire rotation and DEF top off. Routine maintenance, all free for the first 2/24000. I mentioned to the service writer as he was writing it up to add the DEF top off since he hadn't included that. He told me they didn't do that but they could if I wanted to pay for it. I told him it was included on diesel trucks as part of the 2/24k maintenance. "No, it isn't", he insisted. We argued about it and I finally got tired of talking to the idiot. I went out on the lot and found a diesel truck and looked at the sticker and, sure enough, it was right there as included for 2/24k. I went back in and asked the service writer why it was on the window stickers of the trucks and even showed him. His comment was, "Look. I'm tired of arguing with you about it. We'll take care of it this time." I told him I expected it to be "taken care of" for the first 2/24. They serviced the truck and the next day my info center on the truck said "DEF Low". Sure enough, they didn't do it and I put in 5 gallons of DEF.

I didn't say anything until I received the usual "rate your recent service visit" from Elway and one from Chevy. I told them exactly how I felt in the online surveys. After a couple of days I started getting phone calls from the GM at Elway and from Chevy corporate. By the time they were done kissing my ass I had another 2 year/24000 mile maintenance agreement for my wife's 2012 Traverse and a free full detail for my truck. I was also told I could stop in at Elway Chevy at any time for as long as I owned the truck and they would top off the DEF. Unfortunately I don't get by there enough to take advantage of that.

It doesn't require the little special spare tire adapter does it. My work truck has a little bullshit piece that you have to attach to the end of your tube to engage the winch. (Theft prevention) mine is stored in the glove box and didn't know that it was needed until I was in the middle of nowhere and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't engage. I actually opened the owners manual for once and got it figured out.

So, riddle me this: If this came from the factory like this, how was the spare tire cranked up into place at the assembly plant with the "tubes" not assembled/misaligned ?
Would it not be a possibility that they came apart during shipment or from your driving on rough roads ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lars

It doesn't require the little special spare tire adapter does it. My work truck has a little bullshit piece that you have to attach to the end of your tube to engage the winch. (Theft prevention) mine is stored in the glove box and didn't know that it was needed until I was in the middle of nowhere and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't engage. I actually opened the owners manual for once and got it figured out.

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No. It's got a lock that's removed behind a small access door at the bumper. The ignition key unlocks it then you pull the lock out. No special adapter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SideShow Bob

So, riddle me this: If this came from the factory like this, how was the spare tire cranked up into place at the assembly plant with the "tubes" not assembled/misaligned ?
Would it not be a possibility that they came apart during shipment or from your driving on rough roads ?

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No possible way it came apart. The smaller tube inserts at least 4 or 5 inches into the larger one and only the smaller tube is very slightly flexible. I'm guessing they have some sort of install "jig" or machine at the factory...I can't see a worker placing tires on the hoist and manually cranking them on the line. And this truck isn't driven off road much at all...it's for towing/hauling.

Quote:

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No possible way it came apart. The smaller tube inserts at least 4 or 5 inches into the larger one and only the smaller tube is very slightly flexible. I'm guessing they have some sort of install "jig" or machine at the factory...I can't see a worker placing tires on the hoist and manually cranking them on the line. And this truck isn't driven off road much at all...it's for towing/hauling.

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I'm not saying that there is some poor slob "hand cranking" the spare into place, I am sure that some sort of power tool to wind up the cable to pull the spare up into place.
But all the parts and pieces have to be in place for them to winch the spare up.
I have the same setup on my truck and there is no access to the spare tire winch mechanism other than that "tube".

Got a Monday car eh?

This is the first issue I've had with the truck in the year I've owned it. Glad I wasn't out in the middle of nowhere and figured out I can't get the spare off.

Sorry, but what's "DEF"?

I have a 2000 Silverado, never fooled with the spare. Maybe I should.....

Diesel emissions fluid, it is made from liberal's piss.

The hoist on mine was corroded and wouldn't lower. It was a bitch to take apart to replace.

Def reduces nox in the exhaust of diesel trucks and keeps me employed currently

Detroit??

Your chevy was most likely assembled in Mexico.

No...this one came from Flint. Home of everyone's favorite celebrity, Michael Moore.

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Originally Posted by Bailey Guns

Glad I wasn't out in the middle of nowhere and figured out I can't get the spare off.

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My first thought reading the thread. You're actually lucky. Besides owning a GM, of course. [Coffee]


[Beer]