Check your spare tire

[NOCK NOCK]

To make sure it actually will work when needed.
Long couple days in the hills this weekend.
When in doubt, test it apart. 

[Stein]

I only saw the first picture and couldn't figure out what the heck you were doing with that tire.

[pianoman9701]

No idea what's going on here. 

[Skillet]

Looks like he's using the ATV winch to yank on the cable drop mechanism that he took out of his truck... That didn't drop when needed? 

I had one froze up like that many years ago.  I always drop my tire to the ground and winch it back up at least once a year now to keep it loose.

[Woodchuck]

Looks like he's using the ATV winch to yank on the cable drop mechanism that he took out of his truck... That didn't drop when needed? 

I had one froze up like that many years ago.  I always drop my tire to the ground and winch it back up at least once a year now to keep it loose.

Nailed it. 

[Karl Blanchard]

I rock tested my rear right tire Saturday morning and it failed spare worked good though

[HikerHunter]

I was expecting to see a flat spare tire. I was with my father-in-law when he got a bad flat and his spare wasn't much better. His next birthday gift is going to be a 12V air compressor...

[b23]

Got a call from my wife at 12:30AM about two months ago as she was on her way home from the Airport from a business trip telling me she had a flat.  She was already about half way home so I was there in about 15-20 minutes.  She was able to limp it off the freeway and into a well lit parking lot at McD's.  Everything with easy peasy, EXCEPT, I hadn't checked the air pressure in her spare for ohh about, ummm, never!!  It was wayyy low on air pressure and very very soft but we didn't have far to go so I was lucky enough to limp it home.  Next day I went around and checked the air pressure in all our vehicles spare tires and except for my truck they were all very low.

So to the OP's point, yes, definitely check the spare tire in your vehicles to make sure they, at the least, have enough air pressure in them. 

[NOCK NOCK]

Looks like he's using the ATV winch to yank on the cable drop mechanism that he took out of his truck... That didn't drop when needed? 

I had one froze up like that many years ago.  I always drop my tire to the ground and winch it back up at least once a year now to keep it loose.

Nailed it. 

Bingo!
There are two ways according to the manual to bypass the "safety" mechanism, neither of those worked after multiple tries. Finally figured out how to get the whole contraption off the truck, and used the chain/atv winch to pull/bend the hanger so it would slip thru the tire.

Sportin some new shoes today on the truck.....Damn I hate buying tires.

[Alchase]

Back in my Jeepin days, I picked up a bolt cutter at a garage sale for almost nothing. Without much thought, I threw it under the back seat of my Cherokee. Three times it was used on the trail. All three times by older Tacoma drivers to cut the spare cable because it was froze up and they could not get their spare out from under their rig.

 

[Lumpy Taters]

True all the way.  The one on my 07 Silverado just fell off on my last trip out.    Found it in the middle of the road by luck after turning around due to deep snow.   Never thought to check it

[Skillet]

I rock tested my rear right tire Saturday morning and it failed spare worked good though

Purty sure it's cheaper to just check it in your driveway once a year... But I respect the commitment to making your test count!

[b0bbyg]

Also check your emergency air compressor works. The one I carried around for years failed when I needed it last year. Thankfully buddy had a bike pump that got me back to town, but hand pumping truck tires is not fun.
Also have a breaker bar in truck now, we could not get tire off with just the tire iron.
Fun day 

[NOCK NOCK]

Thats funny. Once I did get the spare mounted, it was a bit low on air. The portable mini compressor decided to crap out this day too.

WAIT, it gets even better....

Had a can of fix-a-flat (been in the truck for some time too) Well upon pushing the trigger it decided to break where the little hose connects to the can = face full of exploding goo.............

I tell ya, GOOD times were had that day. 

PS, along with new skins, the spare will live in the bed of the truck now (this way I cant forget to check it every so often)

[NOCK NOCK]

Back in my Jeepin days, I picked up a bolt cutter at a garage sale for almost nothing. Without much thought, I threw it under the back seat of my Cherokee. Three times it was used on the trail. All three times by older Tacoma drivers to cut the spare cable because it was froze up and they could not get their spare out from under their rig.

 

Cutting the cable wont work when the safety mechanism wont let the tire down far enough to get the hanger thru the middle of wheel. (Thought about trying that too.