How do you remove the spare on a 1997 Ford Explorer?

Answer 1

Open the liftgate at the back of your Explorer and just above the bumper in the center of the vehicle, just below the rubber weather stripping for the liftgate you will see a hole around 3/4 " Get the wheel lug wrench out of the compartment that is inside the left rear of your Explorer - it has 2 levers to move to release the cover - you use this as a crank handle to lower the spare tire and also as a crank handle for your jack. Next , lay the wide section of your back seat down flat and lift the movable panel up. You will see 2 rods that will be used with the lug wrench. Slip the 2 rods together, use the lug wrench on one end as a crank and insert the other end with the hook through the hole that is above the back bumper. It will fit into a crank, then start turning the lug wrench counterclockwise to lower the spare tire. When raising or lowering the spare tire always try to have the weight of the spare on the cable when the cable is moving so the cable won't get knotted up.