...to paint some frame area where rust is starting. I'm thinking this is going to be a pain because some of the factory goop crap is still there but there are places in between where there's rust. I'm going to do the best I can at cleaning it up then hitting it with some rustoleum I got laying around here. Anyhow.. the real question I have is wtf is going on with my spare tire hoist? The POS will go down about 2 inches then stop like it's hung. I tried everything from jumping up and down on the tire to placing the tire between 2 cedar trees, wrapping a tow strap around then yanking at it with the Jeep. It still won't budge. So I got mad and beat the shit out of it with a sledge hammer...but it still won't move. I'm guessing I need to visit the junk yard (hopefully one not so crusty) so I can carry and actually be able to use my spare if the time comes? Believe it or not, I can't even get enough slack out to get the dongle thinger side-ways to remove the mechanism. Really though, this thing is ridicolous, I spent the time I was going to prep the frame area beating the shit out of a crappy lil spare tire hoist. If none of this makes sense it's because it's been a long day.

Just a suggestion, spray it down w/ Kroil oil, let it soak in a day or so, then try it-

Well I think I'm just going to get a new one. I would not trust this one if I got it loose anyways. I had the spare tire fall off my 1993 Chevy cause the guys at discount didn't put it on the hoist right. I was lucky to only be going 20 mph when it happened. I had just exit I-35.

Apparently these things differ from 1/2 ton to 3/4 ton and while the dealer is nice enough to tell you this, they won't give you the part number cause they want you to pay their 50% mark up. I found it on gmpartsdirect for $77 but there are some used ones on ebay...I'll keep looking.