My problem is not getting the spare to lower, but to get the secondary latch to engage when reinstalling the spare.
I lowered the spare by lowering the tire with the hoist as much as I could. Then I accessed and lubed the latch with some penetrating oil thru the hole in the bumper behind the license plate. I then took the weight off the tire by jacking up the rim of the tire with a floor jack and a wooden block enough to get some play in the cable. I depressed the latch mechanism with a pair of pliers by catching the edge of body of the latch opposite the hook and the sliding mechanism on the hook side. The hook receded the into the body of the latch and allowed me to lower the cable and tire. Then I lubed up and pried down the disk at the end of the latch mechanism that touches the spring with a screwdriver so the disk now freely moves up and down. When this disk is in the up position (which will happen when the weight of the tire is pressed against it) the hook recedes into the latch and the tire will move freely up and down when hoisted.
But now the secondary latch does not grab hold when I reinstall the spare. I am concerned that if the cable breaks or the connector on the end of the cable rusts the tire may come flying off.
I went to a dealer and a tire store and neither had any suggestions as to how to get the secondary latch to engage when you reinstall the spare tire. I guess that they just crank it up and don't bother to test the secondary latch.
