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Jeep Gladiator Spare Tire Access: Where Is It- How Do I Get It Down?

  • Writer: Muddy Ruttzz
    Muddy Ruttzz
  • 1 day ago
  • 6 min read

AAA is not always available especially if you are off-road. Can you find your spare? Do you know how to access it? Jeep Gladiators and most pickups, store the spare tire underneath the bed. Many vans and SUV's store it under the back of the vehicle in similar way. This article will help you if you find yourself with a flat and need to change a tire.


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What Are You Going To Do If You Get A Flat Tire?


Many Young Folks (And Some Old Ones) do not know how to change a tire. Don't leave yourself vulnerable! a living working with your hands is not quite as popular as it once was. It also seems younger generations don't have as much interest or knowledge in how simple mechanical items we encounter every day work. I believe that why many young folks do not have a clue how to change a tire.


Flat tire on a Jeep Grand Cherokee in sandy terrain. Text: "Would Getting a Flat Ruin Your Day?" with a sad face emoji. Logo on the left.
Jeep got a flat on Berdoo Canyon. He knew how to change it but did not have the key for his tire lock with him.


Where Is My Gladiators Spare Located?


I asked a Jeep salesman to open the hood and show me the engine of a Jeep I was considering buying. He told me maybe 10% of buyers care about the engine. I mean, who needs to know what's under the hood when you can just admire the shiny paint job, right? It does not surprise me that many Jeep owners don't know how to change a tire or even where it is located on the Gladiator. It's like a game of hide-and-seek—only the tire is winning! Like many other pickups, it is stashed under the bed out of the way where you never have to think about it until you need it.



Rear view of a white Jeep Gladiator with text highlighting a spare tire beneath. The setting is a sunny parking lot.
Yup, right under there just like many other pickups, SUVs and Vans

What Button Do I Push To Get This Spare Tire Down?


It's a Jeep, folks! If you're looking for a button, you're in the wrong place. Accessing the Gladiator's spare tire is a manual operation—think of it as a high-stakes game of "how many muscles can I flex in one go?" It's just like engaging the 4WD or the Transfer Case, but with a little more sweat and a lot less finesse. Honestly, if you want to push buttons, just get a Cybertruck and let it do the heavy lifting while you sit back and sip your kale smoothie!


Person in gloves cranks a mechanism on a truck's rear bumper to access the spare tire. New Mexico license plate and rocky desert. Text overlay.
A crank system is used to lower the spare tire

Step By Step Removing The Spare Tire


The jack and tool kit can be found beneath the rear seat on the passenger side. In this article, my focus is solely on lowering the spare tire, so we will only take out the crank and lug wrench, leaving the jack where it is.



A silver Jeep Gladiator on rocky terrain with an arrow pointing to the back door. Text reads: "Open this door & lift seat for jack access."


Jack and Tools Are Neatly Stowed And Held In Place With Velcro Straps


After sorting through all the miscellaneous items stored under the seat—because apparently, my car is a black hole for random junk—I finally found the jack, which is securely fastened with Velcro. It’s like the jack is playing hide-and-seek! Actually I need all that stuff in there and I'm glad when I have it.


Car seat storage with jack, tools, first aid kit, cleaner spray, and cloth. Text indicating location of items. Red arrow pointing to tools.
By now I have a pretty good Idea what I want at the ready in my Jeep and under the seat is a great spot

Tools Are Separated From The Jack


Tools next to a car jack, marked with a red cross and green check. Text: "For this video we only need tools not the jack."
Kind of messy under the seat but I got what I wanted

These Are The Parts We Will Use To Assemble the Crank


Tools on a truck bed: a lug wrench and parts labeled for assembling to lower a spare tire. Gloved hand holding a piece. Text included.

Now You Know What That Little Hole By The Bumper Is For!


Attach the lengths to the crank tool (it's quite intuitive or refer to your manual). Find the small hole beneath the tailgate. Next, carefully align and insert the shaft into the tube to connect it with the winch device. The lug wrench doubles as a crank arm so you can rotate the winch mechanism.


Person in gloves holds crank handle near vehicle bumper with New Mexico plate. Text and arrow indicate insertion point on the bumper.
It can be frustrating finding the "cone" that helps guide the tool into the winch device.


Funnel under a metal surface, guides crank handle to winch. Text: "Aim for this funnel that connects crank handle to winch." Logo bottom left.
This is what you are aiming for under the bed. Funnel will guide the end of the crank into the winch device.

Close-up of a winch mechanism under a vehicle, with metallic parts and a visible logo reading "Muddy Ruttzz." Text: Winch mechanism.
The Winch Mechanism that lowers the cable attached to spare tire

Now You Can Lower The Spare Tire


Using the crank tool you inserted (see photo) lower the tire to ground level. The next series of photos will show the process.


A vehicle's tire with a sharp object embedded, off-road on rocky terrain. "Outdoor Adventure Muddy Ruttzz" logo in the bottom right.
Spare is on its way down - notice the bracket and spring that goes through the center of wheel
Off-road vehicle's spare tire being lowered by cable onto rocky terrain. Desert background. Logo in corner reads "Muddy Ruttzz, Outdoor Adventure."
The spare tire has been successfully cranked down and is ready to be removed from beneath the Jeep on a rocky terrain.

Mechanic in gloves examines a vehicle's suspension under a car in a desert setting. Large tire visible. Text reads: Outdoor Adventure Muddy Rutzz.
I lifted the tire up and removed the bracket and spring - tire is free now.

Gray SUV rear with tire on rocky terrain. "The Spare Tire" text. Gloved hand visible. License plate from New Mexico. Desert background.
Spare is heavy and difficult to move around. Get help when possible.
Don't Forget To Rewind The Cable Up

Chances are you are not going to put your flat tire back in the spare tire position until it is repaired or replaced. Make sure to wind the cable back up and snug it so it does not move around.



Underside of a vehicle showing suspension components with visible dirt. A logo on the left reads "Outdoor Adventure Muddy Ruttzz."
Rewind the cable so you do not end up dragging it down the highway. Here you see bracket and spring up in position.
Safety Is The Most Important Part Of This Operation

Here are a few tips that can help you stay safe in the event of a flat tire change:

  1. If you don't have a safe place to pull over to perform tire change keep driving. Your life is worth more than the cost of a new tire. Driving at a slow speed with flashers on to a safe location is best.

  2. Have some reflective clothing to wear if you have to stop on a side of road or highway. I always have a yellow reflective construction reflective vest in my vehicle. It really makes you visible at night and daytime too.

  3. I carry trucker triangles to set up behind my vehicle and yes I have had to use them. The give warning to drivers long before cars reach your breakdown location.

  4. I did not go into actually changing the tire, that will be another video and article. If you do, use caution.


    Thanks for checking out my article and I hope it helps you. You may never need your spare but at least your prepared to take action in the event that you do!


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