@AuroraGirl,
Is that some year specific? I have never seen that before. Every truck I've seen had that stupid back breaking crossmember with the long bolt thing on one end that has that lock screw thing on it, and on the other end is that long bolt with that little plate thing that goes up on the frame. And to get the tire on the crossmember you have to heft the tire up onto it then pick the tire and crossmember thing up onto the long bolt and screw lock thing, and then lay there and screw that lock thing with the tire iron or a big screw driver or something, up that lo-o-ong bolt until it was tight up against the frame. My God! I hated that thing!
So, is there a detailed picture somewhere of how what you have, works? I've never seen it and don't know how it's supposed to work.
I went to a wrecking yard that used to be here that had only new cars and trucks. There I bought one of the crank up spare tire devices that you put a long rod through your bumper to connect to the crank mech. and you crank the tire down. Much better! I got it off a, new then '95 Chevy shortbed, except for the crossmember it was attached to, because it was riveted to the frame. I figure I can use the old crossmember, of that kind I hate, that I did keep, and make a crossmember out of it, maybe.