Over the summer my spare tire cable snapped and I've been keeping the spare in the back seat. I know I can get one from GMPD and I know how to replace it.

My question is, has anyone ever tried to repair theirs? It's literally just a crank, tube and a steel cable. Can't the cable just be replaced and possibly upgrade the cable to a higher quality (thinner) cable with a rubberized coating (to keep it from rusting)? Has anyone attempted this repair?

Either way I have to remove mine so I'm going to see if it's repairable. I'll document it and if successful I'll share the process. Unless someone has already done it in which case I would appreciate a point in the proper direction.