Deb -
1 You should be able to get it out far enough to lift the tire straight up. It's a little bouncy but I haven't bent anything.
2. Use a Teflon or silicone dry lube spray. I found out the hard way that grease is a bad idea.
3. You are probably trying to put a 15" tire onto a rack that was designed for a 14 incher. Very tough. For a long time, I used a WonderBar to lever it up from the ground. Then I discovered that if I lifted it by hand onto a 6x6 block of wood and then onto another block, the WonderBar final approach worked better. Then I finally reworked the hanger to lower the rack a bit, and it became a lot easier. Sketches here:
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/for...83&postcount=4
4. Yes, you can pull the rack out until it drops entirely out.
A hint. You will put the tire back on the rack with the valve on the underside. Eventually, you will want to get at the valve, to confirm that the air pressure is good, or to add air. At that moment, you will wish you had oriented the tire so that the valve is facing you, so you can minimize scootching under the TM to reach it. I used a Sharpie to the other side of the wheel - the side that will be up - to mark where the valve is.