Hi Folks,

Ok, there seems to be a ton of contoversy about this and I need to get some straight info.

I am restoring a 1951 F1 and I would like to mount the spare tire along side the bed as opposed to under the bed. I have seen pictures of 48-52 trucks with the spare tire mounted outside of the bed just forward of the rear fender.

BUT......I can't find a 48-52 rear fender with the dimple in it despite having seen them on the trucks. I DO have a mount though, that was removed from a 48 F1 that attaches to the ide of the bed.

After making a couple inquiries, Chuck at Chucks Trucks Told me Ford didn't offer this type of mounting on Ford P/Us until 56. He has always had the good gouge. But others say they did.

Q: Does anyone know for sure if the 48-52 F1s (perhaps even the Five Star Deluxe Cabs) came with a bedside mounted spare, and 2) if it had an indented rear fender.

Send pictures to: sandidande@***.net

Thanks,
Dan

 

No clue on the answer, but there was a similar thread about 8 or 10 down from there that you might read:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...e-carrier.html

 

Hi Thanks for the point to that article.

Funny thing is it was posted by the guy I bought my spare tire bracket from. He took it off a truck but the fender wasn't indented. I was told by someone else that whole arrangement didn't appear until 56. But it seems alot of guys have pre 56s with that option.

I guess we are both curious and trying to figure it out - good question huh?

Anyway, keep those cards and letters coming....and if anyone DOES have a rear fender from a 48-52 F1 with the dimple in it they want to sell for an obscene amount of money, I'm interested!

DD

 

OOPS!

It is a good question. For a while it was fashonable to remove them from ones like mine...not people seem to be wanting them again.

I was not too fond of mine when I got it, but I like it being up there now that I have had it for a while.

I think it looks "cool" being up there. No new trucks have them mounted like that. I like different.

 

It's best to trust Chuck's knowledge to my experience. But if you want more, I've got the 1952 dealer's Truck Handbook that lists options and accessories for all models. The only tire carrier listed is described as a "behind cab" tire carrier available on F-4/5/6s. Obviously that wouldn't be used with a pickup bed. I've also got the 1952 factory brochure that shows available accessories. No tire carrier there, either.

I've read that fenders can be cut to accommodate a side mount spare. The cut out section is, as I understand, flipped over and welded back in upside down.

 

Found a ad on goggle about a month ago up here in Ontario. Guy had 2 rear fenders that someone had dented in for spare tires. Just looked again, sorry cant find the ad. If I do find it I will let you know.

 

Wow a guy who has the Dealers Handbook-Outstanding piece of literature if you can find one and not have to sell a kidney to get it. Like all books I guess there is a need for tha info by someone, sometime. And I appreciate the straight story you helped me with. The cut and flip things sounds like an interesting idea. But I'm finding that as I learn more with this, it generates more questions. Like: Are the F4/5/6 rear fenders and different than the F1 (larger, wider, etc) and could I use one of those. More to come....

Thanks again for the great info.
Dan

 

No, there wouldn't have been rear fenders on the bigger models. To my understanding the carrier would have been for mounting the tire against the back wall above a flat bed or in front of a fifth wheel mount. I don't have any picture of that carrier. If anybody does I'd like to see it too.

 

Looking through the Ford illustrated parts catalog, not there on 48-52, but i wouldn't trust chucks knowledge completely, as he gave you bad info on the years they were available. It started in 53, not 56.

 

My truck's PO had made a side mount but "designed" it to work without the fender cutout. He drilled two sets of four holes, on both sides of the bed, before giving up. (Thanks, bud!)

So when I was assembling mine, I wanted to see if it could be done. With the fender off, and a fairly "normal" sized spare, it looked like there would be almost nothing left of the fender if cut-out, and I can only imagine what that much weight wagging around would do to the bedside if it were mounted higher.

Here's a quick and VERY dirty photochop -- remember I have small tires

 

You know, it is entirely possible to reverse the side mount carrier, and mount it inside the bed.

 

F1 fenders are the widest. F2, F3 and F4 are approx 2.5" narrower as the balance of the fender depth is made up in a wheel well inside the box - which is 55" vs 49" wide.

F2/3/4 came with either 8" boxes or flatbeds. A few rare F1 seem to have been made with flat beds also. Most have 6'6" boxes.

I don't know of any F5 and larger than had a pickup style box behind the cab.

 

I thought I posted in tis but I did the other one. I have a '48 F1 everything appears to be original, it has the pre '51 grill and guages, VIN checks out as a '48 and the bed looks just like the rest of it. I have the dimple in the D. side rear fender and a scary looking mount that comes off the bed. Here is the pic:



Any ideas?

Only thing I can think is it has a lot of GVW numbers on the side which may mean it had something to do with the gvt. at one time.

Here is the P. side:

 

Thanks for the pic galaxie641, your bracket looks like it came from a 53-56 truck. Here are pics of the bracket that me and sandidande are talking about. It was pulled off a 51 F1 with no indent in the rear fender. The center line of the vertical support is the rear most runningboard bracket and bolts to its outer bolt. The face of the bracket where the wheel bolts on is exactly 10 inches from the side of the bed. This may just be a bracket from an F3...

 

Hi Again. looked again and found the ad. Dont know if there still there but here is the ad.Price: $500.00

Street address: R.R. 4, WOODSTOCK, ONTARIO, N4S 7V8 View map
Location: London, Ontario



SOUTHERN REAR FENDERS OFF A HALF TON SHORT BOX, NO RUST BUT SOMEBODY HAMMERED THE FRONTS FOR SPARE TIRES; THIS CAN BE FIXED EASILY. TYPICAL DENTS AND DINGS.
519-456-6063 OR 519-537-1905