Hey all

As I mentioned in my 2nd fuel tank post, I am currently missing my spare tire for the truck we bought used.

I've found a 16" steel 8-lug wheel that will work and I plan to get a tire put on it in the near future. LT235/85R16 - I've got three generics and one Pathfinder Trail brand all 120/116P on the truck now.

For now I can throw the spare in the bed & maybe chain it up along with the spare 5 gallon fuel can back there. But I'd like to get the spare tire carrier in shape if I can.

I see the two bolt-supports on either side along with the flat carrier support that holds the tire. But I don't see how A hoist might attach under the bed, nor how I would use the hoist.

Here's the front-most carrier support mount bolt on the driver's side.

Front spare tire carrier static bolt

And this is the rear-most one with an eyelet I am guessing is for the tire iron / lug nut wrench to spin open/close and raise/lower.


Rear spare tire carrier mount bolt

As you can see, the PO was using hangar wire (??) to keep the piece in place. That was popular with the PO - found it in several places underneath the truck + inside some of the doors. Good times.

What do I need to secure the spare to the support bar? How is it mounted? I don't think this year truck had a hoist but I could be wrong.

How can I lock the wheel on? I believe some of the older trucks had some sort of special tool & key thing, but I don't see anything like that on the truck.[***************]Save[/COLOR]

 

Truck Parts and Truck Accessories
There is a bolt that goes from the bottom up through the tire carrier. This goes through the spare tire wheel center. Then the plastic retainer spins on the bolt and holds the wheel to the carrier.

 

There was no hoist. You need to horse the tire up onto the carrier bar, then horse the bar / tire up to get the rear bolt through the hole in that end of the bar. Then you get the bolt into the slotted part of the hole so the bar / tire can't fall down. At that point you can catch your breath before you twist the bolt up to get the tire tight. Yes it sucks, but that's how it is.

You can try to stick the lug wrench into the end of the carrier to give you more leverage (that's what the hole there is for). But I find it easiest to put the end of the carrier on a floor jack and lift it up that way. If you need to change a tire on the road you stick the flat in the bed and put it back up in the carrier after it's fixed and you're back at home with your floor jack.

 

My spare is in the bed on My truck, and is staying there. I'm going to do away with the under bed stuff

 

Mine has a spot in the front corner of bed to mount a spare but I hate losing the room, especially during firewood season.

 

@Bruners4
Thanks for the LMC link. I believe I just need parts #5 and #6 from there. I'm in touch with LMC now.

@Nothing Special
Yeah, I'm happy to deal with the tire under the bed. If I need it, it's there and otherwise is out of the way for the most part. I already have a gooseneck ball right in the middle of the bed so I'd like to keep it as clear as possible otherwise.

I also need a jack for it as that is missing from the engine compartment. I am having a hard time finding one that is the right year to know what I'm looking for. Same thing re: lug irons.

I'll see what I can find at the junk yards but I don't have much hope on these pieces. I figure I'll get the basics and throw them behind the back seat.

 

As much as using the under-bed carrier annoys me, it is the best place for the tire (unless the truck is used off road). So that's where mine is too. Like I said though, it's not too hard to put the tire away with a floor jack. And gravity helps you get it out when you need it! It would be nice to have a hoist on it, like modern trucks. But it doesn't, and a big project isn't worth it to me.

 

I replaced everything spare related from LMC when I first got my truck cause the bar was bent & bolts stripped & seized. Probably need to pull it all down & check/lube since its been 10 years & posting this will jinx me.

Reminds me I want to p/u a spare jack at the PaP.

 

^^ and when I need a scoop of dirt or mulch. Besides that I would wonder if someone "needed" my spare more than me and it would disappear from the bed.

I sourced all my missing/damaged parts from the junkyard. It was a lot cheaper than buying new.

 

I am working on modifying a Superduty spare tire winch into my OBS

 

The first time I pulled my spare out from under the truck there was a hole melted in it from my leaking gas tank. And the second time, it came down on it's own while driving down a rough dirt road, that tire was bouncing all over the road , thankfully nobody was behind me. It's been in the bed ever since.

That would be really nice

 

my 79 still has the stock tire up under it because i never bothered to remove it. all others have no spare. i keep good tires on my trucks and do not run a spare unless i am going long distance, then i will toss one in the bed.
otherwise the spare tire is in the garage . i have 2 spare tires, one 8X170 and one 8X6.5 bolt pattern.

and have never had to change a flat tire on a pickup on the road.
the 2 flats i have gotten in the past 40 years have both been in the driveway.

 

i am with tom on this. seems on the rare occasion that i do get a flat it is when i go out to the truck in the morning; the slow leak having had 12 hours or so to do it's thing.

getting that spare down at the side of the road, inevitably on a dark, rainy night, is something i have no intention of tackling. car club memberships are a good thing !
of course, i would toss a spare in the bed for a long trip.

 

I'm calling for a writeup by Brad.

 

Upper/lower pics from 1980/89 truck parts catalog.