Where did ford mount the spare tire on the 63 F1? Was it behind the differential, like on later models? And if so, what did the bolt/mount look like? If anyone has a pic I would like to see it. Thanks!

By the way...this is my first post here, but a long time reader.

 

My 63 F100 was in the bed, on the side. I took a 99F100 spare crank-up winch assembly ($20.00 on eBay, brand new), added a 1x 2" Steel crossmember, used an existing crossmember, drilled a few holes, and works great, and spare fits up in there like it belonged there all along. I need to get a crank handle, but in the meantime I carry a long 3/8" extension and a ratchet handle, stick it in the 1 1/4" hole I cut under the taigate, above the bumper. Works great!

 

Thanks for that information. My truck was originally a step-side, but right now I am running it with no bed. I know there was no existing mount on the bed itself, but I know from memory that I have seen some of these trucks with the tire mounted on the outside between the wheel well and the cab. I would like to have the tire in back and underneath both because of the extra weight it will provide, and because it is more "sightly" that way. Good to know that you were able to make it work successfully. Being a short wheel-base truck, there isn't much room under there, but it looks like just enough - I'll have to measure it.

My truck actually has an existing horizontal (front to back) crossmember in the right place, with about a one half-inch hole predrilled in it. I suspect that this hole was the original location of the mount, but who knows - if it works, I'll use it.

 

That's where mine was as well (behind the differential). In fact, I think I took off the original tire and wheel - one solid mass of decayed tire and rusted metal. I haven't decided whether to mount a spare there or in the bed. Unlike others, I'm leaning towards a bed mount just behind the cab.

Bob

63 F100 292 step side (or flair side or flare side, I don't know)

 

FYI - I tried to mount my spare (it's a 235-r75 on an original rim) using the pre-drilled hole in the front-to-rear brace on my 64 long bed. I ran a bolt through the center hole of the rim and tried to use a water-pump pully to keep it centered - the tire hit the differential. Things may be a bit different on a short bed, but a simple mount using that hole is out for a longbed - back to the drawing board for me! There was plenty of room behind the tire, the hole was just too far forward.

 

Hmm...looks like you might be right about that. I held the tire up in place (I used a spare distributor mount from my crown vic) and it is awful close to the diff. I'm thinking of some kind of u-bolt design at this point...

 

Re: Where they were on the factory model

(I only know step sides, so bear with me...)

My '64 F-100 originally had TWO spares mounted in the bed. There are two holes drilled in the side panels of the bed (up front, right along the step-side). There was also a toolbox back there (where the jack and tire iron were) that was pretty badly rusted by the time my dad got it in the mid-70's. I have seen several ones, also (memories of growing up in the 70's and 80's) where the spare mounted on the outside of the bed (with cutouts in the stepside fenders and a fabricated piece of steel that welded to the outside wall of the bed holding the tire). I often wonder if this was a factory option, since repro parts catalogs have no mention of ordering stepside fenders with the necessary cut-out for this option :-) It seems almost like this would defeate the purpose of the stepside bed in the first place-it's awfully hard to get to your load with a spare in the way.

I have also seen wood slats built to go into the four corner-post mounts built into the stepside which have something engineered into them to hold up a spare (or two).

My dad got lazy and put the new-fangled winch assembly in the frame ;-) I might change this back...gotta come up with a wood kit to re-do the wood in my bed, though first.