That bracket shown above on the truck is identical to the one on my 56.


Still an interesting topic. I will keep watching and reading.

 

Here is a factory spare tire bracket off a 1947 Mercury 1 ton with me holding it on my 1951 box.

They used the same box sides, just had different fenders which were available with the indent. Just those 1 tons had 5 bolt wheels instead of my 8 bolt.

The Mercury Pickup site seems to be in an overhaul so I can't access the 1946 Mercury truck dealer brochure to see if it was offered on the F-1's.

 

Wow, what a mess I made! One thing I have noticed though is all the pictures I'm getting of these mounts are on the long beds associated with the larger trucks. Now here's a new mount. I think the mount I am getting from Gearhead is like th eone in th epicture in the other thread about 6 above (or below) this one. I thnk because my fenders are in such good shape, I'll do the cut and flip thing to accomodate the spare. I have an excellent body welder.

Thanks for all the inputs - keep those cards and letters coming!
Dan

 

I think I will agree with you Sandi. It seems that the short boxtrucks were equipped with the under bed tire carrier, and the long bed trucks had the option of the side mounted carrier. It does not list it as an available item in my 48-55 Ford Illustrated Parts Catalog, but that doesn't mean it wasn't an option. My dads 55 F-350 Express has the side mounted, and it similar to the one in the above photo. I have seen many of the multi armed ones, and am wondering if they were an aftermarket deal around back then. It looks like you have come up with a plan to get yours resolved, and hopefully it turns out well. Good luck, and keep us updated. Put up some info on how you accomplish it so that future veiwers may solve their problems as well.

 

Hi Thanks!

Yep I think I'm just going to make the darn thing...Seems like I'm doing that with a lot of parts. That's why I love these old Ford Trucks. Seems like if yo uhave a torch and a hammer, you can go to the scrap metal yard and drag home something and fabricate a part that is close to the original.

One other thing I noted when I was doing my research on Five Star Deluxe Cabs (which I also have) is that the DEALERS added a lot of options. Now, I'm not convinced that these were made by Ford, or Licensed After Market Manufacturers, But I would imagine that the Bedside mounted spae could have been an after market or dealer added option since they had been on earlier trucks. I'm sure folks probably wanted tho do it then as much as now!

When I get this going I'll post some pictures! I have a chrome tire ring and am using chrome moons for wheels so I'm hoping it will look pretty sharp when completed.

Dan

 

Good point. I found, in my research too, that back then, Ford sent all the trucks to dealerships as basic trucks without options. I don't even think the heaters got installed. At the dealer, the service department would ready the trucks for buyers by installing certain options that they purchased seperately at the dealer. From what I have found 9digging through tons of articles and information from dealerships, museums, news papers, etc.) The trucks were all basic trucks, and the options available were sent packaged on the seat, I have not been able to verify this 100%, but have found evidence to support it. I have found enough evidence over he last several years to support the idea that all the trucks were delivered as base models, and the added items were done at the dealer. The exception i think has been the deluxe and custom cab trucks, as they may have been delivered with the appropriate upgraded standards pre installed. Again, I cannot verify this either

 

I just took out onve of my fender bolts insterted a long one that juts out to the inside of the bed, tighted it down from the inside with a large washer and nut. I can then slip the spare tire over it and secure it with a wing nut and a large washer. I then installed the baby moon hub cap and it looks great, not drilling etc.

 

Hey Gearhead1952!

I hope you are still getting posts from this. I have a silly question. I'm starting to mount the spare tire bracket I got from you. See the pictures on the original post. It looks great. But, I have a piece left over. It's that 2 inch by about 14 inch bar with a couple holes in it that has a bend in it about 3 inches from one end. Can you tell me where it goes? On the inside of thebed wall perhaps to hold the carrier?

Thanks,
Dan

 

the one that came on my truck was on the passanger side and doesnt look anything like the ones pictured in fact none of them look the same wich makes me think most of them are aftermarket or home made

 

Back in the days of the 48-52 F1s, they used to go to the dealers and that's where a lot of the options were installed. Some of them were Ford made, and some of them were after market. I also think my carrier - which is pictured above, with the square stock - is probably a little later version than 51/52. Folks have told me it's about 56 version. But, still need to find the right spot for that extra piece!

Dan

 

Hi sandiande, I sent you an email but thought I add the same message here for others.

Yes that part was on the inside of the bed and had only one of the upper
bracket mounting bolts going thru it. It looked to me like it should not be
bent and that it was added support for the sheet metal maybe. I remember
there were extra holes but I think a couple of them lined up with the two
top ones so that the bracket could fit horizontally across the inside of the
bed and sandwich the bed shetmetal between it and the outer carrier bracket.
I would imagine that you would need some added support for the bed
sheetmetal as over time the sheetmetal may crack given the weight of the
carrier hanging off of it. Hope this makes sense. Just had a thought that
maybe it is long enough it could wrap around the inside of the beds front
corner and give even more support but then I'm just guessing.

 

Saw an episode of Sanford & Son this past weekend and noticed the red truck had the same spare tire carrier that I posted a pic above mounted on the passenger side. There was no tire on it and the rear fender did not appear to have a well in it. Never noticed that before.

 

Hi Gearhead!

Yep, I checked and there's a set of holes in that spare piece that line up perfectly with the mounting holes. Godd idea about posting this. As I answered your note above off site, I noticed the bend was right at the fender mounting bolts, so I'm thinking it was bent to miss the fender/wheel well indents I have seen on some of the beds. Since I don't have those, I just heated it up and pounded it out straight ( I love workin gon my truck, it's just a big hunk of metal that you can pound anywhere).

I have seen all kinds of trucks with mounts, with and without fender indents. I'll have to record Sanford & Son to get a look at it.

Thanks.
DD

 

Hi Folks.

I just finished installing my bedside spare tire carrier on my 51 F1. It is th eone I bought from Gearhead and is in his posted photo's above. Since then, I had it blasted and powdercoated. I'll have to get a wheel and tire to see if I'm going to need to indent the back fender. In a previous post, I read that the F1 fenders were wider than th eothers and that most of these side carriers were put on the F2 and up (and thus the narrower fenders) I'll keep you up to speed. But for now I'm going to try to post this photo. PS Body work and pain tcome in the spring for my spotted leopard.

 

Bedside Spare Tire Carrier Installed on a 1951 Ford F1