Hello all,
I bought my first truck this past August, an '05 Super Duty Crew Cab with the long bed to tow my race car and have really grown to like it a lot. It is a 2WD XL but I've added bits here and there (tow mirrors, ARE cap, Bedrug, headlights, chrome grill, etc) to make it look less like the bare bones truck that it is. The truck now has nearly 109k on it with only 12k on a dealer installed reman 6.0. None of that really matters regarding my question so on with it...

Anyhow, my truck didn't come with a spare tire or any of the tools associated with changing a tire and thus my questions: what size rim/tire would the truck have come with for a spare (I have the OEM 18" wheels on the corners), and what all tools should have been with the truck to change the spare? I know that sounds like a silly question but this being my first truck I don't know what all is required/supplied to jack this beast up and lower the tire, etc...
I assume a jack and lug wrench at the least, did the lug wrench also serve to lower the spare? I'm not really sure how that works.

Thanks for your help.

 

Some states REQUIRE that a vehicle be sold with a spare tire and jack.... you might investigate that requirement in your state. Did you get the users manual? The information should be in there. If you didn't get it, go here to download it at no charge.

Ford Owners | The Official Site of Ford Vehicles | FordVehicles.com

 

You are right. The jack was simply a mechanical bottle-shaped mechanism that was stored behind the rear bench in crew-cab trucks. Also supplied was a lug wrench and several connecting lengths with one of those links having a special lip on the end which inserted into the jack to raise/lower it. That link also was the end link which inserted into a groove in the spair tire carrier under the bed. Turn the assembly clockwise to raise the spair tire carrier and counter-clockwise to lower the carrier assembly.


You can purchase the links from Ford, but I'd hold off on the factory lug wrench because a 4-way allows you to get a lot more force on lugnuts. The jack was also nothing special and cumbersome, so a real hydraulic bottle jack might be a better investment than buying on OEM jack from the dealer. You mihgt be able to rig something up to turn the carrier like a long flathead screwdriver. The only thing is you'd need one with a shaft at least 20" or more.


EDIT: My truck came with factory 18" rims, and the spare tire was a full-sized tire the same size as on the truck- LT275/70R18E. The wheel was non-matching, however.

 

Your original spare rim was probably a 17" x 7.5". I think that was the minimum size in '05. Just a steel rim. If your XL had 18" wheels, someone upgraded.

 

How soon do you need the spare tire, jack, key, etc?

 

I am sure that you have already checked...but have you looked under the hood, just above the radiator to see if the jack handle/spare handle/lug wrench isn't there? Sometimes unless you know what it is you can overlook it when you are under the hood not realizing what it is.

 

Thanks for all your help, everyone.

BPofMD: thanks for the link, my truck didn't have the manual either.

seminaryranger: thanks for all the info, I'll probably just buy a bottle jack rather than an OEM jack, I prefer 4-ways anyways, and I think I'll try using a long shafted pry bar - think this would work? Also, those are the same sized tires on my truck and I saved one of the better old tires when I put new tires on, sounds like now I just need to find a spare rim.

Furian: I've went nearly 5 months w/o, but I'd like to get it sorted out soon. Why, do you have extras?

BillyBob69: Hmm, I never noticed those under there, but then I've always been focused on something else when working under the hood. Is that really where they keep those, I thought it would all be in the cab behind the rear seat.

 

Boywonder: Hmm, I never noticed those under there, but then I've always been focused on something else when working under the hood. Is that really where they keep those, I thought it would all be in the cab behind the rear seat.
That's were they keep them, and BTW if you have the originals, and you need to use them, there going to be HOT.

 

They are clamped with a wing nut to some plastic brackets along the top of the radiator.

 

I just ran out to double check and no, I have nothing fastened to or near the radiator.

 

Scrap yard may be good for the handles to lower the spare... BUt what they said about a better bottle jack.

 

My 05 crew has a small tray behind the back seat, in there is a two bar system which a key goes on for the lowering of the spare tire, a lug wrench. (driver side). On the other side (Passenger) behind same rear seat is the lamo bottle jack. I would suggest you need the lug wrench, and bars and the key to use the lowering apparatus to get a spare up there and to get it down. Hopefully someone can help with that. This key, that goes on the end of the bar, is ussually in a clear bag, either in glove box or in some cases in that try behind the rear seat. I agree with a better bottle jack, its not going to help you lift a wheel with trailer in tow or a load, so a 3+ tonne bottle is worth it IMO.