Spare tires & brackets?

On Sat, 22 May 2004 03:07:39 +0000, KB8QLR rearranged some electrons to form:

It mounts under the bed.

Whatever you do, find a way to attach a bracket inside the box of the truck. You can fix up some kind of locking system.

Picture yourself in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire and your spare tire firmly secured under the truck bed, clogged with snow and salt.

I have a truck cap, have my spare tire secured to a bracket inside the cap on the passenger side wheel-well. The spare is in perfect condition and ready for changing with the release of a couple of lug/butterfuly nuts.

Then again, you don't have to follow this advice.

Good truck. I've had two F-150's '87 and '95 and now have a '97 F-250. Needed the payload for my sled. Anyway, you can OEM under the rear gas tank. If you don't have any Class 3 hitch issues that's the place for it. I also carry one more spare in the bed when going to the mountains, in case I get snarled up in some rocks and don't need to abandon my trip to the radio site. You can pick up extra steel wheels at the local wreaking yard for about $35-40 each. What you might consider is some kind of carrier on the bed, if you don't wanna do the OEM location. Or in the front, but I seem to recall that's a pain when working under the hood for anything. Remember to keep a little lube on the threads of the OEM mount as well-years later it's a pain getting the spare out, otherwise. You have an option of hanging a padlock on your OEM holder, but in my area that's not necessary. West coast.

Karl >

Being I have a camper shell, I use the factory spare tire holder underneath at the rear of the truck. The bracket has a upright metal piece that the hub "hole" of the wheel sits in to hold it in place. Then you lift it up, and lock it to the large eye hook thing near the exhaust pipe area.."passenger side" It's sort of a pain. "I have a f-250 with fairly heavy wheels and tires.." Usually, Mr. Murphy will arrange flats to happen when it's raining and you are wearing clean dress clothes...:/ I've kept it on the bed floor when I didn't have the shell on, but I do get a lot more room with it under the truck. With the shell, it's the only decent place for it.. I use my floor jack to boost it into place for locking. Makes it a bit easier. MK