Alternate spare tire stowage/mount suggestions?

It's possible that I might go to the big XL tires.

plusses: lower engine RPMs.

neutrals: truck height goes from 144 inches to 146.25 inches (based on DM96's measurement of his ground to axle center of 22.75 with the XL's versus 20.5" for 11.00x20's).

minuses: oops.. now I "must" carry a big spare wheel and tire, because there'll be only 6 wheels instead of 10.

Looking for suggestions for a place to carry a spare tire. (no fat jokes please..)

the truck:
M35A2 with S-280 shelter.
Genset mounted in the spare's usual place, so that's out.

No 200-LB spares allowed inside the shelter!

Tailgate must be operable, no mounting on it or at the pintle. If I left the gate halfway down (flat) and used a crane there to stand up the tire to a swing-out mount, I would still have to move the tire to enter the shelter, and it might be unsafe while driving with the gate open from the shelter point of view and also the tire point of view.

The hardtop is not tough enough..

This leaves:
1: the front bumper, using a small hydraulic crane

Where else to mount a spare? Please Mighty Geniuses, help me think of some alternates!!

Hmmmmmmmmm Slide the bed back....... add a crane and mount it like the 923's????

Opcom,
Some of the same things I'm dealing with on my post "Heavy Suckers".
I've considered a hydraulic spare mount on front too. Without a winch, & as cold as this truck runs, I can't see that it would be a problem.
I'll be watching for ideas too.
Eric
CBVET

this does not help with where, but if i was going to go to singles i cetainly would not go to 11:00s when you can go to 14.5r20s. tires are cheap almost new. mount them tubeless and carry some fix-a-flat. ride is much better, braking is much better, steering may be better as well

Patrick, I'm thinking a trailer with a small hydraulic crane for your spare and gear.

Patrick, how big is that genset? There is a lot of space for a "compact" genset above the spare tire carrier (if you don't install the tool rack).
I would probably try to relocate that generator as high as posible and put the spare where it was designed to be.
G.

Patrick, what I had considered doing (since I cant use the mount in its originaly location do to my dump PTO) was to mount the tire crane to the tailgate. Mounting, such that tail gate is flipped down, and tire is cranked up and attached. Flip tailgate/tire up together. I know it might be hard to flip up, but it may not be as bad as one might think. I actually considered making the mount a 'hook on' over the top of the tailgate, so that its only on when I want it. (I only carry a spare for long trips).

To add to Mike's idea, since you have the radio shelter, you could put a garage door spring from the top of the shelter to the tailgate to help raise/lower said gate.

You could also put a 'pipe socket' on the side of the tire rack, so that when the tailgate is down flat, the socket points to the ground on a 45° angle, and toward the sky on that same angle when the tailgate is up. Then when its down, you could put a 3-4' pipe in, to use for lifting it. by pointing it in such a manner, it would never really be out of comfortable reach. Insert pipe, raise/lower, slide pipe out.

How hard would it be to fab up a swinging spare tire mounting like the ones used on SUV's? It would swig out of the way to allow the tailgate to operate and be able to lower it with the use of a removable crane on the top of the shelter.

maybe combine that with my idea Nick?

Think in terms of a smaller spare, 900-20 for example, it will work if installed on the rear bogie. A smaller tire should open some new doors, perhaps a space within the van body, take out some shelving....
I realize that you would need to handle the bigger tire also, but that would only be until it was fixed.
You could also bring parts/tools needed to chain up the axle with the blown tire and not worry about a spare at all. I did that when a tire blew on the 8x8 in tow since no spare was available. If in front, use tire from rear.

Another option is to reconsider the size of the box and use a smaller one, so that you have space between it and the cab for any size spare, pioneer tools, a small crane etc.

Want options?...I'm full of it.

What about fabbing up a mount for the left side of the shelter beside the door? Is the side of the shelter strong enough to withstand that weight?

gringeltaube said:

Patrick, how big is that genset? There is a lot of space for a "compact" genset above the spare tire carrier (if you don't install the tool rack).
I would probably try to relocate that generator as high as posible and put the spare where it was designed to be.
G.

Click to expand...

G.,
The set is rather large size since it is a diesel. It consumes the space. Even if it were higher by a few inches (and therefore difficult to service) there would be no room for a tire. I could have put a little gasser there, but then would have had to add another fuel tank and I would probably be underpowered when starting the big loads.

mangus580 said:

Patrick, what I had considered doing (since I cant use the mount in its originaly location do to my dump PTO) was to mount the tire crane to the tailgate. Mounting, such that tail gate is flipped down, and tire is cranked up and attached. Flip tailgate/tire up together. I know it might be hard to flip up, but it may not be as bad as one might think. I actually considered making the mount a 'hook on' over the top of the tailgate, so that its only on when I want it. (I only carry a spare for long trips).

Click to expand...

A position on the back of the tailgate like this?

I think I like the idea of a swing-out mount. Less change of an accident while raising or lowering the gate.

If it were made with a bracket that let the gate take much of the weight when the tire was stowed, the mount could be made more simple and would not have to stress the side of the truck bed so much.

It would be beyond my tooling to make it, but I could have it made if someone knew what they were doing and I'd pa for it. The box is not substantial enough to hold a 200+ LB wheel assy in place. There is not enough width to put the wheel on the back of the shelter and clear the door. I don't know how much D-man96's wheels and the XL tires he's got weigh but I bet they aint light.

Changing the box is out of the question. It has taken about 4 years to get it to this level of 'functional perfection'. If I was starting from zero, I might consider an S-250 but too late now. If I had known then what I know now I would have got an M36 for the length. Next Truck? Would be cramped with gear but secure. A 9.00x20 "compact spare" is a good idea and could be put on at least two positions. In any case though I am changing a tire. I would prefer the right size spare so I only have to do it once per fault.

Here's a crappy drawing of what Mangus and nickd suggested?

GATE: the tailgate
A: a 1/4" steel plate to ride on the tailgate and support the end of the tire boom
B: 1.5x1.5" steel tube stock, top os tire boom
C: tire mounting bracket of 1/4" steel with wheel studs
D: lower part of tire boom
E: end section of lower part of tire boom
PIPE -a steel pipe that can slip over another steel pipe so the thing can be swung out. Can it slip over a pipe that holds the crane? Does it need a grease fitting in the middle?

So is this what you are suggesting? I like the idea. Sorry again for the bad pictures and drawings.

Patric, in the last drawing, you have a support upside down. That diagonal needs to go from the top bar down to the swivel post's bottom. That way the stresses will be at the strongest point.

It looks like he was triangluating it...... there are 2 triangles...... but adding another Vert behind the mointing plate would work........so that the long one could dgo downward for more strength.

Why not remount the spare tire rack under the rear of the bed like a standard civy pickup truck?

Have you considered that if you chane tire size and single out the rears(deuce), when you tow your trailer you wont have a spare tire for it(trailer) anymore?