need opinions on my spare tire idea

i want to mount a fullsize vertically in the right rear corner of the bed. as close to the bed rail as possible. but what im stuck on is how to make it strong... there is only like 2 out there for retail and they arent big enough for 285s. my original plan was a plate bolted to through the bed, with a 2x2 square welded vertically and bolted to the bed rail somehow. then the hub protruding out from the 2x2. but i was lookin at my bed and bed rail today.... pretty freakin thin. i can move my bed rail easily by hand, let alone a 70pd wheel/tire hangin against it. now im pondering making something like this....

http://www.tiregate.com/shop/bed-mount-4-way-tirestrap/

thats just not worth 200 bones^

looking at the bed from the rear...im thinkin of mounting a hook on the right fender, one about a 6in to the left of the fender, one in the right rear of the b3d and one about a foot to the left of that near the gate... maybe 2 pieces of 1.5 ft of smaller chain connected to the front and the rear mounts. then a 2inch strap over the tire connected to both chains.... but the question is will the tire lean left and right when wheelin?
open to ideas, need to get the spare in the bed.

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_147742-2380...pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=ratchet+strap&facetInfo=

Use the corner tie downs. Wedge the tire against a corner. Ratchet it in place. Other option is to stand it up against the cab wall bedside and strap it in over the top with one strap and around the middle with another.

Or check out my build where I drilled a gaping hole in the bed.

 

ur saying mount the tire in the right rear of the bed... and strap from the r/r to the r/f? that wont hold the tire down? i want it so sturdy i dont have to mess with till needed

 

Install some tie downs in the bed floor and strap it in laying flat.

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Car...tml?feed=npn&gclid=CJD49Z3WoLYCFYxaMgodY30ABw

I don't know how sturdy or stable you want it. I know a certain dragon of green colour that wedges the spare flat up against the front passenger corner of the bed and straps it in with a ratchet strap and the corner tie down.

I'm all anal about having shit moving on me so I drilled a hole in the bed and mounted one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=2206300&SID=two1739692

 

If I were building it I just do something along these lines. If all the load was on your bed rail it wouldn't be stong enough but with it bolted through the floor there's no way it's going anywhere.

Sorry it was a quick photoshop of what was in my head. And I know you want it on the passenger side. But hopefully you get the idea.

 

The thing of it is it won't put much stress on the mounts at all. If it were hanging free like on a tire carrier swing out you'd have to deal with the entire weight of the tire/wheel. Nearly all the weight with this setup will be supported by the bed of the truck so it's just a matter of keeping it secure. Which wouldn't be hard.

 

that takes up too much room man...

Thanks Adam, thats exactly the reply i was looking for... thats a bad ass design and i like it alot but man thats alot of metal work.... Do u think the sheet metal would be strong enough? i read complaints where people bolt things through the bed and it warps or bend the bed, because iirc its only like 1/16th or 1/8 in think...

 

Like I said, it won't have to support that much weight since the tire will be supported by the floor. If you were worried you could put backing plates under the floor and behind the bedrail mounting points but I think that's overkill. Some large fender washers should work fine.

Shouldn't be that much metal work. Couple plates for mounting and 4 sections of tube. You don't have to use a disc for the tire mouting surface, I just drew it that way. But the local place where I get steel sells discs like that in lots of sizes so I use them for tire carriers and either weld some wheel studs to it or drill and press in wheel studs.

If you can weld it or have someone weld it, I bet you could have it all done in a few hours.

 

yeah.... im not afraid of welding. just alot of different metals to go buy.
what do u think of the strap idea?

 

if you are thinking about going up to 285s might want to consider making the actual mount float so you can adjust for the change in height.

 

it will be a 285 spare

 

Just buy some surplus plate and cut it with a cutoff wheel. Could use the same peice to cut the tire mounting plate. then probably 4' of square tube would be plenty. Then it's just cutting.

If you felt like you needed to do that, you could get two sizes of tubing for the vertical peice. Slide the smaller one inside the larger one and use a set screw to change the height. Or if you worried about the set screw not being stable enough just do a few different holes through the tubes so you can adjust the height.

The strap idea will work fine I'm sure. It's simple, but less permanent.

 

Not to be a dick, but I think you're over thinking it. Spare tires on some race trucks are held in with less and their hauling ass over rough terrain.

 

hahahahahahah thanks bud i probly am.... i like the strap idea because its easy and easily torn down. but if it fails, ill be pissed and wish i had broken out the welder

 

The strap will work fine. If you want to go with straps, I'd bolt two anchors to the floor, (again use some big fender washers under the bed). I'd add a couple smaller anchors to the bed rail too. Run one strap over the top of the tire using the floor anchors and the second strap across the front of the tire using the bed rail anchors just to keep it tight against the side of the bed. It won't go anywhere.

 

Adequately thick, over sized backing plates will dismiss any real world concern.

using bolts/washers only (without BP's)
could pull thru or cause some metal deformation.

backing plates aren't difficult to make...
just be sure they span the bed's ribbing adequately.
You can seal the mount holes from water intrusion if you wish.
I simply painted mine to minimize any probable rusting.







...what those ^ plates support



I am able to secure all of my recovery garb and tools...
under and around the spare tire.
including necessities needed to survive a few days on a trail.
I still manage to have half a bed to fill up.
But then... I usually load and haul a trailer as well.

 

I made something like this last year minus the brace to the bottom of the bed . holds the tire perfect . Ill post pics when i get home from work .

 

I went with a MetalMiller, one of our members on TW. It mounts to the bed rail. I've since put a bed rack on and it's bolted to that now. Super sturdy though...I could always run a strap over the top and it wouldn't move at all because it would be smashed into the bed.



I also like it on the driver side so I can see out the back...

 

i already cant see out the back because of the softtopper lol im puttin mine on the right side to help offset the taco lean

lookin forward to more pics guys

 

I just had the guys from trail ridge in ogden make me one just like that. It's a tight fit since we measured it so a 33" spare would sit on the bed and just be held up by the mount.