Gripe about spare tire location

Brace yourself this is a bit of a rant. I have a regular cab 4x4 second generation Tacoma. I have never thought it was a good idea to store under something or even more so in a spot that is harder to reach when you have need for it i.e. under the bed. Under the bed you have the opportunity for all that dirt, grime, and salt from the road. Also when off road if you have a flat, most likely your going to have to lift the truck in a spot that is either soft or inconvenient just to get access to the spare.
Seeing as it was a composite bed, why didn't Toyota consider and implement having a recessed tire box in the bed, similar to a minivan?
Where do I put the tire other than between the frame in the rear without loosing valuable space?

I have viewed a lot of the post here about tire relocation and found that most of them use up bed space.

Any other ideas for tire relocation and keeping a stock bumper look?

 

USE www.google.com and type in "Tacoma Tire Carrier" and hit IMAGES. You'll find all sorts of ideas.

Based on your complaints, I would say...You need a new rear bumper with a tire mount or swing-out tire carrier. Those bumpers are heavy duty add a lot of weight which may sag your suspension.

 

It's the most ideal & cost effective location for the buying masses. Like most things, if it doesn't suit your personal needs... change it.

 

This would would be logical to me for ease of use and access, but obviously Toyota thought through their design and didn't put a trap door tire in like shown, but if they did it would be cleaner.

Picture thanks to
stinky_truck https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2-spare-tires.262903/

 

I don't mind its current location. Imagine going on a camping trip and your bed is full of stuff and you get a flat. Would you really want to take most stuff out to get to the tire? Or if someone is hauling a full bed of something and get a flat on the highway. Much easier to get to the bottom of the truck than the bottom of the load.

 

In reality, how often do you use your spare? Once a year, once a decade?
Seems a fine place.

 

I would love to have a load of mulch in my bed, get a flat, have to unload all the mulch in the road to get my spare, then shovel all the mulch back into my truck bed. People who use their truck as a truck appreciate it's placement.

 

Unless you drive a x runner or 5 lug you should be able to get your spare even with a load. Off-road if you have a flat just drive a little farther to a more convenient area to take out the spare and change it, you shouldn't do it on a hill anyways.

 

Seriously? It's a truck. Having to unload the bed to get a spare is retarded. Get a mini van if you want a mini van.

Not only that but we would be even more restricted on tire size.

I have a 33" tire under the bed, and a camper in the bed. It is super easily accessible as is.

 

Trucks have always had the spare underneath ever since the stepside trucks went away.

 

As others have said, the spare in the bed would suck for using the truck to move anything.

 

at first I was like yeah why don't they have it somewhere else. then I read comments and was like yup good place for a spare.

 

The current location is best. They've been building trucks for a long time and everyone puts them in the same spot. FWIW, I've been driving trucks since 1975 and I've only used the truck spare once. I've done it a few times in a car and once in a Jeep Wrangler, but so far only the one time in my truck. And that was because someone spiked a Forest Service road I was driving on to keep hunters out. I had 5 nails in one tire, 2 in another. Pre-cell phone days so I walked 5 miles to pavement, threw about 10 lbs of nails I found in the ditch and hitched a ride to a phone.

For years I've kept a set of plugs, tools, and an air compressor in all of my vehicles. I've had lots of flats. If it is a slow leak I simply air it up and drive to a tire store and let them fix it. If it needs plugs it is far easier to plug it and air it up than try to crawl under the truck and get the spare. I still get into a tire store and let them either replace the tire or properly repair it, but the plugs will usually get you to help.

In 2011 I had to use 2-3 plugs in a tire and got enough air in it to make it to the next exit while driving across Oklahoma. It was late, so we got a motel room and I found a tire store the next AM. The tire was too bad to repair, but they put my spare on and I drove 700 miles home that day. I had 45,000 miles on the tires anyway so I just bought a new set after I got home.

 

Ok, to stir the pot more...

If you only use your spare once in a blue moon. Why wouldn't you be ok with unloading your (imaginary) load to have a nice clean un-weathered spare to install?

Next argument, Over sized tires wouldn't fit. Counter argument, mass produced trucks are not designed to have larger tires on than comes from the factory. If they were then they would come from the factory that way. Stock sized tire or even doughnut tires are what is provided as a spare so argument is void for an oversize spare space allocation.

Off road tire change argument, my experience with flats off road is that if or when you have a flat, you are also stuck there.

I have not greatly considered tire plugs. I have air bags now on my truck so a nice on board compressor or otherwise would be handy for load height adjustments.

 

I don't get why you care about a clean spare tire. Tacoomas come with a steel spare its not like it matches the stock rims.

 

I've been driving for 40 years and can not recall ever using a spare tire.

 

Okay so here's my opinion on this. If the spare tire was located in the bed, you could have two potential issues: Greater risk of tire getting damaged (dry rot/punctured) and the cut out for the spare could weaken the bed strength. I'm not saying your idea is not possible, but they most likely go by "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Another thing is that you don't accredit for larger tire sizes because the "factory designed that size for a specific reason". It doesn't mean that the manufacture does everything on a vehicle for top performance. I would have to say a majority of the parts are probably made cheap for mass production. Otherwise, why would you want to change the location of the spare tire? I mean you're kind of contradicting your own argument. It's like saying you don't buy an aftermarket phone case because the manufacture didn't market that design.

 

Who cares if your spare is clean or not? Unless you've replaced the spare with a matching wheel as the rest of your truck I don't think this really matters. I've got five matching wheels and do a five wheel rotation. After a quick wash you can't tell which one has been under the truck. Lots of guys run shells or platforms in the back of their truck, never mind any other cargo that they may have. And guaranteed, when Mr. Murphy says it's time to get the spare tire out from under all the crap you've got in the bed that it'll either be A. Raining B. Snowing C. Super windy or D. on a road with a muddy shoulder.

Counter-counter argument: 1st gen 4x4 Tacomas came with 225 75 R15 tires (28 1/2" diameter) or 265 70 R16 tires (31"). They are far from the only vehicle that came with different tire size options available from the factory, you may have heard of such companies as Jeep or Ford. I've got larger than stock spares on both of my trucks (235 85 R16) and they both fit in the spare location.

I'd recommend a little more experience dealing with flats offroad . Last one I changed out was on a buddy's Sportsmobile. There wasn't enough room on the trail after he ripped the sidewall open to change the tire, he had to drive to the closest wide spot several hundred yards up the path. There was barely enough room between the hill and the rig to get the tire changed. It took longer than expected due to the dark and the hill we were on. Fortunately he had his spare mounted on a swingout, but the sucker was chest height.

Tire plugs can work, but they're no guarantee. A torn sidewall is pretty time for a spare tire. If you really truly can't stand the thought of your spare sitting under the truck, I'd recommend just taking it off until you need it. You could go the VW route and carry one of these around instead: http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

Personally I'm liking the swingout idea more and more. There's just so much other cool stuff to spend money on right now that it's pretty low on my priority list.

 

I used to own a Toyota Sienna minivan. Had to change a tire on that. If you want Pain In the A-- buy one of those. Not only is the tire UNDER the minivan (which has very little ground clearance) but the lowering mechanism is under the floor in the midst of where your children sit. And your jack is in the back cargo area jammed into a side panel. You have to get to three different places in order to lower your spare.

Put a lift on your truck. It'll be easier to get under it for the spare if you ever need it. lol

If you're worried about a clean spare tire just call AAA when you get a flat. Let them change it for you... assuming you have cell reception when you get a flat. If I have a flat tire and I'm stuck away from someplace that can help me right away the only thing I care about is having a spare tire that's got air pressure in it!!

 

Maybe the trap door should be at the front of the bed so you have to unload all your crap, or under the hood like the old brats