The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Spare tire wheel and mount question?

Attempted to mount the spare tire and wheel on a 1954 Chevrolet truck style spare tire carrier. Got it mounted but really messed up the paint on the wheel trying to get it mounted. Is there a trick to doing this without messing up the paint? Does the flat "L" shaped plate on the spare tire carrier mount to the inside of the wheel lip or on the wheel lip itself? Any suggestions with success GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

Tim

Tim,
Send me your email & I will send you the instructions for a 1953 but it should be the same for 1954.
Harold

Harold,

Got the instructions. Thank you. These are the same instructions in the assembly manual? Still can't really tell if the "L" shaped plate on the spare tire carrier goes inside the rim edge or directly on the rim edge. Having a hard time getting the spare tire and wheel to stay balanced on the carrier while hoisting it into the bolt down position. The #@$& wheel and tire keep wanting to slide off towards the front or the rear of the truck!!

Tim,
Take a LOOK at the 37 - 50 setup. Maybe this will help you.
Harold

Edited to correct dates this carrier was used.

Tim, I use a jack to raise up the carrier, pumping with one hand while balancing the tire with the other. The spares drop down easily, but they don't like to go back up!

Matt

PS--I'll also admit to doing it flat on my back balancing the tire with both hands and using my knees to raise the carrier. Sure is easier with the jack!

I don't understand why the page you posted states that the pictured carrier is for 29-53.
They changed styles in 1951. The '51 and later lacked the center c-channel rail, but included two crossbar c-channels bolted to the frame.
It sounds like Tim is using a '54 carrier on his '49, unless he snuck out and bought another truck.
There is a very good reason why these carriers are so hard to find. They got chucked in the ditch after the first flat tire. Just imagine back in the '40s-'50s, when the roads were awful and not paved. You are on your back rolling around in the mud because you never get a flat when it is nice out...

I had not seen that particular photo of the spare tire carrier before. Thank you, Harold. I am collecting drawings and photos of the spare tire carriers with the intent of eventually writing up something for a tech article. One of the things that stands out in the photo posted, is the front end attachment of the upper rail. It appears to be a piece of angle iron that runs from one frame rail to the other. Others from, I assume from what I have on my '37 and have seen on 'several other '46 1/2 ton models attached to the bed boards with carriage bolts. I recently acquired one that uses the angle iron attachment method. Oddly, it came off a 1946 Chevy 1/2 ton parts truck and was secured to the frame with swagged rivets. It would seem from that attachment method, it was a factory install.

I have not seen the bolts attached to the bed floor. I have had 2 parts trucks plus the truck I restored and all 3 had the angle iron riveted (factory) to the frame and the slider bar riveted to the angle iron using the same type rivets.
Harold

Carl,
I edited my post to correct the dates as you stated.
Harold

I notice the picture says "redesigned for EASIER HANDLING". Looks like GM knew folks were unhappy!

I appears there may have been different mount methods used for the same year trucks. A local owner has a complete spare tire carrier with all the parts, including the lock, that he is certain are correct for a '46. I have photos of the parts. It bolts to the bed. Another nearby owner with a recently completed restoration, to factory delivered specs, has the same bed mounted carrier. His finished truck has been in his family since the late '40's. A thread in VCCA about a week ago, in the parts wanted section, showed a post reply with photos showing the same bed mounted top rail. It was on an unrestored model. On my '46 the entire spare tire carrier assembly was missing. There is no evidence that anything was secured to the frame rails at the points matching up to remnants of the swagged rivets on the carrier rail recently acquired. But, the holes in the frame are present.

In checking my '37 I did not find any frame rail holes that would match an angle iron and swagged rivets anchoring method. My '37 assembly was bolted on by previous owner, which is different yet from those described in this thread and I suspect was a shade tree solution? I'd never looked that critically at it before, since it worked without any problems.

I am puzzled, and can not state with certainty there was only one way of mounting these carriers.

Could it have depended on the type truck that it was going to be? Such as a flatbed, panel, canopy express, etc.
Harold

Good question, I sure would like to know. It seems the more I learn about these beasts the less I know...arghhh.

I am digging through more references, as time permits, looking for more photos and descriptions.

If others here have photos of known to be original spare tire carriers and installed on an unmolested Art Deco, 1937-1946 Chevy truck or commercial vehicle, please send me a PM.

I like the fact that all this information and questions have come up concerning under bed spare tire carriers on the AD trucks, but what happened to my initial questions? 1)The carrier bracket with the "L" shaped flat plate. Does the lip on the "l" shaped plate go inside the rim of the wheel or does the rim lip sit directly on the lip? 2) How do you get the wheel and tire on to the carrier without scratching the paint on the wheel? Is there a trick?

Tim

Tim
Sorry for the hijack of your original question.

In pondering your question, and since others have not offered an opinion or experience otherwise, how about using tape or a bicycle tube strip on the wheel at the rub points?

My guess is, back in the day, owners were not the least concerned about some of the many things about these iron heaps some of us are now. Back then a scratch here and there was not worthy of a second thought.