The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1950 Underbed Spare Tire Carrier

Never could locate an underbed spare tire carrier for my 1950 3100 Pickup. Looked for the reproductions and eBay. So my son and I decided to just build our own by extrapolating the dimensions from pictures of the old and reproduction ones online. Didn’t turn out too bad. Got the dimensions right and built it right on our first attempt. Works and looks great.

Very Nice.
I was able to score the '51 and later style for $40 on my road trip. Of course, it needs some work, but that's what my project is all about.

I'm in the same boat looking for the tire carrier. Someone previous to my ownership decided to knock a few dents in the right rear fender to store the spare.....

1950 GMC 100

[img]https://postimg.cc/gxrySdx1[/img]

Used to use Chevy LUV spare tire hoists but when they became scarce we now use Ford Ranger or Nissan. What is nice about the wind up hoist is you never have to get down on the ground but just reel out enough cable to hook into the center hole and then drag the spare forward and up into place. When removing spare leave enough slack in the cable to move truck ahead and spare will be behind truck, not under it. Made a few side mount recesses in fenders by cutting out curve in the right spot, turn piece over and weld back in. What was convex is then concave. Nice job on the factory style mount by the way.

You should write up some instructions and measurements for what you've built. I feel a new tech tip in the making. Nicely done.

Evan,

Do you have any pictures of a retro-fitted spare tire hoist?

Thanks,

I’ve got an under bed tire carrier from a ‘51. Will it fit under my 1950 model? Thanks

Probably not.
The design changed sometime during 51.
See Master Parts List sections 7.778, 7.779, 7.780, 7.782 and 7.783.
Visually, the new design has a diagonal strap or bar as compared to previous designs.

50 and 51 frames are the same. I see no reason why spare carriers couldn't be interchanged.

Nice job!

BTW, where were all you guys when I had my spare tire carrier listed for sale on this forum? :-)

True. The 50 frame would almost be the same as the 51 except for a few holes needed to mount the 51 support brackets (see attachment).
I don't know if the 50 slide/track and the fixed "C" bracket on the second cross member would need to be removed.
If someone tries this, please take pictures.

Here is a picture of the 1940-1950 carrier and the 1951 - 1954 carrier.
1st pic is the 1940-1946 carrier.

One of the illustrations (below) from the Master Parts Catalog (MPC) is posted by Harold (above) - the 1951-1955st 1/2 ton spare tire carrier.
Presumable, Chevrolet and GMC used the same style wheel carriers in that years.

Below, are both "generations" (3 styles) of wheel carriers (1954 Chevrolet Truck MPC):

left image = 1947-1950 (two styles)
right image = 1951-1955st (one style)

Those images might help a little in showing/identifying the different mounting bolt locations?

Thank for sharing the photos. There is quite a bit of difference in the two designs, but they might interchange with a bit of tweaking.

I got the hook from Classic parts, not long enough for a 6.50 tire, tires to wide, still thinking about a Tacoma spare holder

The originator of this thread, Oldtxag80 from Dallas, TX, never posted again. Sure wish he would have submitted his instructions for building a carrier so they could be uploaded as a Tech Tip.

Cool build... thanks to everyone else who added information.

-Woog

This may be an odd question, my 54 3100 has a driver side fender mount spare tire. I may be dreaming but I think I saw a passenger side fender mount on older half tons. Can anyone advise? Doc

I believe the side mount on the fender may have started in 1953. I had one on my 53 and frankly I hated it. Extra weight on the driver side, in the way when you exit the vehicle and just too bulky looking. I also think they were only on the driver side. Fords have them on the passenger side. I took mine off and put the tire in the bed.
I am sure many owners love the side mount but not me.

Doc,
Take a LOOK. Side mounts on both sides guess it was the owners choice.
Harold

I believe 1953 was the first year Chevrolet offered the optional side mounted spare in the rear fender. Prior to that (Art Deco and back) they were mounted on the side of the bed (not in the fender) or front fender mounted (1934 and back).

So, who has a factory right side mounted spare on a Chevrolet truck from 1953 and up?

Mike B

As Mike knows: 1953-1955st (47nd-1955st) factory right-side-mounted spare tire on a GM truck would be scarcer than hens' teeth?

However, does anyone want to speculate why GM put the outside spare on the driver's side?
(maybe that is related to the reason why the outside door lock was on the passenger side?)

Having the spare on the driver's side is a horrible idea in terms of safety while addressing a flat tire.
The only explanation that I can think of is that it was done for aesthetic reasons. If you were in charge of marketing and wanted to create an image which showed the friendly looking driver (as all Chevrolet truck owners which I have ever met are), and you wanted to display the latest and greatest snazzy looking spare tire option, you would naturally put it on the driver's side.

Well, conjecture has it that the outside door lock was on the right side because in city/town/village street-side parking, it is unsafe exit/enter the truck on the driver's side. I have see movies with stovebolts that show the driver getting out and/or getting in a the passenger side.

My bs theory for the tire on the driver's side is that only a fool would try to change a tire on-or-near the side a two-lane road. This tire location forces the driver to completely pull off the road to safely change the tire?

It's not in the way if you always exit on the passenger side...

Mike B

another thought; most city streets were unpaved therefore in order to avoid walking in the often muddy streets the driver would simply slide across the seat and exit via the passenger side onto a sidewalk.

Yes, in rural areas, but, most cities probably had paved streets in the "booming" 1950s?

It's on the driver's side so you notice when it has been stolen.

I have one of these on the driver's side of two of my trucks and it is not in the way of anything. It is just sitting there, looking pretty, with the beauty ring, and the CHEVROLET red letter hubcap.

Would you share the drawings?

GVL50

You replied to a post that is more than 2 years old and sorry to say the original poster never returned to post a follow up or reply to any other replies posted.

There are a number of drawings and pictures attached to earlier replies which may be of help, but would recommend you ask your question in a new thread of your own to have a fresh conversation to start if they do not provide the information your are searching for.