Why NOT use the stock spare tire location on a pickup truck?

[carterd]

On my 80 series Land Cruiser I run the spare in the factory location. This keeps the weight down low and is vastly more convenient than a swing out if you access the rear frequently. To prevent damage, I have a piece of UHMW Polyethylene strapped to the bottom as a skid plate. I have dragged this over rocks that would have damaged the sidewall, but the poly shrugs it off with aplomb.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I converted my TJ to a CJ style tailgate instead of a swing gate. Then I put a separate swing out carrier on it to hold the spare. At this point I am tired of having to open the swing out carrier to open the tailgate. I'm stuck with it though, as I want the bed space, and I'm certainly not going to put the spare under the back.

This relates to pickups because I considered putting a swing out carrier on our Comanche too, as it would fit the "look" I was after. In the end, I couldn't do it... The tire tucks up well under the truck, and in most situations it's going to be very hard to drag the tire before dragging the bumper. And the biggest plus for me: I don't have to unlatch a carrier and swing a tire out of the way to open and use the tailgate.

I am building a swingout for my Ranger. One of the design criteria is I wanted to be able to take the carrier off when I don't need it. I personally don't care for the looks of a spare tire on a open bed pickup so when I don't have the topper or camper on the truck I want to be able to ditch the carrier. Also for utility type truck stuff like you say it is just in the way. The hinge I settled on just has one bolt to remove, combined with a non-obtrusive latch point on the other side the thing is gone when I don't want it aside for the out of the way mounting bracket welded on my bumper.

One of the advantages of the 5-tire rotation scheme is that it forces me to run my tire winch up and down every so often. Maintaining the winch assembly is just like any other part of the van, so no issues with the winch or cables here.

I don't do the full 5 tire rotation but I do use the spare for a crutch when I rotate the tires. It is a good chance to exercise the winch and check the pressure in the spare.

 

[Herbie]

On my 80 series Land Cruiser I run the spare in the factory location. This keeps the weight down low and is vastly more convenient than a swing out if you access the rear frequently. To prevent damage, I have a piece of UHMW Polyethylene strapped to the bottom as a skid plate. I have dragged this over rocks that would have damaged the sidewall, but the poly shrugs it off with aplomb.

Ooh, I like that.

 

[MTVR]

None of our five vehicles came with spare tires, nor did any of them come with provisions for carrying a spare tire...

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I run a 33 in my stock location under the truck. Dual exhaust was custom formed around it. It does stick down a little, but not enough to be a problem. The receiver hitch would drag first.