OK Ford guys...What y'all know about this?

Oh my... What have I done? Oh well, not the first monster I've created, just so long as it don't come back to kick me in the rear.

 

Bend over. As soon as I get this canoe loaded up on my long bed Ford and remove the spare from under the bed side to change the dadburned flat you're getting what's coming to you!
See, on topic!

 

Nice save, although honestly, that is one of the best spare tire positions I have seen on a vehicle. Most of us have to dig out out of a hole in the bottom back of the car, or out of the quarter panel. I'd rather deal with something like that than fighting out my spare tire out of the bottomless pit it sits in. Well it will be bottomless soon anyway, if it keeps rusting.

 

On my 55 Chevy wagon I have 15" fat tires. One won't fit in the spare hole. Back in late 80's I put one of those full sized big Chevy skinny space saver spares along with a crank up jack from the same Chevy. Thank goodness they have never been removed. Of course the tire probably has outlived it's "use by" date a long time..
Surprisingly my late Dodge truck has a very easy to remove spare under the rear behind axle. Gently spin a ratchet extension thru a hole above the bumper to lower or raise it from a pully and cable. They did something right!
I've seen other newer trucks advertised with almost hidden tool boxes and storage areas in the bed. So much wasted space that a spare and tools can be added if they only built them with those compartments. RV's do it.

 

Heh you think that Dodge's spare tire location is great now, wait until you have to get that crusty road filth covered thing down. I've had to change one, it had more filth on it than the actual tires that where being used.

Also, my spare is one of those skinny donuts too, needed it once when my father ran down the back tires to the cords. Just going up the road and we started hearing a flapping noise, then the rear end started sinking.

I will not leave without a spare tire, because, if you keep your tires up, you'll never need one. But the moment you remove it, you will find yourself stranded. The car gods are cruel to those who are not prepared.

 

Forgive me for getting slightly off topic. But it is a truck and has a bed. A 6 1/2' Bed on a Dodge. Close right? And this is about a spare tire.
After owning my truck since Oct 2004 I did finally blow a fairly new rear tire and needed that spare back in May 2013. I'd just left my eye doc and both eyes were dialated. Yes, I was driving in bright sun! In Florida vision is not a requirement once you have your license.
I'm not as dumb as I appear on the internet. I held a white hat out until help arrived. No rag so the hat worked...almost immediately. Tried to get Dollie to give me her white bra or blouse but women are strange that way on a busy highway!
Anyway a young guy had it changed in no time. The spare was only dusty. Amazingly clean. Probably cleaner than the other four on the ground.
He put the flat in the truck bed and the guys at the tire place made the excuse they didn't have the crank thing to put a spare back. My jack and the crank have mysteriously vanished. The joys of having a 24 year old at home. Notice the similarity in age?
Anyway the spare remained in the truck bed until July when my older son in Illinois helped me put it back up in that special location using only a 1/2" ratchet, socket, and extention. After I saw how it fit I finished cranking it up.
On a happy note, I was also relieved to see the recently added dual tail pipes cleared the spare tire. Pheww!:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Good move on getting help, it helps to look like someone's grandpa I guess. Unless you don't, I dunno. On that note, this topic as derailed so uh...

 

Dead: A full sized tire does fit into the well on your Custom Cruiser. I prefer the tire to be tucked into the quarter, as it means that load capacity is not compromised. I always HATED the spare hanging underneath. A couple of our winters, and they are there for life! It takes dynamite to get them out after that. The spare storage on these Ford pick ups reminds me of the spare on the late-50s Mopar wagons with the 3rd seat. Not so long ago, though, one of our members was trying to find one of those covers, as his had been stolen. An argument for having internal access to the tire, instead of a removable panel. Also, the cut lines for the panel are not the very nicest. They tend to muck up the flowing lines of the quarter.

 

No we are right on topic. It was about spare tire location on a pick up truck. I never get off topic. By the way I did my best to look like a grandpa.
mg:

 

I know, I tried to help a former coworker remove one from a New York originated Durango. We did manage to get it off after letting it soak for a day in PB Blaster, WD40, and a few other lubricants we dug out of his shed. Still took a huge vice grip and the wing nut holding it on let out the most awful howl when it finally came loose. I don't particularly like working on cars that come from your way, Mike, everything is rusted on so tight, it could pass for a weld! Also, I don't think I can fit a 235/75R15 in my spare tire compartment, which is what i run on my tank. If I was taking a long trip I'd load up a full sized spare somehow though.

 

I believe that a 235/75R15 will fit, since my brother did run that size on his 86 Parisienne Safari, and his spare matched the other Pirelli Scorpion light truck tires on his car. That well is bigger than it looks.

 

This truck is Bone stock. It is known as the "Super Camper Special" it had the Longer Wheel base, as Tedy Stated:

Also, it was only available in the standard cab. you could get a "regular" Camper Special in standard and Super Cab.

This one was a one year option called the "SNOW FIGHTER" the next year 79, it became an F-350. 79 was the first year they offered an F-350 4X4

 

Great info Orthmann! As you can see since we couldn't dazzle anyone with our brilliance, we were baffling them with our At least I was!

 

Today I was parked next to a later model Dodge truck with a storage door at the top of the truck bed side, nearly as long ast the top of the bed. Even the bed liner was cut out to match. Passenger side.

 

Look at how much smaller it made the cargo area in the bed. We had a pile of them we couldn't sell at work. It was a $$$ option at first, then they started sending them to us with no extra $$$ since no one wanted them!


No chance of a picture of one of those dodge's with Hooter's Girls, huh?