Spare tire woes

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I was hosing out the bed of my truck the other day when I decided to get rid of some dirt on my axle. I looked underneath. Lo and behold, my spare tire was gone! #ad
I have two questions for my fellow TDR bretheren. One, where can I find a cheap replacement for the stock spare? Second, are there any of you that have had this happen and can recommend any preventative measures to keep this from happening again? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

P. S. If I catch the sorry POS with my Michelin tire and rim, I'm gonna rip out his spine!!! #ad
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1999 2500 ISB QC SLT (No Leather!), 4x4, 5sp, 4:10, 275inj. , PE, 4"exhaust, Pac-Brake, A-Pillar gauge pod w/boost and pyro, Line-X, V-1, lights, siren, lic. plt. frame that says "Diesel Fumes Make Me Horny!", and much more goofy stuff. (Too much to be listed. )

[This message has been edited by Amianthus (edited 10-16-2000). ]

 

[Archive]

Sorry to hear about that. Mopar provides an antitheft, deterrent, easy to instal device that will work. A new tube to the spare tire winch is used. It has one of those wonder patterns for the insert of the wrench. Key is, its in the tube at the winch.

 

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Sorry to hear! I use a cable lock designed to keep computers from being stolen. Wrap it around the rim and frame. Probably any good bicycle cable lock would do the job. Chains and padlocks rattle too much and bolt cutters can cut em in seconds...

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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover

 

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Hey, atleast your spare tire didnt fall off like mine did. Luckly mine fell of in my drive way and not on the high way that I was on a few min earlyer.

 

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Luckily, my dealer ( www.bennyboyd.com another cheap plug #ad
) installs cable locks on all new trucks.



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'01 Eth 3500 dually, no mods planned except maybe an amsoil filter & guages. See My Truck and also be sure to read What tools & methods to use for an easy 1st oil change!!!
"Be happy you don't get all the government you pay for. " -W. C. Fields

 

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Are you sure someone stole it didn't fall off?My experence with removing the spare makes me think that if I was a thief I'd rather take one of your mounted wheels,it would be faster. You might be able to find a replacement at the junkyard(it might even be yours)I heard they also go for tailgates,watch out!

 

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One summer day on my way to a lunch meeting, I was driving down town with window of truck down(ford), when suddenly there was a really loud scrapping, grinding noise from somewhere outside the truck. It soon occured to me that the noise was following me. Stopped at curb and found the spare was hanging down with the end of carrier resting on the pavement.
There I was in coat and tie trying to get the tire out and into the bed of the truck and the carrier secured up with out the nut and not show up at my meeting looking like sanford and son.
Not a good day. That week end I devised an altogether different spare tire carrier---copy of the one on my 1950 Dodge truck--a lever arrangement that allows raising and lowering the tire by unhooking a lever at one end of the rear bumper and swinging it to the other end of the bumper. Have had it on each truck since until the '01.

Vaughn

Vaughn

 

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I thought about the lock Mopar sells, but I heard that thieves will cut the winch cable, so I wondered if that lock would prevent that. I ended up wrapping a heavy plastic coated cable through 3 or 4 of the lug holes of the rim and around the frame a couple of times. In fact, it's tight enough that the spare wouldn't go anywhere if the winch cable failed. Then I locked it with a big padlock (with some tape over the keyhole to keep crud out). Just don't lose the key! I keep the key in the console (and a spare at home).
One downside: I just hope I don't ever have to get my cable out of there on a dark snowy night. #ad


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2001 2500; SLT; 4x4; QC; LWB; Auto; 3. 54 LS; 265s; Camper; Tow; Sliding Rear Window; Travel Convenience Group; Cab Clearance Lamps; Forest Green

 

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Thanks for the multitude of replies. Those are all great ideas. I will make something work.
I am almost 90% sure that it was stolen because there are some scuff marks where the crank would go into the back of the truck. Like someone couldn't even respect the paint long enough to just take the tire and go.
Oh well. Thanks again for the great ideas. If there are any more ideas, they would be appreciated.

 

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Add me to the ones who have had the spare fall off the carrier. I was pulling a trailer at the time and it hit the spare with a terrific jolt. I did not find the spare and it cost $341 for a new wheel from DC. Needless to say I do not carry the spare on the carrier any longer. I chain it up and padlock it in the bed.

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98. 5 24v 3500 2wd 3. 54 lsd pyro & boost in A pillar DD1's E-brake by Jacob U. S. Gear over/direct O'Reilly Air Horns 105 gal aux tank 35' Prowler 5th wheel with three slides Firestone air helper springs

 

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Ad me to the list where the spare tire disappeared with the carrier in the full up position.

I now have a cable looped over a support above the tire, and a padlock looped through the cable ends and through a lug hole in the rim.

A lot of effort to steal it now.

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'96 4x4, 2500 extended, 5-Stick, TST, big stereo, MP3 player, GPS, Kodiak Sidewinder steps.

 

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Mopar Part numbers...

82204364 LWB
82204363 SWB

I just installed minelast weekend.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Regards;

Max