So I need a way to secure my full size spare I'm getting with my new tires, I'm putting it in the bed, and had an idea.

It involves those crush blocks from the body lift, bolts, and these style tie downs pictured below.




My idea was instead of welding those crush blocks in, to use them to support the bolts to hold the tie downs in. Would be better than simply using washers and it would secure the crush blocks without welding making it easier to remove them if somewhere down the line the body lift comes off.

Drill a hole in them and the bed, slide the bolt in, washers and nylock nut with thread locker

Ten use those ties owns in conjunction with ratchet straps and a steel cable with a lock to lock the spare.


Thoughts?

 

I'm imagining them being similar to the lower radiator drops....hole in the top and a nut on the bottom in the gap of the "block". I like the idea...

But my thought is the fact that the crossmembers that the "crush blocks" go under are hollow. The potential is there to literally crush the crossmembers if you reef on the bolts. And you've also got I believe 4 total layers of sheet metal to drill through the bed floor plus the blocks. I think the depth is something like 4-5" too. Alignment comes to mind.

Another option to look into is using nutserts into your bedfloor. Decent sized ones like 5/16 or 3/8". Then bolting the ring tie down to those. I use them quite a bit in areas all over my truck, including the bed floor for my toolchest. They are basically threaded rivets and install using a tool that is really really similar to a rivet installer.


Delving deeper, you could locate an old axle shaft or 2wd brake rotor or 4x4 wheel bearing and use just the wheel mounting surface. Weld a plate to a tube to the back of the bolt pattern. Nutsert mounts to secure it to bed floor. And fasten your spare to it with locking lug nuts. No straps to erode away in the weather and cleaner set up. It's all removable but not as versatile as your tie down rings you posted up.

Just some thoughts.

 

Thanks for your input. Will keep it in mind.

Just want something cheap, that will work, and be removable since I do use the bed to haul firewood and my quad.

Eventually I'll get a tiregate

 

Be like me and roll the dice and say "effffffff yew spare!!!!" You stay at home!

lol.



Just thought of something.... If you ever find yourself removing your bed, you could mark the frame where the blocks would go(there may even be wear marks from the padding), drill holes in both frame and block and boom! Bolt-on crush blocks. Off topic/on topic I know.

 

Found something that could be very useful to you or others stumbling upon this thread...

Click: Ford Explorer & Ranger Resource "Serious Explorations"® - View Single Post - Scott B's 2006 Ranger FX4 Level II






That's basically the idea I posted but in picture form. If you used nutserts on the bed floor, you could easily remove the mount when needed. The idea in my head was to make the height of the mount without that space he has...sandwich the tire between the floor and the mount. That's a 32x11.50 too I believe.

Just an idear...

 

yeah, i ended up getting two of these



and ill use existing bed bolts and two of the things in my original post.

should work

 

Have a link to the tie downs in your first post I have been wanting to add a few to my bed floor on the bed bolts.

 

They're actually a dodge part. $3.50 a piece I think. I'll find a link.

Got the idea from the raptor forum I frequent.

 

That be great thanks!

 

dodge part # 05104500AA

cant confirm it will work with ranger bed bolts though. im guessing they are the same size though

 

Easy to drill out of they don't fit! Thanks