Spare Assembly Trashed -> Bolting the spare directly to the car?

Flash Runner

Flash Runner

New member
To preference: I realize this is not a super cool off-road mod. I also have searched, and I've yet to find any feedback on this. (plus this might be my 3rd thread I've started? So I'll take a freebie :lmao:)

Now, you might have noticed I bumped an old thread or two about the spare tire assembly --> Spare Tire Cable/Winch replacement

I got the answers I was looking for thanks to the thread, and added comments from other users (shout out to you guys!). This idea is different than replacing the assembly so I wanted to start a new thread about it, making it easier for anyone searching about this later on to find.

My current spare assembly is trashed, I just cut the cable off today. There are countless threads about what to do with your spare, and what wheels/tires will fit in the original spot. I'm not looking to mount mine on the roof, I don't want to buy a hitch spare carrier (I think personally it impedes cargo access just as any other hitch carrier would do), and while a rear bumper with carrier is cool and useful on the trails, I don't have the money nor the need for one of those... yet.

In my search of threads a few said it best with
"keeping the spare tucked under the bottom, is the best place for 90% of 4runner owners to store it there if they can"- multiple people I can't remember who bc I've searched about 50 threads

I couldn't agree more with that statement, as it was also followed up with "It's a spare, I mean why spend so much money on it, when you think about how often you use it?" :lmao:

So the bottom line, has anyone attempted (and hopefully succeeded) with mounting the wheel directly to the undercarriage/body/frame in the original spot, ditching the carrier assembly?

Thanks in advance, and I hope no one views this as thread clutter.

*If people comment on how to do it, or if I find a way to do it myself, I will update this first post with a write-up, for it to be easier found in the future. If it's not updated, than I personally didn't get it to work*
 
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I don't see why it wouldn't work. It would be easier if you had access to a welder and knew how to use it but any fabrication/offroad shop should be able to come up with a way to bolt the spare underneath by welding a tube down vertically from the crossmember and bolting the spare to a plate on that tube.

But if you could source another OEM winch style mount from a junkyard or online, getting another 10 years of service from one of those might be the cheapest option.
 
Now that I think about it, bolting it on underneath might be physically difficult to do. The winch allowed you to set the spare on the ground and lift it up. You're going to have to lift the tire up somehow and simultaneously thread the lugnuts on...
 
Flash Runner said:
To preference: I realize this is not a super cool off-road mod. I also have searched, and I've yet to find any feedback on this. (plus this might be my 3rd thread I've started? So I'll take a freebie :lmao:)

Now, you might have noticed I bumped an old thread or two about the spare tire assembly --> Spare Tire Cable/Winch replacement

I got the answers I was looking for thanks to the thread, and added comments from other users (shout out to you guys!). This idea is different than replacing the assembly so I wanted to start a new thread about it, making it easier for anyone searching about this later on to find.

My current spare assembly is trashed, I just cut the cable off today. There are countless threads about what to do with your spare, and what wheels/tires will fit in the original spot. I'm not looking to mount mine on the roof, I don't want to buy a hitch spare carrier (I think personally it impedes cargo access just as any other hitch carrier would do), and while a rear bumper with carrier is cool and useful on the trails, I don't have the money nor the need for one of those... yet.

In my search of threads a few said it best with
"keeping the spare tucked under the bottom, is the best place for 90% of 4runner owners to store it there if they can"- multiple people I can't remember who bc I've searched about 50 threads

I couldn't agree more with that statement, as it was also followed up with "It's a spare, I mean why spend so much money on it, when you think about how often you use it?" :lmao:

So the bottom line, has anyone attempted (and hopefully succeeded) with mounting the wheel directly to the undercarriage/body/frame in the original spot, ditching the carrier assembly?

Thanks in advance, and I hope no one views this as thread clutter.

*If people comment on how to do it, or if I find a way to do it myself, I will update this first post with a write-up, for it to be easier found in the future. If it's not updated, than I personally didn't get it to work*
Click to expand...


I have one if all else fails. Gotta dig it up but pay shipping and its yours
 
Hyaline said:
I have one if all else fails. Gotta dig it up but pay shipping and its yours
Click to expand...
I might be convinced to pull mine off for $5 + shipping as well. Spare tire doesn't fit in stock location, so unless I think of another use for the winch it's up for grabs
 
Yeah, my thought was that you may be able to pull the spare out by maybe making some kind of big handwheel or other lugs you can spin by hand. That's gonna drop this heavy spare right on your arm (or head).

Once you swap it out then how in the world are you gonna wrestle the flat tire back into place? Maybe you could balance it on the little scissor jack and work it into place but that sounds like a nightmare. Probably throwing it on the roof until you get home and can use a bigger floor jack is your best bet at that point (or make the tire shop guys do it??).

Is the mechanism all jacked up on your old winch or just the cable badly rusted? Maybe you can just replace the cable?
 
TowMeOut said:
Yeah, my thought was that you may be able to pull the spare out by maybe making some kind of big handwheel or other lugs you can spin by hand. That's gonna drop this heavy spare right on your arm (or head).

Once you swap it out then how in the world are you gonna wrestle the flat tire back into place? Maybe you could balance it on the little scissor jack and work it into place but that sounds like a nightmare. Probably throwing it on the roof until you get home and can use a bigger floor jack is your best bet at that point (or make the tire shop guys do it??).

Is the mechanism all jacked up on your old winch or just the cable badly rusted? Maybe you can just replace the cable?
Click to expand...

Just changing out the worn cable, is possible, but not practical, IHMO. You would have to remove the cable housing cover, to get access to the cable. Then unwind the cable from the spool (and if the spool mechanism is rusted that will be a chore) Then, the new cable would need the two ends fitted with swaged ends. then wind the new cable onto the spool, and re-fit the cover, and hang the wheel support on the cable. Doing all of this on your back, under the vehicle. And, if you managed to get all this done, you wind up with the same poor design lift assy., you had in the first place. The biggest problem with the cable design is how the cable winds up on the spool with the weight of the spare on it. Since there is no way to have the cable wind up on the spool in even layers, you will end up with the cable (because of the weight of the spare bouncing on the spool of uneven cable layers) getting forced between earlier layers of the cable. This will lead to the cable getting deformed in the spool, and eventually getting a kink in it.

IMHO, the chain version of this lift is a much smarter design, and less likely to fail over time.
 
Inv4drZm said:
Now that I think about it, bolting it on underneath might be physically difficult to do. The winch allowed you to set the spare on the ground and lift it up. You're going to have to lift the tire up somehow and simultaneously thread the lugnuts on...
Click to expand...

You raise a solid point. I guess it could be one of those things where it's a pain, but a necessary one if needed determining how often you need to access it, like guys saying the same thing about putting the spare on the roof

Hyaline said:
I have one if all else fails. Gotta dig it up but pay shipping and its yours
Click to expand...

NinjaOne said:
I might be convinced to pull mine off for $5 + shipping as well. Spare tire doesn't fit in stock location, so unless I think of another use for the winch it's up for grabs
Click to expand...

PM Sent!

TowMeOut said:
Once you swap it out then how in the world are you gonna wrestle the flat tire back into place? Maybe you could balance it on the little scissor jack and work it into place but that sounds like a nightmare. Probably throwing it on the roof until you get home and can use a bigger floor jack is your best bet at that point (or make the tire shop guys do it??).....Is the mechanism all jacked up on your old winch or just the cable badly rusted? Maybe you can just replace the cable?
Click to expand...

TechWrench said:
IMHO, the chain version of this lift is a much smarter design, and less likely to fail over time.
Click to expand...

TechWrench you definitely have contributed to my issue across some threads, I appreciate the help, and I agree with you, the chain assembly would be the best way to go.

Towmeout, I would replace the whole assembly mostly for functionality issues rather than just the cable, but I appreciate the insight. I also was laughing hard at "make the tire shop guys do it" :bravo:

I really was frustrated with this issue when I made this thread. I just wasn't happy about having to spend the money on new parts for something I won't really even notice. So I thought mounting it would be a good idea, but its shown to not really be a good option.... I'll hopefully pick up Hyaline's or NinjaOne's just to get it back up there and if it fails me again the next time I need my spare, I'll be more inclined to pick up a new chain version

Thanks for the input guys
 
[MENTION=167323]Flash Runner[/MENTION] before you commit to this, I would find a 1996 or older F150-350 truck and see how easy or difficult it is for you to remove the spare tire on those. They are basically bolted on similar to what you want to do. They can be a pain in the ass with age but the positive side, nobody will steal your spare tire.
 
gm350reratliff said:
[MENTION=167323]Flash Runner[/MENTION] before you commit to this, I would find a 1996 or older F150-350 truck and see how easy or difficult it is for you to remove the spare tire on those. They are basically bolted on similar to what you want to do. They can be a pain in the ass with age but the positive side, nobody will steal your spare tire.
Click to expand...

Yeah after looking into the idea more, I've decided to just get another assembly and have it the way toyota intended. Thanks for your input though!

I actually ended up going through your build threads bc of your signature :thumb3: They look like they're coming along great! Sorry about what happened to your unicorn.
 
:focus:

Just wanted to keep this thread updated: I just recieved [MENTION=100982]Hyaline[/MENTION] 's old assembly today in the mail. Huge S/O to him for sending it to me. Now I just need some free time and a nice day of weather to attempt to install it.
 
Flash Runner said:
:focus:

Just wanted to keep this thread updated: I just recieved [MENTION=100982]Hyaline[/MENTION] 's old assembly today in the mail. Huge S/O to him for sending it to me. Now I just need some free time and a nice day of weather to attempt to install it.
Click to expand...

Just to re-state some info in my earlier posts, make sure to get new bolts before cutting the old one out. I forgot to mention that I went with stainless fasteners, so as to not have to deal with the rust issue again. Suggest you consider this also. Good luck.
 
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